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We hear a lot about Baby Boomers these days. They seem to be simultaneously bursting our social

safety net at the seams while leaving a legacy of dramatic social upheaval. Baby Boomers control $13 trillion in assets in the U.S. (or nearly half of the nation’s wealth) but make up only about 28% of the population. Combine that with the widening income gap between the wealthy and every-one else and that leaves a pretty slim margin for most of us to do what we need to do, which is, live a prolific lifestyle, raise families, save for our own retirements, and support entitlements like Social Security and Medicare for retir-ees, in the hopes that they will

exist for us in our old age.

The past ten years have largely been a draw or defeat for people without financial means. While people who are now thirty have plied their way through the work force, wages have stagnated or declined for workers of all ages. However, the current recession has vested a much higher unem-ployment rates on workers in their teens and twenties. Unemploy-ment rates for people between the ages of 16 and 24 years old are as high as 22.5% compared to the 9% national average. As age and education levels go down unemployment rates increase and they explode for minorities, going as high as 32%.

The economy is slowly improving and jobs are being added to pay-rolls again, but entry level jobs – those typically filled by young graduates – and even unskilled jobs that don’t require a college education are being filled by older more experienced workers who’ve been laid off from their previous jobs. According to economists like Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under President Clinton, the road to economic recovery is shaping up to be a slow and difficult one and wages for work-ers in non-supervisory positions, roughly eighty percent of workers, have not been keeping up with the costs of living for many years. Even graduates lucky enough to find jobs in their field right out of college may not earn enough

Help! There’s No Air Down Here!Are young people destined to inhabit a shell of more

prosperous times?By: Jason Cameron

money to overcome hefty student loan debts and build wealth. In fact, they likely will be forced to accumulate more debt to achieve a comfortable or at least not un-comfortable standard of living.

What would happen if the next few years were as economically mediocre as the last ten? One could conclude that the middle class might shrink even further, driving large numbers of people who were raised middle class downward in income status, meaning they might not do as well as their parents. Many older people were able to take advan-tage of investment opportunities that just don’t seem to exist right now. Many had prolific high salary careers that started right out of high school and college and they were able to invest in and profit from the housing market and stock market. Even with the economic down turn and loss of assets they are still retiring into relative wealth and prosperity.

I asked Julia, a 25 year old who graduated in 2009 with a degree in biology, environmental science, and ecology, if she thought she would achieve the same upper middle class lifestyle in which she was raised. She said, “Right now I don’t think I’ll make as much money over my career as my parents did.” She is excited to be working in her field of study and with growing concern for the environment her knowledge and skill set may one day be in great demand, given the right political and economic atmosphere.

I also spoke with 22 year old Da-vid. He has an associate’s degree in landscape design and seems to be going the apprenticeship and internship route to round off his formal education. When asked about his prospects, he seemed

doubtless in his ability to achieve financial success, but conceded that right now good paying jobs are hard to come by. His atti-tude embodies the quintessential American belief that hard work and intelligence will lead to pros-perity.

I asked Dr. Thomas Boston of the Georgia Tech School of Econom-ics, who studies entrepreneurs in minority communities, what he thought young people could do to increase their earning potential. He said, “Individually, persons must begin to rely more on their

own ability and entrepreneurial talent as the long run solution. Because of the growing instability in corporate career paths, one has to generate options in order to secure your future.”

“Don’t dither” seems to be wise advice. The longer one goes un-employed or underemployed the greater the long term effects on their lifelong earning potential. It seems that young people will need to do more with less and find or create new investment opportuni-ties. They’ll need to face their challenges head on by coming up with innovative ideas and taking risks because risk leads to one of two things: success and reward or failure and knowledge.

Look at the example of Carson

Young who graduated from the University of Mississippi with a business degree in 2008 at the start of the economic meltdown. He started, Yumbii, a food truck business, and has built a coalition of street food vendors in Atlanta, Georgia that is growing and shows potential to create new jobs.

A lot of hopes are riding on Generation-Y because they are the largest generation since the Baby Boomers. They are a large enough group to affect dramatic change and get our economy and the middle class spiraling upwards again. However they manage to do that, they definitely have plenty of able workers, of all ages, look-ing for opportunities, wanting and needing them to succeed and will-ing to help.

Of cOurse, Matthew hurtt is nO stranger tO pOlitics. he was wOrked with senatOrs, served as a caMpaign Manager, and has given lectures acrOss the cOuntry as the caMpus services

cOOrdinatOr fOr the leadership institute. perhaps yOu have nOt heard Of hiM yet, but we iMagine with his strOng ideas, by the end Of the year yOu will.

Often political ideolo-gies and interests are passed down from parents to child. Was this the case with you

or were politics something you took on yourself?My parents were completely apolitical when I was growing up. In fact, the first time they regis-tered to vote was when I ran for local office in 2006 at the age of 19. They've voted in nearly every election since then. So, it's prob-ably exactly the opposite as what

you suggested.With the economy in a slump and unemployment high, do you think the American Dream is still a possibility?Sure. The economy operates in cycles. But we're at an economic crossroads. Congress must do something about out-of-control spending and debt, or my gen-eration will be worse off than my parents'. I think people my age must realize that not everything is handed to us and that we must work for it. The American Dream isn't something that's just given to us -- we have to work for it.

Why do you think it takes so much effort and campaigning to get young people excited about politics and voting?Young people aren't as affected by decisions made by politicians as older people are. Married couples pay taxes, worry about good schools, and think about retire-ment. Young people live relatively care-free lives and are largely apathetic. Those of us who are politically active understand the importance of being involved at an earlier age. I don't want people who aren't educated about the is-sues to vote.

I read your recent article on Campus Forum [Reform] con-cerning guns on campus. You are for allowing guns to be carried on college campuses. Do you think this could lead to an in-crease in school shootings?Does allowing law-abiding citizens who have the requisite training to carry firearms in public increase crime? No. People who oppose this often are ignorant of the facts and use scare tactics to predict "Wild West" scenarios. Currently, students are allowed to carry firearms on campus in a number of states, and there has been no increase in violent gun crime. If someone is going to shoot another person, they're going to break a number of laws to get to that point. I'm talking about law-abid-ing citizens. In a nutshell, what is the rela-tionship between the Tea Party and Republican Party?Majority Leader Eric Cantor called the "tea party" the "surge pro-tector" of the Republican Party, calling out massive spending and debt. I agree. People realize there's a problem, and they're now holding elected officials account-able for increasing spending and racking up debt. I believe the tea party is a healthy exercise in political discourse.What do you say to those who claim the Tea Party is partially a racist movement?We unfortunately have a system of economic slavery in this nation. One party, the Democrats, seek to suppress the minority, be they black, Hispanic, or otherwise. They're all "voter blocs" to Demo-crats. On the other hand, con-servatives see everyone as indi-viduals. Being black or Hispanic or whatever isn't what defines you. You're an American. You believe in a set of ideals: government should be restricted and liberty should be protected. Historically, about 5%

to 10% of black Americans iden-tify themselves as (or vote) Republican. I'd venture to sug-gest it's propor-tional among the tea party. It's not a racist move-ment. Herman Cain has won tea party straw polls all over the country, and Charles Lollar, a black conservative, runs Ameri-cans for Prosperity Maryland. Tea partiers read Thomas Sowell and Carol Swain (two conservative black intellectuals). It is the left who demonize and castigate black conservatives.This is just another tactic of the left to seek to keep minority Americans on an economic plan-tation, as many prominent black conservatives have suggested.There is a misconception that young conservatives are miss-ing fun in their lives. Would you agree?I've never heard that. I had a great time through college and continue to enjoy my leisure when I'm not at work. "Everything in moderation." As long as you ac-cept responsibility for your ac-tions, you should be just fine.Do you think the media’s por-trayal of the future generation is accurate? If not, how would you alter it?I think it's the media's misguided portrayal of our parents' genera-tion, who are bankrupting us with entitlement spending. Young peo-ple I know recognize the problem. It's the adults who are unwilling to make progress.I don't think there's one way the media portrays youth. They men-tion apathy, yet focus on engaged young people like me. It's a mixed

bag. I think some people count us out because we haven't "lived long enough" or "been around long enough." That's garbage. I know plenty of people older than I am who are less en-gaged and less informed.

Donald Trump for president good idea or horrible idea?I like his business savvy. I like that he tells the truth -- he's not con-cerned about the next election. We need more politicians who are willing to stand up and say, "This isn't right!" As far as Trump being the next President, I don't think it's a realistic possibility. What are you summer plans?Work! There are bills to pay, and I have to keep this massive govern-ment running. What would they do were it not for those of us who pay taxes?So, what was the last album you listened to? The last album I downloaded from iTunes was Ray Charles' "Genius." The man grew up in poverty and overcame drug addiction and Jim Crow in the South to become a world renowned musician. I truly admire him as an individual and an entertainer. Book you read?I am currently reading George Or-well's Why I Write, which is about the politics of language.DVD you watched? I don't watch TV, but I do frequent the movies.The King's Speech (2010) Directed by Tom HooperTrue Grit (2010) Directed By Joel & Ethan Coen

There’s no sense in listing just how many handheld applications are available today when there is a near

constant stream of new media being generated. Sometimes the new – Twitter feeds, Face-book updates, or Wikipedia – is not where you should be look-ing. More often, the tried and true traditions of the past will lead you to success in any area. This may include research as close to the original source as possible from articles or books, but more importantly, heavy doses of common sense.

Merriam-Webster defines com-mon sense as, “the ability to make intelligent decisions es-pecially in everyday matters.” The simplest example comes in the form of voting as viewed from a political and entertain-ment lens. In a survey done last fall by the Institute of Politics, only 18% of the Millen-nial generation were found to be politically active and yet, within that same demographic, you’ll find 19% have voted on American Idol, 38% of this demographic have a tattoo,and 43% consider a text message as meaningful as an actual conversation. I believe this

shows a lack of understanding in regards to the way choices made today impact the future. Where is that attitude going to get you in your life?

Too often, young people ignore the consequences of their ac-tions for instant gratification. “Sixty percent of undergrads experienced surprise at how high their [credit card] balance had reached, and 40 percent said they have charged items knowing they didn’t have the money to pay the bill.” Another example comes in the form of griping. 40 percent also con-sider blogging about issues at

There’s No App For ThatBy: Kevin Haggerty

work to be acceptable (Iconoclast 2011). How will this benefit character when the time comes to move to a new workplace when a future employer can see proof of how you badmouthed your former employer? Making messes now to clean up later will only encourage this behavior and generate a foundation for fu-ture neglect.

Aristotle said, “It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” Simply put, not every impulse must be acted upon. If ancient philosophers are too stodgy for you to relate to, than heed the words of A-list celebrity Brad Pitt. “I believe you make your day,” Pitt says. “You make your life. So much of it is all perception, and this is the form that I built for myself. I have to accept it and work within those compounds, and it’s up to me.” Personal responsibility is the mainstay of common sense and without it, you’re heading on a path of self-destruction like the examples given earlier. So, what can you be doing to alter that course?

A first step may be to remove your ego from the equation. Another Hollywood opinion comes from George Clooney who believes, “When you’re young you believe it when people tell you how good you are. And that’s the danger, you inhale. Everyone will tell you you’re a genius, which you are not, and if you understand that, you win.” As a society we’ve perpetuated this “every-

one gets a trophy” mentality as a means to make things fair in an unjust world. All this ac-complishes is a sense of en-titlement from those who have earned nothing and a feeling of omniscience from those who know little.

Even if you think you know it all, you don’t. However, that can’t stop you from going out and discovering new informa-tion because those who have been providing it to you – gos-sip-mongers, misinformed pro-fessors, agenda pushing medi-ates –don’t know it all either.

Everyone should make a habit of questioning facts. The more you question, the larger your personal depth of knowledge will grow. This is just another way to exercise your common sense. If you want to get any-thing out of this life, it must be earned. That, it seems, is the lesson least taught to this generation with self-aggran-dizement and gratification taking its place. So, instead of tuning into reruns of the same programs you’ve watched a thousand times or updating your status to continue mak-ing yourself feel important, try learning something new. There is no more of an “intelligent

decision” than increasing your own personal wealth and ev-ery new skill and new piece of knowledge you obtain exempli-fies that.

“If you try to go to law school or be an artist or find a mate, and you fail, it doesn’t prove a damn thing except that it’s hard to succeed. That’s not news. It’s common sense to keep trying until you get it right.”Barbara Sher

“Everyone should make a habit of

questioning facts. The more you ques-

tion, the larger your personal depth

of knowledge will grow.”

Does your town feel old? Consider mov-ing to another coun-try. According to the United Nations,

over 100 countries now have a demographic where over 40 percent of the population is between the ages of 15 and 29. This characterized “youth bulge” have some excited and a few concerned.

A “youth bulge” is a direct result of high birth rates over a period of several decades. Due to advancements in medicine,

science, and technology, infant and child mortality rates have dropped significantly while birth rates still remain rela-tively high, meaning less death, but lots of children.

Not to worry Westerners. This doesn't mean you're going to lose your spot on the football team or have to compete with more applicants for a place in university. In fact, in North America and Europe, the youth bulge has come and gone; we Millennials only make up about 25 percent of the overall popu-

lation.

These youth explosions are mainly focused to developing regions. Decades ago, a couple in, say, Southern Thailand who needed an extra set of hands on the farm would conceive a number of children, uncertain how many of them would sur-vive. And although the times advanced, the mentality of the rural areas did not. Many fami-lies like this couple were left with a lot of children, but very little work.

The Bulge: Young Countries, Big RevolutionsBy:Joshua Grant

One might ask, so where's the bad here? More young people is a wonderful thing. Perhaps it is from the viewpoint of a Western mind. In the United States and other industrial-ized countries, companies see young people as an asset and actively seek out their ingenu-ity and energy. Every economist will tell you that a large pool of young workers can provide a demographic boost to the economy. Young workers mean high productivity and their savings, taxes, and spending means extra support for sub populations such as children and old people.

However, there is one impor-tant factor that separates industrialized youth from their Third World counterparts and that is education. In the West, most young adults have been educated or technically

trained. Not the case in the developing world. Agricultural and factory work are the pre-dominant work opportunities available to these young adults. Sadly, labor markets are unable to keep up with the growth, leaving many unemployed.

Unable to provide for them-selves, the possibility of mar-riage or family is out of the picture. British researcher Chris Dolan coined the expres-sion “the proliferation of small men” in reference to the grow-ing number of disenfranchised young men who cannot fulfill their cultural expectations of a “full man”. This leads to alcoholism, suicide, and the main cause of “concerning violence.”

Militias and insurgent organiza-tions can offer social mobility and self-esteem, particularly

in repressive nations. By their early to mid-twenties, the me-dian age of Facebook and Apple inc employees, young men have been fully integrated into the dangerous world of crime and violence.

Even urban areas are not im-mune. Several Asian countries have reported an increase in violence in their cities due to municipal governments inability to provide housing and jobs to the majority of young adults. This can be easily understood: when you have no education or training, it's much easier to be convinced to fight.

How is the problem fixed? Large youth bulges should eventually disappear as fertility rates con-tinue their worldwide decline. Already, between 1990 and 2000, the number of countries where young adults account for

40 percent or more of all adults decreased by about one-sixth, primarily because of declin-ing fertility in East Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America. , Due to changes in contracep-tive behavior. However, a more persistent group of countries in the early stages of their demo-graphic transition – mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and the Pacific Islands – remain as a challenge to global devel-opment and security.

But the outcome is not to-tally bleak. As social media has made it possible for young peo-ple to have their voices heard, opting for activism over vio-lence, many youth are taking to the streets demanding change. This year we witnessed this phenomenon earlier in the year during the months of revolution in the Middle East known as the “Arab Spring,”, in which Tuni-sia and Egypt rebelled against oppressive governments, while Yemen, Bahrain, and Syria are hoping to win their freedom as well. The reality is youth is a powerful force and if harnessed and focused correctly, a popu-lation of young people can lead a country to greatness.