<p>A rather ominous Editorial I read in the New York Times today. While I'm not sure how to comment on it right now because I feel it may be premature, but I would like to know what the members here on CollegeConfidential think. Some of the members here are likely a few of the next leaders in the world, and all of the members here are going to be the next generation of voters to carry on America. Even now, many of us are eligible to vote.</p>
<p>I feel everybody here would agree that humans are selfish and can be hard to organize on a large scale. Many of us here only think of our well being in the future, rather than the well being of their nation, or even humanity. I'm guilty of it too. Rather than enter politics where I feel more reasonable people are needed, and even the smallest bit of help is to be valued, I would rather go to Engineering just to feed my curiosity. Not only that, but we seem to advance far too quickly in technology, and don't allow public policy and regulations catch up. So whether I like it or not, if politics goes down the gutter, my well being is doomed. </p>
<p>Maybe I'm getting in over my head here, but you guys tell me. I'm sure that there are enough political science majors here to set me straight...</p>
<p>I feel like the questions you’re asking aren’t particularly geared towards the article. Or perhaps I’m just not understanding what you are getting at. The article doesn’t seem too shocking to me, its obvious that over the last decade American politics have largely failed. </p>
<p>I agree with your comment about technology advancing far too fast for society/politics. Our culture is very conservative and doesn’t usually handle change well.</p>
<p>However I do have hope. This article was not about the young generation, it is about the politics of those in charge. We are in a period of accelerating changes, whether they be technological or political. The way younger generations go about politics will be drastically different than the generations in power now because we value parts of democracy.</p>
<p>Well, I guess I jumped the gun a bit quickly in my post. My reasoning for thinking immediately about the current generation of college students is simply that right now, politics seems to be getting more stagnant, the baby boomers will pass, and if we do enter a period of helplessness as a nation, the current college generation will be the ones who will have to bear the burden of trudging through those difficult times.</p>
<p>We need people in Engineering. I think I read somewhere that we lost our technological edge that we once held. </p>
<p>As far as politics, I think there is only so much that the president can do. As humans we tend to look at the world through a bias. We tend to see ourselves in a good light while we are quick to blame others, like the President. </p>
<p>I also believe people are selfish by nature.</p>
<p>First of all, I got a C+ in AP gov, so don’t slam me against the wall, pol sci majors. </p>
<p>I don’t understand why someone would think that young people would suddenly run the government in the coming years. To me, seniority - not intelligence - seems like the most important factor in deciding who get the important seats in the government. </p>
<p>Furthermore, I think many people are disillusioned into thinking that the average American is becoming smarter with the upcoming generation. No, there’s no evidence to suggest that America is becoming smarter. We only have our smart friends to compare to, rarely anybody below average in school. So I think it’s unrealistic to think that voters are suddenly going to read the newspapers instead of seeing who has better commercials.</p>
<p>Thirdly, the article doesn’t really emphasize anything extremely profound. We have always wasted money and energy, and to hell with those in the government. What has changed, really?</p>
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lol I agree with our *****ty art, but it has nothing to do with our politics. Look at it this way. We have the most idiotic nut creating art in our museums, but we also have the best scientists, I think… #1!#1!#1!</p>
<p>I will be the first to admit my inexperience in the formal study of political science. However, I do believe that governments operate in an experimental fashion, adding and subtracting policies from their agendas as time goes along. This, in my opinion, is where we have gone awry recently: there is a fear of adding policies, of experimentation, of daring, and a commensurate overflow of illogical diatribe and fear-mongering from both sides of the political spectrum.</p>
<p>Well, I’m not going to analyze this statement, and I’m sure some others here will be able to make more cogent commentaries than I. On that note, however, the one thing that has changed is that we are running out of resources and the time to replace them. Previously, we had such a surplus of natural resources that waste was not perceived to be a large concern; those who identified our gratuitous and profligate public policies were mocked as wussies without faith in our nation’s resilience. Now that we must pay the piper, we do not know what to do, mostly because our deviance from dirigiste heurism, which has traditionally served as the modus operandi of government, has left us up a creek without a paddle.</p>
<p>I think the fear to opine on politics shows here. A few posters so far have humbly stated that their knowledge of Political Science isn’t the best. I don’t think there’s anything to be afraid of though, and that’s reason I made the topic in the first place. </p>
<p>That’s not to say that you shouldn’t contemplate what you write before you post it, but there seems to be a uncomfortable prudence for what people will say when discussing politics. We don’t need that here. I want to read more opinions on this. I’m sure we all do, even if we may dislike some of what we read.</p>
<p>To relate tangentially to the article, the great lesson of the 19th and 20th centuries has been this: effecting social change through politics is an impossibility. If you think you can create a better world through political action, you are a fool.</p>
<p>Also, American democracy will collapse in this century.</p>
<p>I also want to add to my post that we have ~300 million people, and we consume 2/3 of the world’s illegal drugs. In fact, those idiots are thinking about legalizing pot over there in CA. LEGALIZING POT.</p>
<p>Anyways, I think people neglect the fact that the US does good stuff too, like trying to subsidize world peace (even though it seems like we’re f-ing ourselves by how much we’re spending on our big stick), or donating to 3rd world countries. Where would Haiti be without the US? People tend to notice the bad and neglect the good that’s happening because of us.</p>
<p>I just love how some commenters are all “The US is over! Democracy is going down the drain! We’re going to be a third world country in 20 years!”</p>
<p>Give me a break. Does the country have tough times ahead? Most likely. Will the most powerful nation in the world be reduced to anything less than a superpower? Extremely unlikely.</p>
<p>Well, okay. I’m not in the mood to explain right now, to be honest - I’m tired. :)</p>
<p>However, the only point I was making was that the U.S., while admirable in its efforts to provide aid, could do and could have done a lot more in the way of reasonable economic policies than throwing money at the problem, which is the equivalent of putting a small Band-aid on a gaping, festering wound.</p>