It is difficult for me to get inside the mindset of young people today, striving to better themselves and wondering whether they can look forward to a higher salary and greater prospects in the years ahead, just as it is difficult for me to think back to my own outlook when I started out in professional life in the late 'sixties. As far as I can remember, in spite of my being a gormless wonder completely devoid of ambition, I had unbounded confidence in the future. I don't see how today's generation can have that same confidence. The question is, it seems to me, whether our society can hold together at a time when, so to speak, the tide is going out and not coming in.
Are you being too hard on yourself, Mr Dunn?
ReplyDeleteI don't know about unbounded confidence - as far as I recall I never gave a single thought to the future and I think this was the case for most people of my/our age.
Today's 'youth' are more or less forced from the day they set foot in secondary school to face up to either a lifetime of debt if they are able to access higher education, or long-term unemployment if without said "free education for all". Then there's the dreadful question of where if anywhere they will be able to life. Then there's that pension to be saved for. None of this ever gave me a single sleepless night - did it you? No wonder they are worried.
Going back to your first post on this subject - I notice that those of our Leaders more known for their intelligence are being very careful NOT to voice opinions about the riots until matters become a little more clear. As far as I can see (not being of the intelligensia)there were many causes - and some just came along for the ride.