NationStates Jolt Archive


You've heard about Class War...

Greyenivol Colony
22-06-2006, 16:05
... But now what about Age War?

Imagine a situation where in the near-future where demographic trends have continued. A future where there are more retired people than young people under the age of 30.

The baby-boomers, who have throughout their lives had the unusual distinction of forming the dominant generation in whatever age they found themselves, i.e. they were young in the '60s, and so society was based around the young (the sexual revolution, the hippie movement, etc.), then in the '80s they began to settle down, they demanded an economically stable and conservative environment in which to raise their children, and the New Rightists (Thatcher, Reagan, etc.) obliged. In fact, I suggest that since their conception all of society has been reared towards pleasing the majority baby-boomers.

But now we face the prospect of that generation entering into the unproductive state of retirement, advances in medical technology means that this generation can easily expect to live until the age of 100 and beyond.

Now consider the growing trend in electoral behaviour that has the Elderly more likely to vote, and the Young less likely to. And this shows no sign of reversing as the primary reason for this is the Youth feel disenfranchised by the consensus made between the state and the baby-boomers. Eventually, we may reach a point where governments, (especially in FPTP systems), rely almost exclusively on the electoral support of the Elderly.

But what would this mean? What cheap policies would the whorelike governments cook up to entice their base? It is more likely than not that the policies chosen will be persecutionary policies, as they are the most enticing - and they will be aimed at the Young.

Indeed, the first shots of the Age War have already been fired. The majorly over-40-elected government marks as an enemy the ASBO/wigger/(whatever media friendly buzzword a society chooses) culture and begins to treat being young as a crime. In the UK Dispersal Orders can be issued arbitrarily by the Police to break up "gangs" (in reality, any group in public consisting of three or more members), so that if you are walking to a train station with two or more friends a Pig can come up to you and force you to walk away from them, putting you at risk of crime. Special ultrasonic devices are being place outside storefronts that produce a torturous sound to the adolescent ear. And anti-social behaviour orders are being placed on children as young as five for playing too loudly (breaking such an order puts you on the same level as a criminal).

Still the Myth of the Barbaric Youth is propagated by the tabloid media, and the Aged Electorate demand tougher action against the youth. Within 10 years Conscription will be back, ("maybe a stint in the forces will do 'em some good!") and criminal charges will be raised against the trivial of youthful offences.

How long will the Young put up with this? After returning from their tours of duty they will be expected to take up employment, and as the welfare system overloads it will become the case that each post-boom adult would have to work to effectively support three citizens to every wage he earns. Add to that the cost of avoiding environmental disasters caused by the previous generations; we will eventually see a situation where the Young have become indentured servants to the baby-boomer puppet government. The civil strife would eventually erupt, the Government would violently disperse Workers protesting for a fair share of their wage, there would be massacres in Old Folks' Homes, and a full-scale Age War would ensue.

But how can this be avoided? Immigration to help beef out the workforce? The baby-boomers would never approve of that, the country quite clearly belongs to them. Elderly emigration, summer-homes abroad, but to a wider extent, again no, forced exile is contrary to Human Rights, and ultimately they will refuse to leave. Robots or some kind of Fountain of Youth? I wouldn't hold my breathe.

It seems to me that Age War is unavoidable, one day the Youth (a minority, but strong, well-trained (thank you conscription), and impassioned) will retake the life that is rightly theirs. The Age War will be long and bloody, for every young person who would want to fight the state another will be a Loyalist protecting his country/family.

The Age War is coming.
Evil Satanic OzMonkeys
22-06-2006, 16:11
I see your point. I doubt it will ever happen, sounds like something I would say. But I see your point.
Rubiconic Crossings
22-06-2006, 16:22
simple....tag each sprog with a electronic device....when they start acting like louts all the tags play Elton John (or even worse...Lonny Donnegan) at a volume to drive 'em nuts...

Not only do I have the satisfaction of watching them top themselves but also I have the option of yelling "HAVE IT" at the top of my voice everytime a sprog removes him/herself from the gene pool.
Smyles
22-06-2006, 16:26
Well, although I do agree with the concept that eventually the youth will uprise, I think it actually will be mostly crimminal activity, and thus the youth will be at fault, and not the government being unfair. A global-scale civil war is inevitable, but I highly doubt the youth will be justified. Once China invades North America, all hell will break loose. The United States will launch its nukes, then every other superpower will want to get involved, except Israel, but then the surrounding Arab nations will figure this is the perfect opportunity to invade them, they try, Israel threatens and then does send nukes, and the world is in complete chaos. Anarchy. But yes, there IS going to be an uprising of the youth.
Saxnot
22-06-2006, 16:31
*snip*

i) The tone of the final paragraph gives some creedence to your earlier-mentioned "myth" of the "barbaric youth".
ii) Look at the high-street anywhere in England at 10pm on a Friday night. A minority it may be, but it's a loud minority of the youth ARE violent.

I say this as a young person and a pacifist.
Greyenivol Colony
22-06-2006, 16:51
i) The tone of the final paragraph gives some creedence to your earlier-mentioned "myth" of the "barbaric youth".
ii) Look at the high-street anywhere in England at 10pm on a Friday night. A minority it may be, but it's a loud minority of the youth ARE violent.

I say this as a yougn person and a pacifist.

1) Barbarism and fighting to protect one's liberty are as far away from eachother as it possible for two things to be.

2) People have always been violent (in controlled circumstances it is an essential part of interpersonal relations), this is nothing that the baby-boomers were punished for - yet our generation is because we form convenient scape-goats.
Greyenivol Colony
22-06-2006, 20:40
bump, s'il vous plait?
Soheran
22-06-2006, 20:43
The elderly will win, not youth (if this eventuality even occurs).

Almost everyone becomes old eventually, but a large portion of the population is no longer young.
Greyenivol Colony
22-06-2006, 21:59
The elderly will win, not youth (if this eventuality even occurs).

Almost everyone becomes old eventually, but a large portion of the population is no longer young.

This had occured to me. The leaders of the Youth Revolution would 'betray their age' even quicker than the Bolsheviks betrayed their class.

However, I think to a certain extend the long-term victory is a moot point, as, just like in the English Civil War, the losing side eventually regained power but had learned a valuable lesson against underestimating their opponents.
Xenophobialand
22-06-2006, 22:06
I doubt it will erupt into open civil strife. Really, the Xers and Yers are too passive to really fight. Instead, they will quietly and steadily undermine everything boomerism was about by undercutting the notion of benefit without cost, reward without service, and clapping yourself on the back for the good job you outsourced.

How many boomers does it take to screw in a lightbulb?
Ten. Six to clap each other on the back for what a great job they've done at coming together, one to photograph the event for the newspaper, one to outsource the job to an illegal immigrant for below minimum wage, and one to reminisce about mass-naked bulb screwings in the '60s.
Laura Beach
22-06-2006, 22:49
The baby-boomers were the generation that had bikers and mods fighting gang wars all over the country on a regular basis every summer.

Why this would never be allowed to happen now? Tougher policing, better surveillence. Not so much a case of over-hyped media attention and over-panicky elders, but the society of CCTV in every city, town and village in the country and more advanced (not better per se) technology forcing a change in attitudes as more criminal behaviour comes to light and offenders can be successfully pursued and punished.

The real question today is more one of why is this generation of risk-takers, baby-boomers and free-lovers so intent on destroying the same ideals of freedom, excitement, positive change and innovation that were those fostered by the upbringings that they enjoyed?:confused:
Barbaric Tribes
22-06-2006, 23:14
I think you have it wrong, your statement is intriguing to me, but I believe its not about age at all. When I say "it" though, you know what I'm talking about, I dont know what country your from but I am from the USA, which is steadily becoming a Police State, as I assume most European countries are too. Ever since 9/11 and other "terroist attacks" the US government has been been sacrificing freedom for "security." which is a horrible idea, The US government is undoughtably corrupt too. and From recent things I've seen in Europe *cough* making knives illegal for fucks sake, I think Europe is in the same boat but way deeper.... Another US civil war is on the way...its gonna be a few years but eventually they government will go to far and you will have people who want freedom vs. people who want "security." And I personnally have talked to enough people on both sides of this issue here, there are actually members of the government who think our consitution is no longer relatevent becuase its to "dangerous" to have freedom these days. I agree with you and massive civil wars in the US and abroad, maybe there is some sort of age factor in the recent "policing" governments have been resorting too, but I blame it on mostly people in power wanting more power, and using "terrorism" to obliterate rights to form police states.