The below was posted on X by Mike Netter who is running for State Senator in California.
This article was written by a 26 yr old college student by the name of Alyssa Ahlgren, who’s in grad school for her MBA. What a GREAT perspective.
My Generation Is Blind to the Prosperity Around Us! I’m sitting in a small coffee shop near Nokomis (Florida) trying to think of what to write about. I scroll through my newsfeed on my phone looking at the latest headlines of presidential candidates calling for policies to “fix” the so-called injustices of capitalism.
I put my phone down and continue to look around. I see people talking freely, working on their MacBook’s, ordering food they get in an instant, seeing cars go by outside, and it dawned on me. We live in the most privileged time in the most prosperous nation and we’ve become completely blind to it. Vehicles, food, technology, freedom to associate with whom we choose.These things are so ingrained in our American way of life we don’t give them a second thought. We are so well off here in the United States that our poverty line begins 31 times above the global average. Thirty One Times!!!
Virtually no one in the United States is considered poor by global standards. Yet, in a time where we can order a product off Amazon with one click and have it at our doorstep the next day, we are unappreciative, unsatisfied, and ungrateful. ??
Our unappreciation is evident as the popularity of socialist policies among my generation continues to grow. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently said to Newsweek talking about the millennial generation, “An entire generation, which is now becoming one of the largest electorates in America, came of age and never saw American prosperity.”
Never saw American prosperity! Let that sink in.
When I first read that statement, I thought to myself, that was quite literally the most entitled and factually illiterate thing I’ve ever heard in my 26 years on this earth. Many young people agree with her, which is entirely misguided. My generation is being indoctrinated by a mainstream narrative to actually believe we have never seen prosperity.
I know this first hand, I went to college, let’s just say I didn’t have the popular opinion, but I digress. Why then, with all of the overwhelming evidence around us, evidence that I can even see sitting at a coffee shop, do we not view this as prosperity? We have people who are dying to get into our country. People around the world destitute and truly impoverished. Yet, we have a young generation convinced they’ve never seen prosperity, and as a result, we elect some politicians who are dead set on taking steps towards abolishing capitalism. Why?
The answer is this,?? My generation has only seen prosperity. We have no contrast. We didn’t live in the great depression, or live through two world wars, the Korean War, The Vietnam War or we didn’t see the rise and fall of socialism and communism. We don’t know what it’s like to live without the internet, without cars, without smartphones.
We don’t have a lack of prosperity problem. We have an entitlement problem, an ungratefulness problem, and it’s spreading like a plague.”
The last two paragraphs sums the problem up pretty well and I would add avarice and envy. I grew up in a very old and modest two story farm house in the 50s with occasional frost on the north walls in winter, party lines on the phone and that’s if a phone could be afforded and electricity that went down routinely. We had nothing, just the necessities and not once did I ever hear anyone complain about being poor nor was there any envy over what another person had. You were never asked to do a chore; you were told to do it, or else. If you wanted something beyond what was provided, you were told to go earn it as opposed to just having it handed to you. I miss those times and the people that existed then.
The young lady who wrote the article has a good grasp on current times and if she hangs onto that grasp, she will succeed in life.
As a young person, I agree that we tske the prosperity around us for granted. I do see a few areas where we could do better though.
1. Let the Social Security Trust Fund run out of money in 2032. The program was never designed to have a Trust Fund. It was designed for current workers contributions to go directly to retired workers. There just happens to be A LOT of boomers retiring so a Fund was established to provide them more benefits. Thats cute, but it was their responsibility to prepare for retirement and they shouldn’t have been counting solely on Social Security (i.e. the Government- to bail them out). Its an undue burden on my generation. Let the fund expire and let the benefits be based on what current workers pay in. Yes, benefits will be less, but it will force retired people to be a bit smarter with their money. If they want more money- they can always go back to work and pick up a part-time job. If we’re going to be working into our 70s, so can they.
2. Cut all this stupid spending all all levels. The underpass in Normal, the moronic ballroom in DC, all of it. Both parties and all groups- whether it be Koos, Pritzker, or Trump- are equally responsible for wasting public money on stupid projects, and it has to stop. Seeing older folks play the blame game against one side is mindnumbingly stupid when both sides are equally to blame for moronic spending. Instead of a tit-for-tat, why dont we actually agree to just hold ALL of them accountable.
Ballroom isn’t moronic is you know what’s under it. Taxpayers aren’t funding the ballroom. Like seeing events at the White House being held outside under tents? Many presidents have wanted a place big enough, Trump got people who love the country to pay for it.
Social Security was and is a socialist program destined to fail, especially when politicians “borrowed” from it.
@ Just Thoughts- sounds like you are a small government capitalist. Welcome!
First Social security, as you point put, was to be a retirement plan BUT it wasn’t supposed to be tapped into as if it were the general fund…stick was done! Secondly the underpass is incredibly stupid and is TAXPAYER MONEY, the ball room makes perfect sense and is PRIVATE MONEY!!
I AGREE with you in kind, just get it right .😁
If justice is equal outcomes regardless of skill, abilities or even the desire to try then Captialism is unjust. But if justice is equal opportunity and personal responsibility, then Socialism is unjust.
So the question is what is justice? Looking at history it is obvious that justice is not found in governments forcing equal outcomes on citizens.
Just a statement concerning social security coming from someone, me receiving social security. Myself and my employer put over $220,000.00 into my social security account during my career. If that money was invested it would have accrued into a size able amount of money. But no the government chose to take that money out of the social security account and spend that money on whatever. So my point is don’t lump me into those that are receiving social security benefits that have not fully contributed and believe me there are many who have not fully contributed which is helping to suck the fund dry!
I remember about 20 years ago, George Bush proposed allowing individual workers the option of putting up to 10% of their Social Security deductions to be placed in a 401k style account to be invested in stocks, bonds or mutual funds. Democrats went ballistic over the idea that the market could crash and all would be lost. The idea got shouted down. If it were allowed back then, I bet that merger 10% would be worth a fortune today and we would not be discussing cuts in 2032 as we are now.
Correct
It’s not too late !! Especially young folks should start a 401k no matter how little they can contribute, but go with a good company.
Well I contributed to a 401 k and at age 75 I still work albeit only two days a week. Yes I live comfortably but that doesn’t stop me from resenting those that either have come here illegally or those that don’t work who expect me to feed, house them, and take care of their medical care. I earned everything that I have and I am fed up with the Illinois demoncrats that continue to suck away my hard money with their outrageous taxes!
You seem to imply that the 401K didn’t do what was promised. The company you use is all important! My 401K with a local farm/rural related company didn’t do well either….. but friends at other place have done well.
Duroc my 401 k did very well unfortunately my lovely bride of 30 years took half of it when she divorced me for a former good friend. Illinois laws are so wonderful your ex gets half of everything you have regardless of who is at fault. Oh well!!!
BOBBYWERKS3 I’m sorry for your loss. My 401K has been a disappointment and I’ve been putting in since they were invented. I blame my choice of the company..But I’ve still got it all, been married, so far, 54 years to the same woman. 😁
Duroc congratulations on 54 years I am very happy for you this year would have been 54 for me I still love her but the good lord has kept me going.
Hmmmm…..maybe we should have swapped, wives and 401Ks….????…..no, I didn’t say that!
😀