'Mullet libertarianism' is bunk

Penn Jillette: The original "mullet libertarian?"

You recall I posted about this recently, you know, the supposed shift of young Americans toward unfettered free-markets and no welfare state combined with social liberalism.  Or, as Connor Kilpatrick labels it, mullet libertarianism: "business up front, party in the back."

Mr. Kilpatrick gives the lie to that baloney that "the kids have all gone Galt"  Actually, he doesn't doubt it's real in a certain sense, it's just overblown.  Drill down issue by issue, and today's young American libertarians sound a lot like European social democrats.

What's worse is that 79 percent of Millenials don't consider themselves politically engaged, i.e., their views don't count for s**t until they decide to get their white hands dirty in our filthy-corrupt political system.  The ones that do join the Occupy movements, not the Young Republicans.

And here's the kicker.  When these so-called libertarian kids -- who aren't politcally engaged, mind you -- are polled about a hypothetical matchup between Obama and libertarian hero Ron Paul, 41 percent pick Obama and only 27 percent pick Paul.

It's hip! It's cool! It's libertarianism!

By Connor Kilpatrick

July 31, 2012 | The Exiled

URL:  http://exiledonline.com/its-hip-its-cool-its-libertarianism/

U.S. youth becoming libertarian by default?

Hmmm....  Well, assuming these polls mark a real trend, there is plenty in this article to implicate both parties.  But also, as Rush Limbaugh likes to say, youngsters' heads are "full of mush."  I'll be more charitable and say they've been spoiled by their solicitous helicopter parents, on-demand consumer culture, and lack of experience.

More precisely, I'd say younger kids (younger than me, let's be clear), grew up in a society where they believed all adults were honest and had their best interests at heart, and stuff was supposed to work as advertised.  And if not, there were all kinds of consequences and avenues for formal and informal complaint.  Because their parents outdid themselves teaching them they were growing up in a world that was basically fair and just.

The trouble in politics is, it's quintessentially a liar's game, and stuff never works like it's supposed to, because too many cooks always spoil the broth, and half the cooks can't even cook, and the menu's in 3 languages, etc.  Gen. Yers or Millennials or whatever the New Yorker is calling them this year, have no patience for all that.  Stuff is supposed to work as advertised, they say.  Or they shop somewhere else.  Trouble is, there are only two stores.  

What these young folks don't understand is that our government -- thanks to electoral politics -- has never run smoothly, and probably never will. 

Sooner or later they'll get off their high horses, wisen up, and realize they have to get dirty and compromise and choose the worst of two (or three) evils just like their parents and grandparents always did.  This does not mean they have to abdicate.  From from it!  But they have to realize that democratic politics is a brawl, and things get messy and bloody and the judges don't always call the scorecard correctly.  Politics is not a product and they are not its consumers choosing from a menu.  THEY ARE THE PRODUCT; AND they are the customer service department.  And until they realize that, they are doomed to irrelevance and stupidity.   

The only real reaction I've seen to this are the Occupy movements.  Mark my words: they will lead to something.  I don't know what yet.  But enough of these kids (and older activists) have realized that they have to get their hands dirty to get attention.  They don't know what to do yet, but they know they need to do something.  Calling the 1-800 number isn't going to work this time.

The Kids Are All Libertarian

By Vinnie Rotondaro

July 12, 2012 | Vice.com

URL:  http://www.vice.com/read/the-kids-are-all-libertarians