I suspect I am younger than the average subscriber (but older than Gen Z). Unlike some of the angry, cynical commentary here, I have a different perspective. I was still in school when 9/11 happened. I grew up bearing witness to the shameful war in Iraq, the disgraceful treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, the use of Guantanamo Bay to c…
I suspect I am younger than the average subscriber (but older than Gen Z). Unlike some of the angry, cynical commentary here, I have a different perspective. I was still in school when 9/11 happened. I grew up bearing witness to the shameful war in Iraq, the disgraceful treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, the use of Guantanamo Bay to circumvent human rights and habeas corpus, and countless other atrocities and indignities by the Bush administration that essentially went unchecked. Watching these events unfold in real time led me to develop a deep distrust of our government’s foreign policy motives as well as a distaste towards our unconditional support for Israel and American interventionalism more broadly. Suffice to say that I’m not the least bit surprised that younger people have taken a sharp turn towards isolationism and have no interest in supporting either Ukraine nor Israel. To me, this reads as entirely consistent, not as contradictory. They are not seeking the US government’s support for Gaza, they are seeking a withdrawal of support for Israel (or at least a withdrawal of unconditional support). Right or wrong, it’s not a hypocritical position to take.
Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that the narrative of Gen Z being markedly conservative is false. Young people still backed Kamala Harris by the biggest margin of any age group. The 44% of Gen Z Trump voters are no different than their older counterparts. They are delusional to believe he is some kind of champion of peace or advocate for their domestic concerns, but it would be a mistake to ignore or balk at these concerns, no matter how misplaced they may be. There has never been a time where young people responded to being scolded, mocked, and dismissed by their elders, particularly when those elders are responsible for so many of the problems they are facing in the first place.
I suspect I am younger than the average subscriber (but older than Gen Z). Unlike some of the angry, cynical commentary here, I have a different perspective. I was still in school when 9/11 happened. I grew up bearing witness to the shameful war in Iraq, the disgraceful treatment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, the use of Guantanamo Bay to circumvent human rights and habeas corpus, and countless other atrocities and indignities by the Bush administration that essentially went unchecked. Watching these events unfold in real time led me to develop a deep distrust of our government’s foreign policy motives as well as a distaste towards our unconditional support for Israel and American interventionalism more broadly. Suffice to say that I’m not the least bit surprised that younger people have taken a sharp turn towards isolationism and have no interest in supporting either Ukraine nor Israel. To me, this reads as entirely consistent, not as contradictory. They are not seeking the US government’s support for Gaza, they are seeking a withdrawal of support for Israel (or at least a withdrawal of unconditional support). Right or wrong, it’s not a hypocritical position to take.
Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that the narrative of Gen Z being markedly conservative is false. Young people still backed Kamala Harris by the biggest margin of any age group. The 44% of Gen Z Trump voters are no different than their older counterparts. They are delusional to believe he is some kind of champion of peace or advocate for their domestic concerns, but it would be a mistake to ignore or balk at these concerns, no matter how misplaced they may be. There has never been a time where young people responded to being scolded, mocked, and dismissed by their elders, particularly when those elders are responsible for so many of the problems they are facing in the first place.