Jewish World Review Feb. 3, 2004 / 11 Shevat, 5764

David Grimes

Grimes
JWR's Pundits
World Editorial
Cartoon Showcase

Mallard Fillmore

Michael Barone
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Ann Coulter
Greg Crosby
Larry Elder
Don Feder
Suzanne Fields
James Glassman
Paul Greenberg
Bob Greene
Betsy Hart
Nat Hentoff
David Horowitz
Marianne Jennings
Michael Kelly
Mort Kondracke
Ch. Krauthammer
Lawrence Kudlow
Dr. Laura
John Leo
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Chris Matthews
Michael Medved
MUGGER
Kathleen Parker
Wes Pruden
Sam Schulman
Amity Shlaes
Roger Simon
Tony Snow
Thomas Sowell
Cal Thomas
Jonathan S. Tobin
Ben Wattenberg
George Will
Bruce Williams
Walter Williams
Mort Zuckerman

Consumer Reports


A tale of two generations


http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com | One of the more alarming findings of a new survey of U.S. college freshman is that young people are regaining an interest in politics.

It is bad enough that 18-year-olds have youth and vigor on their side without having to listen to their analysis of the Palestinian situation or a windy lecture on how to save Social Security.

Freshman who used to spend their free time planning panty raids or listening to loud rock 'n' roll are now huddled in focus groups to debate campaign finance reform or the pros and cons of the Patriot Act.


Those of you of a certain age may remember the last time college students took an interest in politics and how the country was turned upside down as a result. The kids that were on one side of the Generation Gap in the '60s and early '70s are now old codgers with bad gums, receding hairlines and late-night anxiety attacks about how they are going to pay for their own kids' college education.

However, this most recent survey, called The American Freshman and sponsored by the University of California- Los Angeles, suggests that the activism of today bears little resemblance to what was happening on college campuses 35 years ago.


Since the first survey was taken in 1966, students' political views have shifted dramatically to the right. The students who call themselves liberals (24 percent) still outnumber those who call themselves conservatives (21 percent), but there's been a pronounced closing of the gap since 1971, when 38 percent described themselves as liberal.

Today's typical college freshman would be unrecognizable to a student of the late '60s and would probably cause him to become so depressed that he would consider drowning himself in his own bong water.


For starters, the percentage of students whose main goal in life is to become "very well off financially" has risen from 42 percent in 1966 to 74 percent in 2003. Furthermore, the percentage saying it's important to develop a "meaningful philosophy of life" has dropped from 86 percent in 1967 to 39 percent in 2003.

So, not to overstate the case, we are basically talking about a bunch of greedy, soulless future bankers who, once they are handed the reins of power, will make Dick Cheney look like Michael Moore.



Donate to JWR


Other things the freshman class of 2003 would have told the surveyors if they had had the courage to ask:

  • 76 percent said they hope to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as possible because they "can't wait to start laying off people."

  • 69 percent favor chasing the buffaloes out of Yellowstone National Park and building condominiums because it would be a "great investment."

  • 58 percent say the Wall Street Journal "sometimes distorts the news to serve its own liberal agenda."


  • 89 percent say the homeless problem could be solved if "they'd just get a home."

  • 72 percent believe that anyone who is injured in a car crash while driving something other than a Hummer "was asking for it."

  • 65 percent say the Enron scandal was nothing more than a "minor bookkeeping error" and that they would one day like to see Ken Lay's face on a U.S. postage stamp.

    Appreciate this column? Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.



    JWR contributor David Grimes is a columnist for The Sarasota Herald Tribune. Comment by clicking here.

    Up

    01/28/04: Warning: Labels on products are getting wackier and wackier
    01/21/04: It's a computer! No, it's a side dish! Skeptical? Look under the hood
    01/07/04: Nursery rhymes to scare the kids by
    12/30/03: Ear-scratcher fingered by police
    12/24/03: Gifts for that not-so-special someone
    12/18/03: Things we hate to do
    12/09/03: Keep your name out of this book
    12/03/03: When tots control the world
    11/18/03: Danger: TVs falling from above
    11/11/03: Songs that won't go away
    11/04/03: Keep technology away from the monkeys
    10/29/03: A career of sensational regrets
    10/22/03: Ig Nobels reward weird science
    10/16/03: TV golf needs a kick in the pants
    10/08/03: That's geek to me
    09/30/03: A man, a woman and a cat
    09/22/03: A tale of two spams
    09/16/03: Librarian action figure will be taking no guff
    09/10/03: Slackers need to remain invisible
    09/02/03: No fun in the summertime
    08/26/03: The algebra of love
    08/11/03: Journey to the center of the pavement cracks
    08/06/03: Word dominance by U.S. appears a fait accompli
    07/28/03: Ads that are hard to swallow
    07/09/03: Keep cows out of the classroom
    07/03/03: Little-appreciated facts about unshaven men
    06/24/03: Brother, can you paradigm?
    06/18/03: Cats, TV not a good mix
    06/10/03: In defense of grumpiness
    06/04/03: Do we really need keyboards in our Port-A-Johns?
    05/29/03: Always a dull men's moment
    05/21/03: Bad PC hygiene leads to bugs
    05/12/03:Army mops up; Tony Blair doesn't
    05/06/03: Grill a hamburger for PETA
    05/01/03: Exams spice history
    04/23/03: Too much money? Tax me more!
    04/14/03: When good gourds go bad
    04/11/03: One fish-tale that isn't --- and that's no lie!
    04/02/03: Do you really want to know what your dog's thinking?
    03/26/03: Pajamas make high school less stressful
    03/21/03: It's time to be nice to the French
    03/03/03: The ultimate clean and constructive sport
    02/12/03: Get a bang out of cleaning with cruise vacuum
    02/06/03: Voluntary kindness? Not likely
    01/28/03: Signs our economy is on upswing
    01/22/03: There may be cash in your old underwear
    01/15/03: Banish these words, now more than ever
    01/07/03: Coughing as an art form
    12/24/02: Parents shell out for missed homework
    12/17/02: French government says no to @ symbol
    12/11/02: A latecomer joins fellowship of the DVD
    12/02/02: Don't worry, be fat, unfit and really happy
    11/18/02: Intrigued by a German invention that could get teens out of bed before the crack of noon
    11/06/02: A noose by any other name ...
    10/29/02: Iranian dogs on notice
    10/22/02: Talk about a job that stinks --- literally!
    10/15/02: The official world's funniest joke
    10/02/02: Japanese turn eyes to computer haikus
    09/27/02: Oh, no! Bosses want to know what's on your mind
    09/24/02: An airbag, humanity's salvation?
    09/17/02: DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME!
    09/06/02: Come listen to a story about a man named ... Bill
    09/03/02: You're not in preschool anymore!
    08/30/02: A charming idea from a brutal, whacked-out, megalomaniacal dictator-for-life
    08/26/02: Blubber water? How to put on the pounds by gulping H20
    08/21/02: The latest evidence that Mother Nature is out to kill us
    08/13/02: Computers, airplanes and Canada don't mix
    08/06/02: The sky's not falling? Dang it!
    08/02/02: Some fond memories of worst TV shows
    07/30/02: Pay my credit-card bill, please?
    07/25/02: Something to celebrate
    07/22/02: Baseball needs to ban the fans
    07/16/02: Hasbro should consider new inaction figure
    07/11/02: Decline in trash-talking is harming our mental health? Well, #@%&!
    07/08/02 Americans retain right to fork tongues
    07/01/02 These laws were made to be broken
    06/18/02 Watching enough commercials?
    06/03/02 Throwing your vote to the dogs
    05/08/02 Hey, Mom, could you spare a dime?: Parents' obligations unending

    © 2002, Sarasota Herald Tribune