I have come up with an idea which I think deserves some exploration. It's safe to say that some of the people most inclined to engage in political radicalism are the youth, particularly those in their late teens and early 20s. Perhaps it's no surprise that historically, colleges have been places where revolutions have simmered.
But there's another generation which might also be prone to radicalization, and that is the elderly. Think of the people who are nearing or at retirement, but before they are in need of assisted living.
While the younger radicals often become radicalized through ignorant idealism and feelings of "I can change the world!", the older radicals might become radicalized for a much different reason. They have become weary of trying to change things through the regular ways (politics, voting, etc.) and have become impatient and intolerant. Unlike the youth, who have everything to gain by radical change, the older people have nothing to lose.
Other generations, such as children or middle age people, are much less likely to produce radicals. Children don't for obvious reasons, but early career and middle age people simply have too many other concrete concerns with family and work.
So is this theory plausible? If so, does it apply to other times of history as well? And might it also help us to institute better policies going forward?
So you think it's a valid theory, huh? 😶🌫️
Younger radicals: David Hogg, AOC, any number of TikTok personalities
Older radicals: George Soros, Klaus Schwab, Nancy Pelosi
I think to be viable, I'd have to look at quantifiable data to uncover extremist views among those groups. Otherwise, we could just cherry-pick radicals of any age to counter my general thesis.
By the way, the reason I thought there were two generations of radicals was because in my own life (family, etc.), I could see characteristics of uncompromising, all-in attitudes among the elderly, and thought it might be a widespread trait.
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