Bad Advice

One of the most important issues to deal with regarding leadership in this country is age. So many people believe that with age comes wisdom, but the same people forget that there is wisdom that ages, and then there is wisdom in that specific time. So much of the advice that people have been conditioned to give has been tailored specifically to when people were alive. I think the era of looking down on younger people and hoping we assimilate to older traditions and customs should be seen as the dead horse it is, and we should start burying it.

No one is pounding the pavement, opening doors, and getting good jobs that support a family of four. Any older person–or any young “old” person–telling people to do that is wasting their time. Most applications are online, and the ones that can be achieved by networking are either so high on the totem pole that no one gets a chance, or so low that everyone needs assistance. No one is buying a house while working at McDonalds or being a custodian without working at least two other jobs; the greedy people have destroyed that life forever.

On the flip side, “good jobs” take too long to get, and people will need help or another income supply waiting for more money to materialize. Many networks are tighter than a peanut butter jar in winter, and scarcity is making everyone paranoid. Neither trades nor college are a guarantee of stability, and this is coming from someone who has mingled with the Ivy Leagues and hung out with the unhoused. People at the top are working to make sure that no one feels loyalty to worker, so financial stability is rare, not common. It was not just the babies but the regular supply of government workers who made all the elders rich. Without stable incomes, there is no chance that the economy can stabilize. That is math.

Speaking of college and trades, “training” takes too long to acquire and the job market is too competitive. All employers are looking for ways to cut corners, and even more are looking for ways to eliminate workers altogether. Yes, someone can get a commercial drivers license, but the union busting and gig economy mean that those long-haul trucking contracts are a thing of the past. Moreover, the cost of living is higher than the pay for journeymen and apprentices because a lot of the older practitioners have obsolete references. PhDs are working in fast food because of the denigration of education in recent years from everyone, because no one can claim that techies were bragging about how much college they finished. Almost none of the programs have been revamped to be completed in less time so that people can start earning money sooner and avoid debt. This is reality.

Buying a house depends on a bunch of things that never stay constant, and it is more of a burden than a potential payout. Land valuations are never stable and depend on proximity to many different things, so there is no guarantee that the sale of a home could be a retirement plan. Furthermore, the job market is unstable, so there is no guarantee that anyone would be able to consistently pay, even with the lowest interest and the most affordable price. No one in leadership respects the concept of a community because rich people solve problems with money, not with other people.

Finally, toxic positivity is stressful, and no one wants to be around that kind of attitude all the time. Play the Pollyanna “glad game” with people who are comfortable; the rest of us are trying to remain calm and have no interest in smiling all the time. In truth, the only reason that people were “happy” all the time in the past is because almost none of them knew how the country really worked. Knowing more and being a better person means not holding everyone hostage to a world that no longer exists.