The Clear Reality Behind the Rightward Shift of American Youth - Ross Douthat, New York Times Columnist
Why have young conservatives become so radicalized? Why is there such a huge wall between the optimistic older generation of conservatives and the pessimistic young conservatives born after the Reagan era? This is what I constantly hear when I meet influential Republican politicians.
There are many hypotheses explaining this phenomenon. Analyses suggest that the hardships experienced by men in a post-industrial economic structure, and sexual frustration resulting from gender polarization, fueled radicalization. Some point to the online-saturated environment, Big Tech algorithms, the influence of President Trump, or racist podcasts. Others expand the discussion into huge discourses like economic anxiety post-COVID-19 or human alienation in the digital age.
I agree with some of these claims. But sometimes a narrow, specific, materialistic analysis is more effective. Over the last decade, amid 'Wokeism' (progressive identity politics) and racial conflict sweeping the U.S., major institutions systematically excluded young white men from hiring and promotion. The resulting generation has concrete, economic reasons to believe the current system and its values constitute a racial conspiracy designed to undermine their interests.
"The consensus is that the article nailed it: Old-ass boomers adopted DEI lip service just to protect their own jobs and shift the blame (and competition) onto the youth, leading to mass right-wing rage-quitting."
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