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Re: [ba-unrev-talk] Young people less impressed by lifestyle advertising


Henry,    (01)

Dutch youth may be growing in their critical thinking, but this seems  
not to be happening for the most part  in the USA as far as I can tell 
.  Though at the moment I could only offer anecdotal support, I seem to 
remember some American studies suggesting that, generally speaking, 
American  youth  is not doing much critical thinking, not instructed in 
it, nor caring to do it. The reason, as I see it, is that American youth 
continues to be "educated"  to consumerism, which includes the attitudes 
and politics requisite for "success" within the American economic system 
(increasing dominated by the values of the Republican Party, global 
corporations, neo-con capitalist thought, etc-- in short, the values of 
"the right.").    (02)

But, I mean to quickly add, that I do not believe that this is just an 
"American problem." The deeper, shall we say, world-historic 
problematic,  seems to be what some are calling the advance of a "global 
monetacracy" throughout the world, a very, very few possessing a very, 
very great deal of money and power. In the USA. analysis  of this  
monetacracy  this is being considered within the debate going on as to 
what extent the control of the mass media  by huge consortiums with 
conservative agendas constitutes a threat to our very freedom of 
thought, and especially the politico-economic thought of this country.    (03)

So as not to be too completely misunderstood, let me add that I 
fervently believe in the promise of America as a "great nation of 
nations", and especially of the potential of American (including 
immigrant) youth within this highly multi-cultural society. There may be 
a desire by "the powers that be" that it be "dumbed down," but there is 
innate intelligence everywhere to be seen in abundance in American 
youth.. This rich mix, which I'm particularly aware of living in New 
York City,  may yet produce something of inestimable value in the 
resolution of the problematic obstructing  the evolution of consciousness..    (04)

Gary
.    (05)

Henry K van Eyken wrote:    (06)

>>From my Dutch newspaper:
>
>The younger generation is less impressed by lifestyle advertising than
>in the past. Accordingly, big names like Nike, Pepsi, Levi Strauss
>should suffer from diminishing popularity. The 10- to 18-year olds are
>more critical and want to know the who and what of corporations.
>  
>    (07)