this post was submitted on 23 Apr 2025
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Are Americans in their late teens and early 20s actually super-reactionary? (hexbear.net)
submitted 2 months ago by CleverOleg@hexbear.net to c/askchapo@hexbear.net
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Ever since the election, there seems to be a torrent of polling that shows Americans in their late teens and early twenties are fairly reactionary (young men overwhelmingly so). I’m old so I don’t know anyone IRL in that age bracket. But something about what the media has been claiming for months now doesn’t seem to sound right. Idk maybe it’s 100% true but it’s something I have a hard time taking the media’s word for. I know we have quite a few users here in that age bracket. What are your real-life experiences (i.e. not online) with this? Do you think this age demographic is actually trending reactionary?

(I do remember digging into the details of one poll, and while it seemed there was more affiliation with Republicans than previous, it also seemed like there were an also very large segment that were openly showing to be further left than the democrats? So maybe more reactionary sentiment but also more genuinely leftish sentiment?)

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[–] peppersky@hexbear.net 6 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There's no visible leftism anywhere in the western world, so as young peoples lives become increasingly precarious and less and less liveable they'll logically tend towards the only alternative to capitalism that capitalism allows them to know of, which is facism. There's no big mystery here, if capitalism sole message to the people is that all of existence is a constant competition which only one can win, then you'll want to go for the ideology that promises you that you'll end up on top.

[–] mayo_cider@hexbear.net 9 points 2 months ago (2 children)

You are either misguided, a doomer or a purist

There's plenty of visible leftism in the western world, and the leftist activist kids start further left than ever

Never forget revolutionary optimism, I wish to be shot for my conservative thought

[–] peppersky@hexbear.net 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

You are either misguided, a doomer or a purist

There's plenty of visible leftism in the western world, and the leftist activist kids start further left than ever

I genuinely have no idea what you are talking about. Like yeah are there libs doing nonsense protest saying "let's stay just the right amount of fascist"? Are there "tax the rich" social democrats on reddit? Are there any people or organizations with an actual ideological backbone advocating for abolishing capitalism? I don't know please point me toward them and where young people would possibly come into contact with them.

[–] mayo_cider@hexbear.net 1 points 2 months ago

I don't have anything besides anecdotes, but I believe the next generation is going to surpass us

There's plenty of organizations advocating for abolishing capitalism, they might not be the majority but they are growing

It's either revolutionary optimism or succumbing to cynicism, I choose the former

[–] MohammedTheCommunistPalestinian@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There isn’t any meaning-full left in the west

[–] mayo_cider@hexbear.net 2 points 2 months ago

Maybe not meaningful enough for immediate change, but wise men plant trees they won't see the shadow of