Ultimately, “millennials don’t feel limited by brand loyalty — true in the marketplace of goods and services as well as politics.” In fact, we don’t feel limited by loyalty to political participation at all, particularly when we believe that the options on hand won’t produce real change.
Bush III vs. Clinton II offers exactly such an insipid choice. They’re equally part of dynasties that have waged endless, aimless war; spiked the national debt; expanded the invasive surveillance state; maintained the failed and racist drug war; frequently flouted the rule of law; and given out special favors and bailouts to friends in big business. From war to domestic surveillance, from drugs to Wall Street, there’s no evidence that these heirs apparent(ish) will significantly change course.
Bush vs. Clinton really is the perfect way to make us hate politics even more. At a gut level it feels aristocratic and distinctly un-American. At a policy level, picking between the previous decade’s leftovers isn’t much of a choice. And at a practical level I can’t help but think that my time will be better spent outside the voting booth than in it, pulling a lever for more of the same. Like much of my generation, I’d rather “take problems on in real time and fix them” — which isn’t exactly the government’s forte.
Or I suppose I could take the long view and start studying up for 2032. I’m sure George P. Bush and Chelsea Clinton will run a very competitive race.
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