Open Letter to "Generation Screwed"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-smith/open-letter-to-generatio_b_69851.html Dear Generation Screwed, Where are you?... Dumb and apathetic is no way to go through life, let alone unscrew yourself. If you don't get off your collective asses and get active, it's over. Let's go.

The comments are of course more fun to read than the letter itself.

The message of the letter seems to be that "direct action"/protests can change the world, if only 100 million young people would hit the streets and demand change. Well, yes, it probably would IF we actually KNEW what we wanted. I don't have a lot of faith in the power of MOBS to have sensible plans of action.

I suppose my primary failing is being an intectual, wanting to understand things before I change anything. Mostly I understand the PROBLEMS. I just don't think leaders are in a position to change things any more than the rest of us. I do have a habit of defending and forgiving leaders for their weaknesses and failings - not convinced I could do any better.

Anyway, although I agree US 20 and 30 year olds are "screwed", I as well defend this generation as preoccupied with both important and unimportant distractions. I understand a lament, wanting a "new generation" to learn from the old, but I also wonder about what tactics really make a different.

I suppose if I were to MOB for power, my points would be something like:

We want:
(1) to end the war in Iraq AND end our dependence upon petroleum.

So Dubya, get those troops home pronto AND lets get with the program of replacing our gasoline cars with electric ones, along with improving mass transit so more people don't need to have cars at all!

(2) to end the federal budget deficit AND end our dependence upon credit cards to finances our lifestyles.

So Dubya, RAISE those taxes on your rich bastard friends - LET THOSE WHO HAVE MONEY PAY MORE. The rest of us promise to be more responsible, stop buying $6000 flatscreen TVs and pay off our credit cards.

Well, I'm uninspired to add more now, but lots more. Mostly I just wanted some sort of dual-focus - considering both government and personal action.

Anyway, sorry we're not out protesting, but it doesn't mean we're not thinking about things!