Confessions of an Old Man is about how next generation is being robbed of their future and what can they do about it. The goal of the book is to get Millennials angry enough to actively engage with the American political system and take control of their destiny instead of their future being decided by rich old white men. It is a statement of collective guilt that places the responsibility on my generation, the baby boomers, for dealing a bad card to their children and grandchildren. My generation controls the Congress, the Supreme Court, and the presidency, so we cannot shirk from the responsibility.
This is a call to action for the MI generation--who has the most to lose if the United States continues with its current domestic and foreign policies. It is also a call to those parents and grandparents who want to leave a better world for their children and grandchildren. Millennials and the iGeneration combined are called the MI generation in this book. They are defined as those who were born between 1980 and 2018, and they represent about 150 million Americans, and about 32% of eligible voters. The election of 2020 will be the most consequential election of this generation. By 2020, members of the MI generation will represent the largest and most powerful voting bloc in the United States. Through their votes, they can transform American laws and policies by engaging in the political process and public deliberations.
My generation is leaving members of the MI generation a mountain of national debt to pay down for the rest of their lives, a very expensive higher education system that does not provide a decent return on their money, and an unaffordable and inaccessible health-care system. They are left with a planet that is getting warmer and two unwinnable wars primarily financed by money borrowed from foreign countries. If that is not enough, the Beltway has created a political system of tribal warfare where politicians are too busy dividing Americans and making them afraid of one another just to win their next election.
There is a silver lining, and it lies with the MI Generation. Instead of getting depressed, they can start changing the face of Congress where the mess is being created. Congress has the power to make laws and write checks. It is Congress that passed laws incentivizing large corporations to export American jobs, piling debt on the MI generation, taxing working income at a higher rate than nonworking income, charging higher interest rates on student loans, and prohibiting Medicare to negotiate drug prices.
One opportunity for making a change is in the demographics of the House and Senate by removing career politicians who have been there far too long. At least 57 Congresspersons and 20 Senators have been there for over 20 years. Just replacing them with younger Americans will be enough to shift the balance of power in the Congress. It is time for them to pass the baton to the next generation.
America's future depends on the MI generation using its energy, idealism, and tenacity to start making changes. They can begin by pursuing a seat at the table instead of being on the menu. The only thing the MI generation needs to do is vote, which is FREE and remove career politicians who have been in Congress for too long and are part of the problem.
