A brief rant on intergenerational conflict in US politics

(US politics, wall of text)

I wonder if beltway politicos and the older generation that keeps them in power realize that the increasing radicalization of the younger generations is the direct result of their choices?

Imagine if politics over the last four decades had proceeded along a sensible route, with policies that led to steadily increasing real wages, decreasing poverty, better and more accessible healthcare, and so on and so forth. It would have taken very little, really. Just don't drastically slash taxes for the rich, pass a public option for health care, keep the minimum wage up with inflation, patch up the safety net to get rid of cracks, don't go on ridiculous cutting and privatization sprees, and don't get into any more inane money-wasting wars overseas.

That's all it would have taken, and everybody born after 1978 could live their lives happily believing in the mythos of capitalism and American exceptionalism.

Instead, politics have increasingly become a crass and overt demonstration of the flaws of that model. Money has been permitted to run the government in the most short-sighted manner, and it purchases the public sentiment necessary to do its bidding. The result is that anybody not entirely imprisoned by their own preconceptions (i.e. not the baby boomers) has radicalized. Those with half a brain have become "woke" leftists, and those with no brain at all have become drooling alt-right fascists. Meanwhile, the establishment just scratches their heads and wonders how this could have possibly happened...

...as if it could have possibly happened any differently!