[democrat bred retards...] Politicized, woke and afraid: Gen Z needs to start thinking critically

[Leroy N. Soetoro]

https://nypost.com/2021/02/13/gen-z-needs-to-start-thinking-critically-
about-politics/

In our increasingly digitized, secular, and ideologically polarized era,
my generation — Gen Z — has overwhelmingly turned to political activism in
their search for meaning. The rise of BLM protests, climate change
rallies, and LGBTQ pride parades over the last half-decade have given
young people a religious sense of community and a kind of spiritual
mission: that of fighting for “equality” and “justice.”

On the surface, young people involved in political activism have good
intentions — to fight the evils of racism, misogyny, and homophobia — and
feel genuine compassion for the historically underserved. However, in the
quest for “justice,” a brewing ideological radicalism and prevailing
orthodoxy has swept Gen Z.

Capitalism and all its manifestations are now considered dangerous, while
advocating for “socialism” — the new requisite philosophy for entering the
cool kid’s club — is viewed positively by 61 percent of Gen Z. A third of
young adults polled last year supported abolishing the police — more than
any other age group. Blinded by myopic visions of cultural revolution,
some young people even justify violence. One poll showed 64 percent of
college students agreed that last year’s anti-police “rioting and looting
is justified to some degree.”

This rise of orthodoxy comes with a growing intolerance. Alternate
perspectives that deviate from the mainstream aren’t just discomforting to
young people, they’re treated as a mortal threat. Just over 50 percent of
Gen Z college students believe “shouting down speakers or trying to
prevent them from talking” is sometimes or always acceptable.

At the same time, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of college students
say the campus climate prevents them from expressing their true opinions
for fear of offending their classmates. Despite the dogma of culturally
emboldened young progressives, many Gen Z thinkers actually crave greater
diversity of thought.

Though I just turned 20, I have taken the path less traveled throughout my
formative years and now as an opinion writer, consistently seeking out
ideas that challenge me. Here are my five tips for how my fellow “Zoomers”
can do the same:

1) Be skeptical of conventional wisdom

What’s popular and culturally dominant isn’t always right. Oftentimes,
trendy ideas turn out to be the exact opposite of what they purport. For
example, the popular trend of racial bias training tends to reinforce
rather than reduce racial stereotypes. Black Lives Matter leaders advocate
for solutions — namely reducing police presence — that put more black
lives in marginalized communities at risk. Never blindly “trust the
experts” or mindlessly do what is advertised as “anti-racist” or “pro-
LGBTQ.” Skepticism is essential to temper the radical currents underlying
the popular social movements of our time.

2) Identity is not destiny

The pervasion of identity politics has many young people making it their
spiritual mission to either vigorously surrender their privilege (of being
white, male, heterosexual) or engage in “victimology poker” (“I’m more
oppressed than you because I’m both black and gay”). This is toxic.
Immutable attributes — your race, gender, sexual orientation — don’t
define human experience. They limit it. Clinging to your identity promotes
a kind of solipsism that hinders your personal development and self-
growth. Build your personality and invest your time around your cultural
interests, intellectual curiosities, and creative musings, all of which
are fluid and forever open to change, refinement, and evolution. Ideas are
boundless and so is your human potential.

3) Stay open-minded

Standing up for what you believe in is important but don’t marry yourself
to your current opinions. Your views are bound to evolve, stretch, and
grow as you get older. In practice, this means don’t isolate yourself in
ideological echo chambers — left or right. Come out of your comfort zone
and give the other side a fair hearing. Just because you disagree with
someone doesn’t mean they’re your enemy. In fact, your perceived political
differences are probably not as irreconcilable as you think. Most people
are a mixed bag of ideas, with various leanings one way or the other. Be
open to changing your mind and shifting your perspective as you become
exposed to new strands of interpreting the world.

4) Watch your news diet

The key to being open-minded is watching your news diet. Striking a
balance between intelligent voices on the left and right is essential to
thoroughly grasp an issue. Ask yourself: Are you only listening to Shaun
King and AOC talk about how racist our society is on Instagram Live? Are
you solely watching Ben Shapiro “DESTROYS Leftists” videos? If so, your
image of the other side might be a caricature: Most liberals are not
feelings-centered, anti-factual snowflakes and most conservatives are not
uncompassionate, callous bigots. Young people are much better suited
listening to “The Joe Rogan Experience” — which offers a diverse range of
perspectives — than they are just Fox News or CNN. Also, read independent
writers, such as Bari Weiss, Alex Berenson, Glenn Greenwald, and Matt
Taibbi, who defy more boxes than they check and have little incentive to
follow party lines.

5) Spend less time on social media

More than half of Gen Z gets their news from social media, particularly
Instagram. The left-leaning algorithms of social media drive young people
to an increasingly radical direction and distort their perception of
reality. Spending all of our free time on Instagram posts, Netflix binges,
and Twitter wars is also a waste of precious time. Young people should be
investing in themselves before spending a lifetime worrying about taxes,
kids and other adult responsibilities. Water your creative spirit and be
wildly ambitious. Start sketching, make a YouTube channel, or try slam
poetry. Don’t be afraid of what others think. When I first started
blogging about funny anecdotes from my life and the latest trends in hip-
hop music in 11th grade, I was widely mocked and ridiculed by my peers.
But I brushed it off and kept honing my craft. Now I have the privilege to
share my opinions with you.

Establishing your own footing and individual agency in these times has
unfortunately become a costly endeavour. Any dissent is met with scorn and
derision. As the great American philosopher Kanye West bluntly put it in
his recent podcast with Joe Rogan, “Telling the truth is crazy in a world
full of lies.” But as long as you’re not engaging in conspiracy theories
or provoking just to get reactions, having a contrarian edge is usually a
sign of critical thinking. Mindlessly following the social justice trend
du jour may earn you social credit in the short-term, but it comes at an
ultimate cost: selling your soul to the mob.

Rav Arora is a writer based in Vancouver, Canada, who specializes in
topics of race, criminal justice and culture. Twitter: @Ravarora1



--
"LOCKDOWN", left-wing COVID fearmongering. 95% of COVID infections
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Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.

President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.