The Coming Conservatism - The Youth Shall Set Us Free

The New Religion

Something to think about as the political seas in Canada have calmed under our first majority government in some time.

As the Liberal Party struggles to figure out what went wrong, and as, no doubt, the unhappy left everywhere but in Quebec starts bellow for "proportional representation", we can perhaps muse on what the future holds for politics in Canada.

In my opinion, the key to deciphering the future is perhaps inherent in the profusion of the Iphone.

The symbol of today's youth.

Control.

Self-expression.

Expectation.

Capitalism.

Control: I want what I want when I want it.  If I want an answer to a question I want it NOW.  Not later.  I want to be able to Google 24/7, to text my friends and parents - and as far as political participation, well, it it takes more time and effort than entering 140 characters, I can't be bothered.

Self-expression:  I want to be able to watch, listen, read and express myself freely and openly without censorship or consequence. 

Expectation: The line between "wants" and "needs" is not for you to impose on me.  If I tell you I "NEED" to be able to text message my friend, I mean NEED as in breathing and eating.  Don't tell me I can't afford it.

Capitalism: If it's new or improved, I NEED it (see above).  I will happily ignore the expectations of family and others if they conflict with my NEEDS.  If I happen to be texting or receiving a phone call during a family dinner or a job interview, DEAL WITH IT.  Yes, my Iphone works, but it's so.. last year.  I need the newer and better model.   I'll stand in line for 24 hours to get the newer and better model.

The youth of today are a capitalist dream.

Maybe I'm wrong.

But I don't think so.

After the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, report after report commented on two things:

a) How the youth voter turnout was the second largest in U.S. History; and
b) How the youth who did turnout, voted overwhelmingly in support of the liberal (Democratic) candidate, by almost two to one;

What they don't mention, however, is that the youth turnout was still the lowest among all age groups at about 49%, compared with rates of about 60 to 70% for older age groups.

Think about that.

What some call the greatest emotional connection to a Presidential candidate since Kennedy couldn't motivate 1/2 of the youth to vote.

And, aside from the so-called campaign of "Hope", youth voting has been in constant decline over the last few decades.

Why?

Some suggest it's about cynicism of youth with politics - "it doesn't matter who is in charge".

Perhaps.

But consider this.

Maybe our youth, by and large, have been raised to have an expectation to ask, "What's in it for me?"  Why should I interrupt my life to vote?

Which tends to push our youth, when they do vote, to vote Liberal, NDP and Green perhaps.  They want higher student loan allowances, greater government support for the arts and whatnot, and obviously, we need to save the seals, the whales, the rain forests, the old-growth forests,etc., etc...

But consider what happens as the millennial generation develops into adults and are suddenly faced with the very real consideration that all of the social programs they thought were such a great idea when they paid no tax, are maybe NOT such a good idea when they get handed the tab.

Maybe I'm wrong.

But I don't think so.

I believe that as the millennial generation matures, and enters the work-force, and, most importantly, starts to pay taxes - we are going to see a Conservative movement that would make Stephen Harper blush.

Maybe I'm wrong.

But consider this commentary from Morley Safer on 60 Minutes:

The workplace has become a psychological battlefield and the millennials have the upper hand, because they are tech savvy, with every gadget imaginable almost becoming an extension of their bodies. They multitask, talk, walk, listen and type, and text. And their priorities are simple: they come first.


Just ask Marian Salzman, an ad agency executive who has been managing and tracking millennials since they entered the workforce.

"Some of them are the greatest generation. They're more hardworking. They have these tools to get things done," she explains. "They are enormously clever and resourceful. Some of the others are absolutely incorrigible. It's their way or the highway. The rest of us are old, redundant, should be retired. How dare we come in, anyone over 30. Not only can't be trusted, can't be counted upon to be, sort of, coherent."

Sound like the type of people who will be voting NDP or Liberal in down the road?

I don't think so.

But maybe I'm wrong.