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"We have literally bred and "educated" the work ethic out of our children."

If you have ever worked with young people, you have daily and dramatic reminders of this fact. We had a student assistant who all but went into tears when he was asked to do anything...even if you were only reminding him of work he was specifically hired and paid to do. He would never do anything unless he was asked at least two or three times. He NEVER had a full pay and would call off or call in late at least twice a week. Once, he called off about 40 minutes before the end of his 4 hour shift. He told me he passed up a temporary, summer job which would have paid him about triple what he made here just because they wanted him to get a hair cut. I asked him where it was, I would have taken it myself. I couldn't figure out if he was stupid or lazy, but I guess it was both.

I'm in my mid-20s myself, but I'm active-duty military and working on my Graduate degree. Back in California, very few young people are entering trades. I worked consturction for a year after high school and I was the only "under 30 anglo" out there. The rest were, like he said, late baby-boomers and immigrants (not illegals).

I have hired young people and have had to send them home at the end of the day to keep overtime costs under control.

Not everyone from a public school is a drone nor do they lack essential skills. That said, there are plenty of slackers, but then, when I was growing up (pre-LBJ welfare state) there were plenty of slackers.

It was just that there were 10 or 12 folks looking for that one job and now the opposite is more true - many jobs and few (citizen) workers. So scut jobs tend to go begging.

Si, hablo espanol anyone? YMMV

I blame TV. (please don't laugh)

I think that TV has largely replaced the educational and informational system in America. And, I think, that this is not a good thing.

In looking around my office, for instance, I can quickly divide people into two groups - those that work hard, and those that don't.

The people that don't work hard are usually in a little after 8, and out well before 5. They're almost all under 30, they're single, or recently married (and/or divorced :-) ), and have few responsibilities at work and at home. Their discourse consists mostly of what TV shows - mostly, 'reality' TV shows - they've seen recently. For instance, "Ohmygod, did you see what so-and-so said on the such-and-such show last night? Did you vote for him?".

Those of us in the office that "work", sit blankly and listen with no frame of reference whatsoever. Speaking for myself, between work, family, and home, I don't have time to watch the latest TV - and I can actually feel the IQ points draining when I just see commercials for the latest reality TV shows. I keep up with current news events (*news*, not which celebrity is sleeping with which) online, and through FR. That's about it. I might catch a few minutes of the game (football, baseball, hockey) on TV, but that's all.

IMHO, I think that it would be awfully boring to only be able to discuss who wore what to the Oscars, or who was on on what TV show last night. Unfortunately, that's what passes for discourse in America today.

/rant off. And, as a side note, we just needed to let a new (young, single, etc etc etc) person go in our office today. She had to leave early on her 1st day (yesterday) and showed up late, with no phone call, on her second day (today). She was informed that her services would no longer be needed. She was upset, and looked pretty confused on her way out the door.