An Open Plea To Millennials and Generation Z: Please Take Back Your Future
Break The Two Party System and Fire Anyone Over the Age Of 70 In A Position Of Power
“Cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good
No, cryin' won't help you, prayin' won't do you no good
When the levee breaks, mama, you got to move, ooh” _
“Memphis” Minnie Lawlers
I did it.
After much procrastination, I officially made the move most people my age do and applied for Social Security this week.
I mention that less as a milestone life event to celebrate with a great, exhaled sigh of relief, and more as a last-ditch economic lifeline thrown out to the Universe for some sense of comfort in the global economic dystopia of 2022.
I am not fooling myself.
I am definitively not the better half of one of those well-heeled couples you see on television, sitting in the glowing office of a Wall Street Hedge fund manager, usually portrayed as a beatific, smiling, angelic guardian looking after their best interests until the end of time.
I can remember a time when it was a general consensus opinion that if you made it past the age of 60, you were past your prime to work and contribute to society. I’m halfway to the age of 70, and I’m considered by the government, at age 64 1/2, as someone who is applying for benefits “too early”.
In my mind, I hear echoes of the past during periods of inevitable sleeplessness in the middle of the night. Then the flow of regrets comes. Regrets for hurting people. Regrets for not planning better and finding a good career. Purely imagined regrets that my relatives who have passed to the other side are shaking their heads and saying “I told you so”. Regrets for not having children.
I think of my Grandfather, a man who worked all his life in the service of the well being of the entire City of Rome, Georgia as the chief electrician, responsible for everything from restoring power after violent thunderstorms, to keeping sewage treatment up and running, maintaining traffic lights, and the practical engineering and implementation of city planning.
One of the proudest moments of my life was seeing him honored permanently, by the entire city, with a bronze plaque.
Grandad Briggs, in his younger days, worked building a levee along with the Coosa Valley River system. He literally contributed to the flood protection of the City Of Rome. One of my cousins has a photo of him on the worksite. He also, in later years, helped with any maintenance.
When Grandad developed cataracts and heart damage, it was time to end a career of respected service. No one said, well, maybe you should consider keeping on.
When I hear the deep Bluesy, spiritual echoes of the song penned by “Memphis” Minnie Lawlers and “upgraded” by the Rock Band Led Zeppelin in the 1970s, I think of Grandad Briggs devoting his life energy and career to making sure the H.H. Keel Levee system was functional and doing its job.
Grandad Briggs always thought less of his amazing life contributions, I suppose, because it was the consensus opinion that “successful” people went to College and avoided manual labor entirely. I did, in fact, complete College, and even had a brief career as a television journalist. The details of that time in my life are another story for another time. I spent years regretting it, but from my perspective in 2022, maybe I didn’t miss out on so much after all.
The Levee, the one that exists in both the literal sense in multiple locations around the planet, and the metaphorical one, that exists as an analogy for protection from the devastating effects of Climate Change is breeched. The Levee is indeed broken.
Just look at the video footage in the 2022 version of “When The Levee Breaks” :There is unprecedented flooding. The visuals should be enough to wake up anyone that we are at a crisis level in terms of climate catastrophe.
There is really no nice way to say it.
Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Diane Feinstein, Mitch McConnell, and Susan Collins are a representative, bipartisan sample of influential people making policy decisions that don’t have any business doing so. They are past their prime. There is too much complexity for them to handle. The dystopia they are creating is harmful and real. Their policies threaten the survival of the people inhabiting this planet, specifically, the younger generations with an actual future. Every single day, I am stunned at the latest propaganda and pronouncements from the social media accounts of government officials. The past week (5/8 to 5/14 2022) has been particularly alarming. As I write this 75 Percent of people polled think the country is headed in the wrong direction.
The Biden policy of INCREASING fracking and drilling permits, and by default increasing fracking and drilling itself, is already a failed response out of the gate. Mere months ago: “On Wednesday more than 360 climate, conservation, Indigenous, environmental justice and community groups petitioned the Biden administration to use its executive authority to phase out oil and gas production on public lands and oceans.”
“Black Swan” events on a macro and micro level are occurring at such a rapid and complex clip that we have yet to comprehend what the consequences for the future will be.
These powerful, aging politicians are imposing thinking from the distant past, and completely ignoring the calamity around them.
For example, Biden seems oblivious to the fact that the justifiable, rising anger and distress coming from his complete capitulation to the COVID crisis, the repeal of a woman’s rights to bodily autonomy, and sending billions to fight a proxy war with Russia with massive economic distress at home, then, blaming Vladimir Putin for inflation and self-created domestic economic issues are something that should merit concern.
In a bizarre, “old man yelling at cloud” moment, Biden’s response was a “two birds with one stone” approach when he suggested robbing Peter to pay Paul, that is, taking leftover money from COVID funding and giving it to the police for more manpower and weapons to combat anticipated rioting. Essentially, Biden has warned of a Summer of rioting, and food and fuel shortages, and the response is an increased militarized domestic police presence.
In an unintended irony, Biden is essentially invoking a Trumpian response to anticipated and justifiable domestic unrest. This was the reason we feared that we needed to vote for Biden, to prevent this very thing. All that’s missing is the newly reinforced ranks of the police clearing the streets for a photo-op of Biden holding up a Bible.
When I talk about the aging mind not being able to handle the increasing complexity of events, I’m saying that younger people have an ability to be proactive and think forward, not just lean on the same tired, dogmatic, failed principles that have, unfortunately, brought us to this disastrous point in time. The two-party system is a failed experiment that should be relegated to the dustbin of history. We need a completely fresh perspective.
No better example than the lack of empathy, much less scientific understanding, of the shortage and critical need for baby formula, another Black Swan event that was never anticipated. The aging population shouts out: "Breast is best" but according to epidemiologist Syra Madad, the breast is best “does not take into account the often difficult and challenging circumstances between wanting to breastfeed and not being able to for a variety of reasons.” The White House's response is to send desperate mothers and parents to an HHS website, which, somehow, is supposed to make up for the deficit by helping parents “find the formula”. Why would aging politicians care about the plight of younger parents? It’s a critical issue that demands a quick answer.
Then there is the new, alarming, global spread of hepatitis in very young children which has caused death, and necessitated liver transplants, with little or no effort to investigate a connection to COVID as a cause. In fact, it’s almost as if there is a deliberate effort to disconnect COVID as a cause. Investigators are “stumped”. The overall Democratic response is that the pandemic is behind us and “victory” was achieved. The White House, in a morbid and unempathetic response to million-plus deaths and counting, resorted to antiquated, practically meaningless symbolism: the appearance of caring by flying the flag over The White House at half-mast.
A brief digression to journalism.
When I attended James Madison University in the late 70s and early 80s, studying Communications, one of the required readings was Dan Rather’s autobiography “The Camera Never Blinks”. The tenants of good journalism, including sourcing information, integrity, accuracy in reporting events, and being an engaging storyteller were part of the narrative.
As much as the two-party system is an antiquated relic of the past, so, is corporate-sponsored television news as we know it. Rather, once an inspiration to me, is now just an aging relic of a failed past. Touting the Ukrainian War as an example of the defense of freedom and democracy, in the light of the history he has lived through and reported on is disingenuous, and he should know better.
I’m in there in support of any young, politically motivated, concerned young person that is up for promoting change. I know you’re out there. I see you on Twitter and I’m listening and sharing your concerns to the degree I can. I’m really sorry that people from my generation (and older) screwed things up this badly. I urge you to reclaim your future for your sake and your children as well. We all need urgent change.