Comments

You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name

Your e-mail (optional)

Website (optional)

	My Original Nic Pic-a-Nic Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Foto

Submit your comments on this article

Britain

Radicalization of Young Could Cure Political Apathy, Expert Argues

2013-07-07

I'd file this under 'Bad Ideas'

If we are able to take the outcome of radicalisation away from violence, young people might be encouraged to experiment with radical views in order to shake them out of political apathy, according to a terrorism expert at Royal Holloway University.
How about getting the youth interested in ideas that actually work and will help them succeed?
"There's an old adage that says: 'If you're young and you're not a radical, you've got no soul; whereas if you're old and still a radical, you've got no sense'. That sums up the important part radical politics plays in the normal political awakening of young people throughout history. It isn't something to be feared."
Which is this guy?

Dear Winston Churchill phrased it differently. "Show me a young Conservative and I'll show you someone with no heart. Show me an old Liberal and I'll show you someone with no brains." Of course, those were the British versions of the things, which the terrorism expert ought to know, given the location of his university. I've never heard it said about radicals, but my education is admittedly limited.

Posted by:Squinty

#6 I'm rising mine (7 going on 18) on "Captain Underpants" and "Horrid Henry".

Only a few more years before you can introduce them to the Heinlein juveniles and Ender's Game, g(r)omgoru.

Posted by: trailing wife 2013-07-07 20:24

#5 We should radicalize our young --- I'm rising mine (7 going on 18) on "Captain Underpants" and "Horrid Henry".

Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2013-07-07 15:52

#4 They want the young politically awake? Are they sure about that? Consider what got them this way: decades of control of the education system by the left, resulting in a generation that is massively ignorant about morals, massively ignorant about what their rights are and how important they are, a generation taught that nothing is worth fighting for, a generation being taught that you cannot question your teachers/professors, a generation of "everyone gets a trophy", where there are no losers (and consequently no real winners), a generation that expects to be given everything but earn nothing, a generation that has been taught what to think rather than how to think.

They've developed sheep, they want sheep, and that is what they have: sheep.

Posted by: OldSpook 2013-07-07 15:03

#3 I'm against "right wing nationalism". I just can't find any in today's world that matters.

My own personal opinion: the big evils in the world today are

1) Progressive socialism (malignant Euro-socialism)
2) Bolshevik socialism (communists including Maoists and Bolivarists)
3) National socialism (Nazis then and now)
4) Ba'athist socialism (off-shoot of fascist socialism)
5) Corporatist socialism (crony capitalism)
6) Salafism (all the Sunni Islamic crazies)
7) Khomeinism (Shi'a fundamentalism)

All but that last two are avowedly socialist and by definition, left-wing. The crony corporatists are the true whores in all this; they'll ally with any of the others in order to preserve their standing and their boodle.

I see nothing "right wing" in any of those groups. But I'm sure Maggie will tell me where I went wrong.

Posted by: Steve White 2013-07-07 13:50

#2 Maggie, what's with this "right wing" nationalism?

The really evil, wicked, mean and nasty nationalism is the left wing kind. Hope you're not thinking that Nazis were right wing. Corporatists, crony-capitalists, fascists and National Socialists are all firmly enconsed on the left side of the political line along with the communists and socialists.

Course the line isn't a line but if you believe that it can be so represented, the farther left you go is an increase in government control and the farther right you go is an increase in individual freedom.

The extreme of the right is "might makes right" anarchy.

Posted by: AlanC 2013-07-07 12:42

#1 how bout right wing nationalism?
no?
well..I see there's no pleasing you then!

Posted by: Maggie Whunter6574 2013-07-07 12:03

00:00