It is Time for Millennials to Lead

Millennials are maligned everyday. Corporate leaders condescend to them and public officials complain about their naivete. If only millennials could be more like us they say to one another.

Newsflash, the younger generation does not want to be like the previous generations, i.e. baby boomers and generation x'ers. Quite the opposite, actually. It's more probable than not that millennials will have to clean up the mess that has been left for them. To do that millennials must reject current norms and principles.

The state of the country, all things being considered, is messy. Social cohesion is lacking. Faith in institutions, both public and private, are at record lows. While there has been economic progress, too much prosperity has gone to those who need it the least. Civility and decency are things of the past.

So, given current circumstances, millennials must call out those who have failed. Far too long we have let our leaders, primarily comprised of baby boomers, call the shots and lead us down a path of unrest (maybe personified the best by Donald Trump).

Their approach has been adversarial, not inquisitive. Every possible issue of disagreement is broken into two, diametrically opposed sides. The worldview of older generations was certainly shaped by the Cold War and the chaotic times of the Vietnam War, but it is destructive. When compromise is needed -- for example, on the issue of climate change -- the conservative reaction is to oppose any solution lest we turn into a communist regime. It is silly. At least millennial conservatives acknowledge the problem (for the most part) and propose conservative ideas to combat it.

Previous generations have also forgotten that millennials are more educated than they are so stop with the deception. Nuance exists in complex issues of public policy. There can be free markets with limited regulation. A tax system can be more progressive, but keep its entrepreneurial spirit. I cannot explain how many times I have argued with a baby boomer about the merits of government intervention in a depressed economy to only be accused of being a "Marxist." A liberal idea and a conservative idea can both be right at the same time (fiscal prudence dictates that low to moderate deficits should be strived for in good times, but in difficult times, higher government spending should be considered, even encouraged).

A lot of criticism to this post will certainly arise from the clear gains that have been made in technology and consumption. How can a millennial brat complain?! This line of attack is unpersuasive. Sure, consumerism is alive and well. So many different products, services, and businesses to choose from. But, there is more to life than acquiring things. Millennials value family time, new experiences abroad, personal mobility, autonomous work environments, and creative opportunities. Today, with the policies put into place by the previous generations, it is more difficult for a millennial to achieve those dreams.

Now, not later, is the time for millennials to climb the ladders of responsibility. Young leaders should run for public office. It does not need to be national. Start with your local communities. Change is needed and who better to lead it than youthful visionaries who are ready to begin anew.

The Perpetual Campaign Season

It is 2015, right? Sometimes I have to double check, because the political pundits I watch talk like it's the summer of 2016. I catch myself looking around the apartment for a mail-in ballot, in a fit of moral rage -- my face gets red and my eyes bulge out, until I realize that the presidential election is not until November of next year. Seventeen months away. My pulse slows down after I count to ten.

I blame the media for my feelings of excitement. Actually, I place the blame on more than just the media. Right now, our political process needs some serious reform. You get any voter in a room, Republican or Democrat, and they can agree about one thing: they're fed up. They may disagree on the solution, but they have similar feelings.

Americans are dissatisfied. There is too much disagreement and not enough "getting things done." Part of the reason why our representatives can get away with it is because we allow them to. As constituents, we lose focus on what is important.

Campaigns and promises are never ending. An incumbent urges her constituents to vote her party into office, and then states that a party majority could lead to real progress. An agenda, conservative or liberal, cannot be accomplished, until a majority is won. A majority seldom happens. And even if it does happen, it may not last long, or the minority party may procedurally obstruct.

Meanwhile, the money rolls in. Special interests buy up their favorite candidates, the media covers the electoral intrigue like a gossip column, and the voters are left with their favorite social media  outlet to discuss the issues for ten minutes, before looking at the millions of selfies to follow in their news feed.

Significant issues are forgotten. Real policy debates are discarded like an old book on a dusty shelf. The next election down the road becomes the topic at hand. The election coverage resembles a beauty pageant more than a civic dialogue, with all the attention being placed on the candidate's personality or looks rather than the candidate's positions on the real issues facing our country. We must hold our elected officials to a higher standard.

Instead of arguing ideology for two years until the next election, we should demand that legislation be passed. Deals to be made. Infrastructure spending, an issue that has not been covered enough and use to be non-partisan, steadily decreases year after year. Our roads, bridges, railways, and airports are crumbling and we are losing an advantage in a competitive global environment.

Immigration reform, of any substance, could bring economic security to millions. Yet nothing has been done. Education investments are neglected; children are left ill-prepared to challenge the world's brightest in other nations.

Perpetual campaigns are hurting America. Politicians, journalists, campaign donors, and voters are all responsible, but if we make a conscious choice to change the ways things are done, I believe our country can remain the most powerful. Otherwise, we may have to settle for being the country with the best entertainment on earth.