Youth Will Not Save You

Ethan Heitner

April 20, 2006

Curious as always to know what the geezers are saying about me behind my back, I went yesterday to the New Politics Institute’s discussion, entitled “The Millennials: The Next Great Generation That Will Transform Politics.”

Hosted by Peter Leyden, formerly of Wired magazine, the forum focused on a new survey of generational political attitudes, and the general atmosphere—as one might guess from the title—was of boosterism . Thankfully, it seems, in contrast to the “self-absorbed, pessimistic” rebellious Boomers or the “individualistic, detached” slacker Xers, we Millennials—broadly defined as anyone between 13 and 28 right now—are apparently “civic-minded, team-building, high achievers.”

The prevailing message was that my generation is apparently going to be the base of a “new progressive era.” Much was made of the fact that Millennials more than any other age group came out for John Kerry, and on a number of issues from abortion to racial justice to economic justice we score consistently liberal compared even to the Boomers, who’ve, let’s face it, become pretty bitter in their old age.

See the statistics yourself here.

Not to be uncharacteristically (for my generation) cynical or pessimistic here, but take a closer look at the subdivisions within the Millennial group, and there is plenty of reason for pause.

True, my own cohort, those labeled “Cusp” or “Transitional” Millennials (I was born in 1983), who came of age and political awareness in the happy, fondly-remembered Clinton years, are genuinely, markedly progressive across the map, including on pretty much every social issue questioned. But as Leyden points out, we also "start with a baseline of attitudes and values—the equality of genders, the normalization of race relations, the need for environmental balance—that other generations had to focus extraordinary energy on." In other words, we didn't have to fight or overcome overwhelming odds to be such great citizens.

And more disturbingly,  take a look at those “Teen” Millennials (born between 1989-1993).

Those are the kids whose defining political memories don’t even start until the Bush era, until 9/11. Teen Millennials are the most solidly anti-abortion of any group, the least likely to think invading Iraq was a mistake, and join the older Xers and Boomers in favoring a strict punishment approach to law-and-order issues and terrorism, government-mandated control of morality and increased electronic surveillance.

Millennials make up one-quarter of the American population, yet only 40 percent are of voting age. Progressives, the speakers urged, need to connect to young ‘uns now to help usher in the new progressive age.

Yeah, maybe. But it also looks like many of those who are growing up under Bush’s regime have bought into his nasty vision of the world. Maybe it’s not so good after all that we Millennials are so trusting of our elders and of institutions.

Me, I’ve long been suspicious of anyone whose primary socialization in seventh grade involved AIM. But this survey proves what everybody knows. It’s those damn kids who are screwing everything up.