Posted on 01/11/2023 9:15:48 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Game over, man — game over? Well, maybe, but this new poll result from Morning Consult has a couple of caveats.
First, though, let’s check out the graph for our daily end-of-the-world input:
Gen Z adults are 18-25 years old, a formative age for political views. For today’s zoomers, COVID-19 lockdowns, social unrest and graphic images of police brutality may be causing them to abandon a sense of American exceptionalism relative to older cohorts, especially in terms of respect for civil liberties at home compared with less democratic countries. If younger Americans think the United States is just one of many countries that “regularly represses civil rights,” as our corresponding survey question states, then this would explain why they hesitate to boycott companies for operating in what they see as similar environments overseas. As the adage goes, he who lives in a glass house should not throw stones.
Gen Z adults have much lower trust in U.S. government institutions than older generations. They are also much less likely than other cohorts to say they are proud to live in the United States. Gen Z has by far the lowest net share expressing such patriotic sentiment: At just 16 percentage points in net agreement, they clock in 20 percentage points below the next lowest generation (millennials) and a whopping 57 percentage points below baby boomers.
First minor caveat: this poll took place at least in part over the midterm elections. Perhaps in gauzy memory, such events might provoke a nostalgic sense of patriotism, such as our selective memories of the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, which look a lot more enthusiastic in the rear-view mirror than the commercialized reality of them at that time. For a generation just barely beginning to engage in the political process, that time frame may have generated a wee bit more cynicism than usual.
Second minor caveat: The polling sample is actually strong and therefore so is the margin-of-error level for the demos and subdemos. But as with other polling lately, one has to wonder how much selection bias plays a role. Who answers these calls, and who sits for this long to answer surveys of this depth? For younger people especially, those motivated to complete these may be the most cynical or angry.
Those caveats should be kept in mind, but I suspect most of our readers will accept the results on this question at face value. Would this outcome really surprise anyone — especially those who have kept pace with the way education and curricula have evolved over the last few decades? My generation may have been the last to get fully instructed on American civics, values, and the worth of our small-r republican institutions. (For reference, I’m on the cusp between Boomers and Gen-X.)
Since that time, American students have gotten a full dose of Zinn-esque education on American history, plus a curricula soaked in critical race theory assumptions, if not overt and explicit CRT itself. Why would we expect any other outcome from such a survey? The surprise here may be that one in seven young adults still have any patriotic feelings about America at all.
There may be some reason for optimism, in fact. Millennials got the same or similar education, and yet more than twice as many feel patriotic about America. That may come from actual life experience, especially as they travel abroad or learn about life in countries outside the US more indirectly. Even Gen-Xers got the political-correctness education, and a majority of them grasp the value of America. There may be hope for Gen-Z adults, even if it’s over a longer haul. However, the real lesson here is that we need to educate our children better — not indoctrinate them, but provide a real basis of American civics and instruction on history that neither whitewashes nor undercuts our institutions.
Finally, let’s all marvel at the irony that the most patriotic demo in this survey is the Baby Boomers — the free love, hippie, anarchic generation that has spent its entire existence revolting against their parents. Welcome home, boys and girls, and don’t trust anyone under 60.
By the way, we had technical difficulties with my podcast on Friday, which was taped before the Speaker election finally ended. It’s available now and features:
After 20 years of indoctrination what would you expect.
> After 20 years of indoctrination what would you expect. <
That is exactly correct. Here are three truths about the United States:
1. The United States has many serious problems.
2. Every country has serious problems, and the US has a lot less than most.
3. The US is still the land of freedom and opportunity.
If all you hear is point #1 over and over again, you’ll eventually get the idea that the United States is a terrible place.
Unless President Trump returns in 2024, there's not going to be much left to be proud about.
Wait until they get taxed 50% on their earnings.
I was proud when I was young. But what's to be proud of now?
120 years of indoctrination.
Historians ceased to teach actual American history at least 50 years ago, at least. I’m surprised it’s 16%.
Our public education system at work. We have allowed them to indoctrinate our kids.
IRRC a recent poll of Gen Z had 50% of them saying that they considered themselves bi-sexual.
emasculated, soccer-playing faggots
If someone raped your wife, would you no longer be a proud husband?
Greatest Generation 1901 - 1927 (390k WWII vets in 2019)
Silent Generation 1928 - 1945 (23 million in 2019)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Generation#Later_years_and_legacy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Generation
Yes. Do you think the communists have been even more successful, than they ever dreamed?
My oldest son is Gen Z.
I raised him to love our country.
After the 2020 election, he is disgusted by many of his fellow Americans.
But would he say he is proud to be American?
I’m not sure I can say that myself.
I’m disgusted by many people in this country. Therefor, I find it hard have much pride in the country these days.
Z is for Zombie.
I believe it is more than that. Institutionalization may have an epigenetic effect that alters genes at such young ages. Then you add indoctrination and this may affect longer term and deeper than we imagine. Gen z was the first generation to see less value in getting a drivers license the day they turned 16 … they created the phrase not adulting. Could you imagine Admiral Halsey even thinking about not adulting.
I truly believe that social media IS taking over the brains and thoughts of many people, especially those under 25. Just like rabies can take over a human’s brain.
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