Polling data shows gen Z is the least likely demographic to vote for One Nation, with support coming from older generations.
Young Australians have told triple j hack how a difference in politics has impacted their family dynamic.
Relationships Australia said it is hearing from more people experiencing family fallouts over politics.
Yeah, agree. I feel like it’s more older gen x, there’s such a divide in gen x, older can sometimes have identical views to problematic boomers. (Obviously it’s not an across the board definition) I’m gen x, but closer to millennial and I can’t relate to gen x. My political leanings have always been very left.
The effected gen x and boomers come from a time when they got all their information from “the news” and just believed it. The news has since, essentially, become entirely coopted by the evil forces we know. Even as a little kid I would ask questions of the news, my parents couldn’t answer and just yelled at me for asking.
If you hand your thinking over to someone else, you are outsourcing that ability for yourself.
That combined with hard bias’ embedded within the manipulative representation of events. And manipulative phrasing leaning on “othering”, relying on the social anxiety of being ostracised if you oppose said views. It essentially forms a cult.
Forgive me if I repeat this poorly, I’m just relying on the electrified meat cased within my skull, but there was one thing most of the old and dandy philosophers agreed on, that you should be able to put down entirely all that you believe, so as to not accidentally fall for propaganda. It’s not a new thing, propaganda. And none of us are impervious. And then you have to be careful of not causing a confirmation bias for yourself, when seeking to question everything you believe.
It all starts with questions.
I’m a boomer (as many of you may be sick of hearing) and have to keep reminding you that a segment of my generation were there on the streets fighting to end the Vietnam War, nuclear weapons proliferation, sexism, anti-homosexuality laws and racism and to legislate for Aboriginal land rights, safe reproductive rights, environmental protections and so on.
It is true that by comparison to today’s society, times were simpler but they were no less political. We were aware of propaganda (as you say, it is not a new thing) and how it always seems to lead to the oppression of those who had the least resources to fight with (except each other).
Perhaps dividing ourselves (yet another division) by generation is another artificial way of alienating us from one another. So long as we believe unthinkingly in an ‘us and them’ we are a lot easier to manipulate and be pushed into squabbling amongst ourselves. Just what the empire managers want.
Yeah, I phrased it “problematic boomers” to try and differentiate between those with predominantly poor views currently and those without. I’m sorry I should have done more to highlight that there isn’t one mind among all, because its not fair and don’t believe that at all.
I absolutely agree with you that the generational divide has been used to cause division in so many ways. I’m sorry I caused you to feel like you had to defend your gen. I also really appreciate that you gave me that whole run down, that’s fucking awesome to see all gathered up in one place like that. (I know there’s more, too.)
I was more hinting at how to talk to people with problematic beliefs, in that questions can be powerful and propaganda comes for everyone, left and right alike. Because we’re all people who can fall for some bullshit, sometimes. If we know we’re just as likely to fall for bullshit as “they” are, it humanises “them” and then maybe all it takes is a good conversation (maybe not always) and you plant seeds of what if.
I’d absolutely love to sit around a campfire with you and ask you a billion annoying questions about everything you’ve seen. Not for the same reason, just because those chats can be awesome and you seem like you could paint a good picture of what you’ve been through. Hope we’re still friends!
Bingo!
81-born here. Very Xennial. Very Left. Some of my siblings are born in the 60s, and though older Xers, are very much like Boomers. It’s sad.
Aww! My little bro was born in 81, too! Good year, it seems. Although weirdly I seem more progressive than him, I was talking to him the other day and he defended capitalism! By the goddess I gotta school him and then pay out on him for that, for as long as its possible.