Kids Say the Darndest, Most Stalinist Things

[Crunchy Frog]

(A nice little editorial by Bill Maher.)


By Bill Maher, Bill Maher is the host of HBO's "Real Time With Bill Maher."

A new survey found that a majority of high schoolers think newspapers should not be allowed to publish without government approval. And almost one in five said that Americans should be prohibited from expressing unpopular opinions.

<snip>

And what's so frightening is that we're seeing the beginnings of the first post-9/11 generation — the kids who first became aware of the news under an "Americans need to watch what they say" administration, the kids who've been told that dissent is un-American and therefore justifiably punished by a fine, imprisonment — or the loss of your show on ABC.

<snip>

I know the Morals & Values folks want us to take time out of the school day for prayer and the Ten Commandments and abstinence training and at least two theories of evolution — the one agreed upon by every scientist in the world and the one that involves naked ladies and snakes — but, lest we forget, last month the people of Iraq risked death and danger to send a simple, inspiring message: America, get out of our country. But also, we want the freedoms you take for granted.

Now, I didn't mind being on the losing side of the last election. But as a loser, I guess I have some "unpopular" opinions — and I'd like to keep them. I'd even like to continue to say them right out loud on TV, because if I just get up there every Friday night and spout the Bush administration's approved talking points, that's not freedom or entertainment. It's Fox News.

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-maher18feb18,0,2049194.story?coll=la-news-comment-opinions

[Borgnine]

1. Great editorial.

I'm 21, and I fear that the generation right behind me are going to be all be brainwashed Bushbots.

[Penguin31]

3. Something from this 18-year-old's experience

Virtually all of the class I graduated with were nothing but Bushwashed sheeple. Virtually all of the school system I graduated from seems to want to serve to indoctrinate the students with the Republican Party platform. And those that aren't becoming part of the Shrubist system simply don't care. It's incredibly depressing.

[progressiveandproud]

9. My high-school experience was kind of like yours.

I graduated in 2003 from a largely upper-middle class public HS, and at least 55-60% of us from Democratic families -- lots of Volvo-driving parents! -- but hardly any of us knew much about the Shrub.

That means we didn't care enough to find out, of course. Maybe that's to be expected of most teens. But boy did they know about pop culture: movies, music, TV shows, sports, fashion. This stuff isn't necessarily bad... but when it dominates most high-schoolers' lives, that's a problem.

And I spent tons of time thinking that so many of my peers were just pop-culture automatons, but it wasn't like I knew any more about current events than they did. ;)

Jonathan

[IthinkThereforeIAM]

4. Generation Z ...

... is the first generation in American history to be facing a lower quality of life than their parents have/had.

[suneel112]

12. So True, Unfortunately

I guess 60 years is too much for any country to be a Superpower. I remember when I was 13, during the late Clinton years, when there was so much promise. There was no defecit, there were not enough workers for all the new jobs, and the Superpower was still growing at a fast rate. Then came shrub, and then, as they say, what goes up must come down.
The senior class at my high school (at least the ones who know anything at all) are heavily democratic, but I fear for the younger ones. Unfortunately, a democratic graduating class (and eventually a democratic 18-25 vote) may soon become a thing of the past.

[Downtown Hound]

2. I'm not saying this isn't frightening

but when I think back to when I was a teen and all the stupid opinions I had, I know that there's hope. The teens here on DU are infinitely smarter than I was at that age. Eventually I started to question authority, probably around when I turned 18. There's hope, but these results are definitely a matter of concern.

[progressiveandproud]

5. Starting to question authority...

I was also 18 when I really began this process. Now that I'm 20, I'm reaching a place where I try not to trust any authority figures in public arena (especially politicians!), unless I feel that they've proven their integrity somehow. And anyone whose political beliefs fall into the mainstream, whose views are well-represented by the pundits in the corporate media, I have the hardest time taking seriously.

I'm not saying my attitude's good or bad; in fact, it kind of saddens me that I'm so cynical... but I can say that I've come a long way since government class in 10th grade, when I asked the teacher if the government really gave us anything meaningful in return for all its taxation.

The teacher was like, "Roads? SCHOOLS?"

Guess I was cynical from the start. But now I'm cynical and a little knowledgeable! ;)

Jonathan

[blurp]

6. This happens when you emphasize democracy but not individual rights.

Democracy is not the same as freedom.

These kids are just taking the idea of majority rule to the extreme.

[progressiveandproud]

10. There is one individual right that's well-taught in America...

...and that's the right to live in shameless ignorance. I'm not saying that the school-system tells kids, "You have the right to live in ignorance of current events"; I think the corporate media is the main offender, covering the entertainment industry as much as real news, and covering real news as if it were some kind of entertainment.

No, what individual citizens in a democracy really have is not a right to ignorance, but a moral responsibility of staying informed.

Jonathan

[progressiveandproud]

11. Sorry, my last comment was more an aimless rant than a reply.

Hope you didn't mind too much, blurp. I get three hours of sleep, and my mind gets a little off kilter.

[slor]

7. The new Hitlerjugend ?

I liked his comment on this subject. I had no idea it was this widespread. My late teen years were all about rebellion against reagan. The new chimp machine is the perfect govt. to question, and yet, the kids have decided to drink the kool-aid? Scary!

[progressiveandproud]

8. Indeed, about the perfect gov't to question!

If there's one thing I can be grateful for about Dubya -- God forbid! -- it's that he's jolted me out of complacency. When a man that radical and evil is your President, you better wake up damn quick!

Jonathan

[struggle4progress]

13. kick