Looking Forward - Youth in America

The dirtiest secret in Washington these days may not be about the upcoming election; not directly at least. Rather, I think, it's the impending financial disaster (not the Bush spendathon disaster, one of far greater proportions). I'm referring to, of course, Social Security and Medicare. It's a disaster waiting to happen, yet no politician will tackle it. Why not? It's political suicide; it doesn't help anything that the most influential lobbying group in Washington is the AARP. They have a vested interest in seeing the status quo maintained, but to do so is treacherous. In a few short years, the massive generation we've termed the Baby Boomers will begin retiring, and collecting their Social Security benefits; then the trouble begins. At that point, it may be too late. Politicians need to act now.

Yet if the strongest lobbying group in Washington doesn't want to see any reform, it doesn't seem likely it will. Unless, of course, a group with an equally vested interest in seeing Social Security and Medicare reformed speak up. I'm talking about the youth. They may be the greatest power in America, but they don't realize it yet. The youth are the future of this nation, if only they'd look beyond pop culture and realize it. Some do; brilliant young leaders at top universities across the nation perceive the problem and realize their power. But they must mobilize their peers, and make their voice heard. Even in this day and age, Washington is accountable to the people, and not just the special interests. If the youth speak up, they must speak not just for themselves, but for the nation; for future as well as present generations. I'm not talking a youth party here; I'd dread that platform on drug policy and foreign relations. Rather, we need those same youth who see what's coming and understand its implications to speak up, not only to the nation but to their peers. It's often difficult for youth to find their voice, not just as individuals, but as a generation. It is now imperative, however, that the youth of this nation not only find their voice, but make it heard.

A Review of "Peace Kills"

Amidst the madness of reading Locke and Hobbes, Lenin and Weber, I finally found time for some lighter reading - Atlantic Monthly journalist (humorist) P.J. O'Rourke's "Peace Kills: America's Fun New Imperialism." Sadly, I'd read much of the book already within the pages of the Atlantic, thus there was only limited novelty. Indeed, I think that dedicated Atlantic readers might be better off not buying it; then again, if they read Atlantic solely for O’Rourke (as sometimes I do), then it’s certainly worth it. In any case, reading it all again, and all together too, was a light refreshing pleasure. O'Rourke, I think, is what you'd get if Thomas Friedman and Dave Barry cowrote a book; his humor and insights are both that good. Compared to much of the other reading on what we've done (often viewed as wrong) in the Middle East of late, O'Rourke is a breath of fresh air. No harping about our failure to plan properly for the occupation, rather, anecdotes about Iraqis reading Beckett's "Waiting for Godot." Reading about the Middle East often mires the reader in a depressing muddle that causes one to throw up their hands and pick up a Grisham. O’Rourke avoids all of that – it’s not all sunshine and happiness, but his style is a welcome breath of fresh air.

I don't think many Americans understand the Middle East. I don't think many of the experts, with some exceptions (Bernard Lewis comes to mind) understand the Middle East. Nor do the journalists. But many of them claim to. O'Rourke doesn't; he’s merely an observer to all of this. Egypt clearly mystifies him, but then again so does America (I agree with him on both counts). Really, for every barb at Muslim or Arab culture, as un-PC as it may be, there’s a barb at American culture, often sharper. It’s his satire and social criticism, to me, that makes this book so endearing and worthwhile. We may question aloud culture in the Middle East, alien as it is to our Western eyes, but we need to look in the mirror. What exactly are we exporting to them? Free markets and democracy are okay – I’m sure the average Egyptian would be quite happy if we kept our so-called culture to ourselves.

"Peace Kills" doesn't claim to be a daring exposé on the region - it's more of a travelogue. In that, it certainly succeeds. It’s not uplifting (the Middle East rarely is) but it’s not the sandstorm of confusion that most writers unleash. It’s fresh, witty, and certainly unique. It doesn’t have the answer (it’s one giant question mark) but it does clear some of the sand from our own eyes. Put it on your bookshelf between "Latitudes and Attitudes" and "From Babel to Dragomans" and go back to wondering about the nature of daytime television.