Adding this to my thesis: Generational divides are the true fault line in this country, more so than race or class, which is why attention to the young is particularly pronounced.<p>Notice how much of our discussion is around "culture issues": sex and identity, transgender, college campuses, etc. I believe these are Trojan horse issues designed to distract from the overwhelming nuts-and-bolts functions of government, which overwhelmingly favor the elderly. COVID-19 sort-of brought this issue to the front, but in general, Social Security, ADA, etc. are overwhelmingly in favor of the elderly. Efforts to aid the young are often on the face of it helpful while entrenching special interests, with the most recent student debt jubilee being the most recent examples. The next generation will face mounting tuition costs as a result, rather than see greater competition between universities.<p>The combination of inverted age pyramids and socialized government services, coupled with stagnant wages/recessions/declining real growth, means that fewer and fewer young people are essentially being handed the bill from older generations, and there's not a whole lot to stop it from happening. Anyone old enough to see SS as a potential source of income suddenly have a tremendous incentive to keep it in place, along with the value of their degree, work experience/etc. On these issues, it is worth pointing out that Republicans and Democrats are de facto united - only young Republicans are likely to vote against policies for the elderly.<p>Adam Smith, Alexander Hamilton, and many other influential figures who built the modern world were simply young people whose efforts were spent poring over trade center records and budgets - they were scholars of public finance. Right before COVID, there was an "OK Boomer" meme that I thought might bring this fault to the front of the culture war. It is only a matter of time before some angst-ridden teen realizes that the budget is extremely elderly-focused.