Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Conservatism With Age?

I've heard over the years that men tend to become more conservative with age.  I have to admit that I'm a bit more chary of some risky actions - I really don't want to go into just how crazy I was when young, my mother reads this thing (she's already past grey, but...).  Really, short of reducing the chances of my physical destruction and that of others innocently involved I've not noticed any particularly rightist thinking creeping in.  It is generally found that the youth cadre is more liberal in its outlook than the general population and I've watched this with a certain interest.

What I've found is that the young set is not anywhere more liberal than I am.  Now to be sure my experience is not a predictor or predicate of anything.  I am, however, a bit disturbed.  What bothers me is that statistics say this cadre will grow more conservative with age.  I admit to being well left of most elected Democrats and, obviously, most Democratic voting people. 

While you can  make a significant arguement that the voting and dialogue's shift right is not followed in attitudes when stripped of political trappings that does not change the rightward reality.  If this is the case, what does the future hold in political policies if these folks do shift right?  I do not find this cadre a bit to the left of those of us who were leftish in the 60s and 70s and we are where we are today (it would be easy to over estimate the size of that group).

I don't know, I sure the hell hope people just reaching and just past voting age will do a hell of a lot better running the show when they age than has been managed by the cadre who were young when I was.    

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