So, we're young and impressionable and we want to know what to believe politically. Even more than that, we want to look cool. Our natural tendency as we seek independence is to rebel against our parents who are only conservative because they have "mortgages." In fact, a lot of us consider ourselves de facto left wing because, frankly, who wants to tell someone at a party that they really like Bush's foreign policy?
But we still don't really know what to believe. And despite the war in Iraq and looming environmental atrocities, we as a generation are incredibly apathetic. Our apathy is particular, though, because it comes from an intricate mix of image obsession and clever marketing schemes.
Bombarded by the media, we get a ton of mixed messages. So we do what we do best: we coast. For example, when our friend says, "Hey dude, come see An Inconvenient Truth!" You say, "Yeah, man!" because you like your friend - he shops at the Salvation Army, he must know good movies.
It turns out to be pretty compelling: you're glad to know more about global warming. You walk out of the movie empowered: you want to recycle, write letters. Of course, you don't actually, but you want to. How are you so moved?
Well, for starters, this is Al Gore talking. And Al Gore is the opposite of George Bush, as he so blatantly states over and over and over again. George Bush screwed Al Gore out of winning just like he screws us, day in and day out. We're liberals like Al Gore: let's listen to him and intend to recycle.
This, folks, is not a political stance. We students are a demographic being marketed to, just like the tweens, and we don't even realize it. How do we express our hatred for corporations? We buy Seventh Generation paper towels for $4.00 just because it says recycled on it without realizing where all that money goes. Do yourselves a favor: don't blindly believe the hype. Read up on what you "believe," and form an identity not because Michael Moore tells you Bush is bad, but because you actually know Bush is bad.
