I am awake now and I am furious. (I remember being vaguely angry at something over the weekend but now it is clear.) The politics of America's parents are kiling young people. The political parties have geared their issues to appeal to people 40 and older and are in a constant tug of war over seniors. This last election has been the worst - the democratic party even had geriatric candidates step in at the last minute to replace dead and disgraced candidates.
I can't help but look at the issues and feel like both parties are scamming me. Social Security at best is a legalized pyramid scheme. At worst it's a joke, and I'll never see a dime. My problem with Social Security is that it's a half measure and a step toward socialism.Very few people can live on what they receive from Social Security alone. I want to know why we are paying people dollar amounts that have nothing to do with their actual contribution to the system. The money we pay is not invested or even held in a bank. It is doubtful that inflation is taken into account at all. Instead the government relies on today's Social Security taxes to pay for yesterday's workers. As with any pyramid scheme, this cannot go on forever. Am I trying to scare seniors? YES. To make matters worse both parties delight in dipping into Social Security revenues to fund partisan largess. It makes me sick.
Another way that political parties scam young people, is the discrepancy between voting age and drinking age. Children become legal adults at the age of eighteen yet they cannot purchase alcohol or enter houses of ill repute till 21. I am not suggesting either are healthy practices or that either are things that young people should be doing. But there is no reason for the discrepancy in ages. Eighteen year olds can fight wars, be prosecuted as adults, have sex with other consenting adults, sign legal documents, and vote but they can't buy beer. Either eighteen yr. olds are adults or they are not. The same reasons a kid shouldn't be allowed to purchase alcohol are the same reasons they shouldn't vote, have sex with adults, sign legal documents, be prosecuted as an adult, and go to war. Young people need to be given full responsibility.
The quality of education in High Schools and the application of law to education is a mess. Teacher's unions step in with self-serving protests anytime substantive changes are suggested for improving schools. Cost of education keeps rising while at the same time the quality is continually diluted. It seems anytime politicians tinker with education disaster results. The worst of it all is college athletics. College athletic departments are sacrificing smaller men's programs to their hungry football teams, excusing the act because football teams are revenue generators. I have no beef with women's athletics and inclusion of women in sports. Women should be allowed to play. What should not be allowed is wholesale destruction of other men's athletic programs. Perhaps, money generating programs should be allowed to "buy" the right to unequal scholarships. A revenue generating football team or basketball team shouldn't count against the overall total.
What is worse though, is that athletes in money generating sports and programs are exploited in my opinion. People complain that male athletes fail to graduate, cheat, womanize, and party. They have no incentive to behave in any other way. Many athletes come from underperforming schools and teachers have inflated their grades to maintain their eligibility. They go to school with very little money of their own and no academic preparation. So what's a poor college student to do for cash when he isn't allowed to work (several programs ban student athletes from taking jobs) or he simply doesn't have time to? Simple, accept money from boosters. What is worse colleges use money and lavish parties to attract high school recruits. It is not unheard of for current students to take high school kids with them to on campus parties. Colleges earn millions of dollars from athletes yet claim no responsibility at all for the well being of the athlete when he is not performing. Is this a political issue? No. Should it be? Yes.