Why the youth ghetto?

[LovelyAcorns]

Now, I understand why confrontational tactics are usually conducted by youth, that makes sense. They aren't stuck in the system yet and thus its easier to run high risks. But the fact that the movement as a whole tends to be kids confuses the hell out of me. I've yet to manage to radicalise anyone here, but my closest successes were never with the youth. It was always older generations who were ready to accept anarchism as a valid belief and debate its merits. Every time I bucked against the system I pretty much knew it was pointless to look for solidarity amongst my own age group. Amongst public events the teenagers are always beat into submission with a simple stern look or finger point from the police, while older folk won't hesitate to tell the cops to go away or that their uniforms "ain't impressin' no one". And whenever the state institutes a new Orwellian measure, or someone gets harassed by the police over ridiculous circumstances its adults who are enraged while teens can hardly muster a "Yeah, man, fuck that" (When my sister got stopped by the cops for jaywalking and they repeatedly called her suicidal my mom and uncles and a couple neighbours were all ready for blood while she couldnt even see anything abnormal)


I remember when I was about 12, and the radio was talking about school lockers searches after a mother had called complaining. The DJ said "This generation growing up is so used to having no privacy that it doesn't even effect them. They don't realise how new this stuff is. It just seems normal to them" - and this wasnt some radical leftist talk show, it was a classic rock station. And I've found this to be true throughout my life. In a vague, abstract sense they can understand that this isn't alright, that cops shouldn't be beating them, that work is exploitative. But the idea that any other world is possible, or has ever existed is completely beyond them.

Alright, now that I wrote this completely drawn post (long enough that I wouldnt read it.) to ask a simple question, how the hell is it that anarchism is stuck in a predominately youth ghetto when everything in my life has pointed to them being the least radical? How come we can't get passed the generational gap, and if its going to exist, why the hell is it so backward? I'm going to assume growing up in the working poor has something to do with it, but there has to be more to it than that.

P.S. I know this sounds like anti-youth pessimism, not my intention. I'm optimistic, I just dont get the demographics. I also realise that I sounded like a concerned citizen liberal, but I'm too lazy to mix in some molotovs and wildcat strikes.

[Yarrow]

so the majority of youths think the idea of changing the world is untenable. these grow up into quo preservers.

the few kids who DO get the scoop often burn out, and grow up as having 'passed thru an A stage'.

therefore, although adults see the idea (and probably enjoy the idea of a world other than the hell they help create), the vast majority of those who might have already run with it, and fallen off the track.

'i tried it and failed, ergo the idea is a failure.'

[Zazaban]

Because anarchism seems 'cool' to punk yobs.

[Insecuritykiller]

Yeah you must raise yourself out of this kind of thinking. Anarchism is not anything insane or immature. Anarchism makes complete sense.

It's just whether you care or not. Caring could be seen as immature, but perhaps there's a mature way to go about it that is effective.

[AndyMalroes]

The reasons kids aren't as radical (well why I'm not as radical)

1) Not really fond of having my head kicked in by pigs (not proud of it but true)
2) Dont know enough people locally who are into it to create a buddy system at protests
3) I never hear about events until they're over
4) The phrase "you're just another fuckin' middle class White 16 year old. What do you know about opression?"

[Guest]

Because anarchism seems 'cool' to punk yobs.

Ahhh cmon Zaz. Always bashin on the ponks.

[thelastindividual]

4) The phrase "you're just another fuckin' middle class White 16 year old. What do you know about opression?"

It's like you're living my life.

[trueness]

I know what you mean. I know a lot of young anarchists. In fact among my friends it seems like most of my closest ones are anarchists, even though I didn't actively seek out anarchists. However, they all feel almost hopeless. Everyone is pissed, everyone wants change but nobody wants to do anything about it, except vote and hope for change. I even know an anarchist so disillusioned he's considered joining the military, because "they take care of you", and he finds some things about the military like explosives to be cool. I reminded him who ran the military though (the government). But I doubt he'll join in fact there's certain reasons he can't, just like another anarchist?(never said he was an anarchist but did once say he thought we should have a society without money) who also couldn't join for certain reasons but wanted to.

What this shows is that many anarchists are noncommital that is they believe in it but aren't willing to do anything for it, and are so disillusioned they will do things that directly contradict anarchism if they think it will help them get by.

Don't get me wrong these aren't lifestyle anarchists that just shout "anarchy!" without knowing what it means and thinking that anarchy is all chaos, they do care and we've even talked about things and how things should change but there's little motivation to turn thoughts and words into action. Even me. What have I done? Nothing except post on this website and talk with a few of my friends about anarchy. I also feel disillusioned but at the same time responsible because I see what's wrong with the world and it feels wrong to just do nothing.

Another thing I noticed is that lifestyle anarchism often leads to real anarchism. A person embraces "anarchy" to be cool while not really knowing about what it means, then they read more about it(in this internet age its easy to just casually look up "anarchism" on wikipedia) and become real anarchists. One anarchist who has actually been involved in a few things (but just participating in protests that included many nonanarchists too) says that's how he got interested in it.

People need inspiration. They need to believe that another world is possible. Until then many will languish in apathy and disillusion.

[|Y|]

Kids hate restrictions, ergo, anarchism is a conceptual outlet for their rebelling. Most anarchist kids go on to stop being anarchists.

[Toast]

Its because how people in my demographic group (18 and under) are. Go to any government hospital and you'll see what I mean. In the cafeteria there is a lower and upper part divided by a railing and stairs, 95% of the black people eat in the upper part while 95% of the white people eat in the lower part. If you take a second and look at the people eating in the cafeteria, you'll notice that most of them are upper class and drive the new car their parents bought them. Most of the black people on the other side don't give a damn about school. Then there are the people who eat outside under the awning at some picnic tables (me). We are the people that don't really fit in with the people eating inside, we are middle class, bought our own cars, ect. Then there are the pseudo anarchists (maybe about ten of them). They are the kids who go into hot topic and buy anarchy stuff and know hardly anything about anarchism (probably haven't even looked at its wiki page) and promote the stereotype.

tl;dr
Its about people my age trying so hard to fit in with a clique.