THE WORM TURNS

 

I read an interesting article in the latest Listener - 'The really bad news' by Stephen Davis. (NZ Listener September 24 2022).

In this article Davis discusses a UK media report "The Kids Aren't Alright" from UK Think Tank Onward which proposed that there is evidence that young people are turning away from democracy and looking to autocratic, even fascist ruling in the future.

The summary of the report said that 61% of 18-34 year olds agree that having a strong leader who does not have to bother with Parliament and elections would be a good way to run the country (UK) and 46% agree that having the army rule would be a good way of governing the country (UK). Bloody hell! This is the sort of nonsense that Trump and his misguided inner circle proposed in their support of Putin, Erdogan, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong-un and other world 'strong leaders'. Trump supported these types because he himself liked the idea of being a respected strongman with unlimited powers and an endless rule. The fascist oriented white power supporters to his cause are no different to those in the rise of white supremacy and neo-fascism in Europe that is attracting strong support from younger voters. In the 2022 French elections nearly half of 25-34 year olds voted for the fascist populist Marine Le Pin.

This is very disturbing and doesn't bode well for the second quarter of this century. Us older people, the 'baby boomers' and generation x have, and have had, direct connection with parents, grandparents and others who experienced or saw fascism, autocratic rule and the devastating effects of World War Two. This has kept our eyes open to the dangers of extremism and unfettered powers and maybe, has helped keep the lid on things relatively speaking. The younger generations haven't felt this connection and their influences have more come from the entertainment industry (cinema TV and gaming) and less governed and responsible social media. It's not surprising to see the movement show in that report given that they are looking for an easy fix to crime, global warming, social and economic inequality and cannot see the existing political systems being applicable to them.

I'm rather glad that I'll be dead and gone in the second quarter but feel sorry for those left behind who will likely  be under the heel of dictatorship governments.

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Reading that article made me think of  the 1982 film Pink Floyd: The Wall (Alan Parker and Gerald Scarfe)  where fascist iconography is used to demonstrate the protagonist's (and millions of disaffected youth's) feeling of alienation and a blind willingness to embrace a dodgy philosophy to make up for pains and losses experienced or perceived in the 'real world'.

This clip, to me, is prescient:

WAITING FOR THE WORMS