The older generation clashes with the younger in Brexit results
In response to a comment about Britain’s tremendous age difference in the votes about whether or not the country should leave the EU, wherein someone else said that people over the age of 70 shouldn’t get to vote because they wouldn’t get to see it any way, Margit replied: “Ppl now in or nearing their 70s around the world fought very hard for you to vote at 18 & you want to render them as imbeciles? Think again & try a tad harder. She tagged me in the post. This is my response:
Being old and having done something in the past does not make a person necessarily any smarter, more capable or confer any extra special benefits. Older people tend to be less creative, more averse to change and more easily manipulated through fear. They also tend to be out of touch with the new generation and the way things are, they tend to fear technology, and at least in America, they tend to retain their perceptions of the world from the days when they were younger. For them, they often seek a way to get back to the good old days - days that never really existed and were only good for a certain group of privileged people. This is clearly a stereotype, and there are examples of that not being true (Bernie Sanders, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover…)
Should their votes count any less? No, there are just as many uninformed young people voting with similar problems. However, should the older generation be voting for what is best for the future generation? Yes. Unfortunately, again in America at least, there has been an increase in the older generation not caring what they leave for their children or grandchildren. They take out reverse mortgages on their homes and justify their destruction of the environment by believing that science will fix it and if science doesn't, the older person won’t be around to see it. Parents are beginning not to care if their children will be better off than the parents were at the same age.
It is this selfish short-sightedness that we need to guard against. For better or worse, short-sightedness is not limited to old people manipulated by Fox News, or whatever its equivalent is in Great Britain. The older generation can offer its wisdom, but just because someone is old, does not mean that he or she is wise. It also doesn’t mean that he or she is crazy or senile. And that is part of the problem with group statistics, while a group can be predicted to hold a certain belief, vote a certain way or take a certain action, the same cannot be said for each individual in that group.
The Brexit (or Bremain) vote was split right down the center. According to the chart attached to the post, approximately 2/3 of the older (those over 50) voted to leave the EU; approximately 2/3 of the younger people (under 25) voted to leave and approximately ½ of those between 25 and 49 voted to stay. The problem with the chart is that it doesn’t account for all voters, and it infers that this referendum is binding for all of eternity. While it may be difficult to leave and get back in, the future generations have the opportunity to change the outcome of this vote by carrying another referendum to the polls (at least they should if Britain is like the US). It doesn’t mitigate the damage done, and it doesn’t change the fact that those with money worldwide will be able to profit as the markets even out over the next couple of months.
Until people recognize that it wasn’t merely the older voters that were manipulated, nothing will change. If my supposition is correct, the hashtag generation is going to be in big trouble. As they lose the ability to manipulate language, they will also lose the ability to recognize when someone is manipulating them with it. #Brexit was just the first salvo in a savvy media campaign designed to get the kids to do what the power players want.
Being old and having done something in the past does not make a person necessarily any smarter, more capable or confer any extra special benefits. Older people tend to be less creative, more averse to change and more easily manipulated through fear. They also tend to be out of touch with the new generation and the way things are, they tend to fear technology, and at least in America, they tend to retain their perceptions of the world from the days when they were younger. For them, they often seek a way to get back to the good old days - days that never really existed and were only good for a certain group of privileged people. This is clearly a stereotype, and there are examples of that not being true (Bernie Sanders, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover…)
Should their votes count any less? No, there are just as many uninformed young people voting with similar problems. However, should the older generation be voting for what is best for the future generation? Yes. Unfortunately, again in America at least, there has been an increase in the older generation not caring what they leave for their children or grandchildren. They take out reverse mortgages on their homes and justify their destruction of the environment by believing that science will fix it and if science doesn't, the older person won’t be around to see it. Parents are beginning not to care if their children will be better off than the parents were at the same age.
It is this selfish short-sightedness that we need to guard against. For better or worse, short-sightedness is not limited to old people manipulated by Fox News, or whatever its equivalent is in Great Britain. The older generation can offer its wisdom, but just because someone is old, does not mean that he or she is wise. It also doesn’t mean that he or she is crazy or senile. And that is part of the problem with group statistics, while a group can be predicted to hold a certain belief, vote a certain way or take a certain action, the same cannot be said for each individual in that group.
The Brexit (or Bremain) vote was split right down the center. According to the chart attached to the post, approximately 2/3 of the older (those over 50) voted to leave the EU; approximately 2/3 of the younger people (under 25) voted to leave and approximately ½ of those between 25 and 49 voted to stay. The problem with the chart is that it doesn’t account for all voters, and it infers that this referendum is binding for all of eternity. While it may be difficult to leave and get back in, the future generations have the opportunity to change the outcome of this vote by carrying another referendum to the polls (at least they should if Britain is like the US). It doesn’t mitigate the damage done, and it doesn’t change the fact that those with money worldwide will be able to profit as the markets even out over the next couple of months.
Until people recognize that it wasn’t merely the older voters that were manipulated, nothing will change. If my supposition is correct, the hashtag generation is going to be in big trouble. As they lose the ability to manipulate language, they will also lose the ability to recognize when someone is manipulating them with it. #Brexit was just the first salvo in a savvy media campaign designed to get the kids to do what the power players want.