Since when does age determine how politically knowledgable one is?

[Catholic Sensation]

I've seen quite a few posts that state this fact, and yet most of the people I've talked to from DU outside of this board are around my age or slightly younger, and they're among the most well informed people. And this horseshit that youngsters don't know anything about current events? Might I remind the people who believe this horseshit that it was the youngsters who were the only age group to vote overwhelmingly for John Kerry? Not a single age group other than 18-29 year olds went for Kerry. If we as a group are "uninformed" what does that make the groups who are supposedly better informed who voted overwhelmingly for Bush's re-election?

[pres2032]

1. age has NOTHING to do with how knowledgable one is

there are genius 10 year olds and well decidely not genius 50 year olds. Like you said, there were millions of teenagers and 20 somethings who voted for Kerry and millions of much older people who voted for Bush.

edit: PS, I love your Sig, where is it from?

[Why Syzygy]

2. It's about experience.

They are coming into their's .. we have traveled many political hazards already.

We certainly don't need to compete on 'age' or any other meaningless divisive matter.

Let's hold hands.

[pres2032]

3. sure, but

there are those who equate "experience" with age when there are teens working in the US capitol while there are some 40 year olds who have never even picked up a newspaper or voted, and vise-versa.

[Catholic Sensation]

4. and experience led the majority of the "better informed" to re-elect bush?

if that's the case I want to stay a rookie for the rest of my life, because veterans apparently can't be trusted to make the right decision when it matters.

I'd rather hold hands, but it also seems some supposedly liberal-left people would rather make stupid comments that "i know more than any other teenager" than embrace the "neophytes".

[Why Syzygy]

11. I'm sorry that happened to you

We all have something to gain from each other's viewpoints.
I embrace that. As MANY here in the liberal community do.

It is true that age brings more than young folks can imagine.
I'm not going to try to convince you. Won't do any good.

You have friends and allies here.

What else do you want?

You want old folks to say you know more than they do?
Not gonna happen.

Lesson one: old people will claim they know more until you reach about 50. Then they'll start listening to you.
By then you'll have all the world's problems solved and have taken over. See? It all works out.

[enigmatic]

16. I'm sure what "they" want is to not be treated like a mo-ran..

..because of their age.

I'll say it again; age/wisdom/experience mean zip; I've met "mature" people who claim to have all three that actually are the equivelent of tree stumps. And there are those in their teens and in their early 20's that really do have all three, and recact accordingly.

I'm in my early 40's; I've seen many of my peers on this website, and how their worldview is based on their percieved "wisdom". I'll pass on that, thanks.

[Why Syzygy]

30. Then can we agree

that we should all be evaluated on an individual basis?

I don't make broad brush judgments on anyone.
Some of us can learn from every experience.

I feel this thread is trying to pigeon-hole those of a certain age into a certain category.

But what is their complaint?
It is done to them.

Get used to it.
That's life on this planet.
Until the genius teenagers take over and fix every problem.

Two-way street.
I don't like being refered to a a moron due to my age any more than a teen.

I understand that. Do they?

Over and Out.

[CubsFan1982]

5. Age has nothing to do with it.

Hell, I was correcting my first grade teacher on the spellings of Quayle, Dukakis, and Bentsen, and I wasn't even 6 yet! There are a lot of ignorant uninformed 40 year olds out there, and a lot of politically aware, enlightened 18 year olds. I've definitely seen the latter proven well on DU.

[enigmatic]

6. No

I've met people in their 50's that had the geo-political IQ of a canned ham, and 15 year olds who were more politically savvy then most on this board.

Age means zippo; and alot of times all "experience" does is make one bitter, especially when when it relates to their percieved bitterness against anyone younger then they are.

I take a person's knowledge on a person by person basis.

[omega minimo]

7. We are products of the age we arrive in...

...we absorb what's in the air, the influences and attitudes, the emotions and events of our time. So someone born after 1980 may have grown up believing all the Reagan B.S., whereas folks old enough to remember know it was all phony (or not!).

Chronological age guarantees nothin.

The posts here mention how "well-informed" young people are. Maybe someone has some insight about all the well-informed young people who DON"T VOTE.

:eyes:

[Bouncy Ball]

8. I know what you are referring to.

And some people are just haters, what can I say?

I find that attitude to be idiotic. Ironic, isn't it?

It's obviously coming from a place of deep insecurity.

[enigmatic]

9. Bingo

Nobody wears "bitter" well...

[WindRavenX]

10. People who are threatened by young people

That's who.

[pres2032]

12. one of my favorite quotes:

"The people who oppose your ideas are inevitably those who represent the established order that your ideas will upset."
-Anthony D'Angelo

[WindRavenX]

14. mmmhmm

Spot on ol' chap!

[pres2032]

18. yup, i love it

and it can be applied to nearly everything.

[Placebo]

13. Always happens to me...

if someone older than me can't beat me in a political debate or the facts clearly aren't on their side, they come at me with that "When you're older you'll understand!" bullshit, or "You're too young, what do you know?!?!" Yeah, okay...:eyes:

It's as old as time, and shows no signs of stopping.

[Bouncy Ball]

21. Placebo next time

someone does that to you, tell them "Oh YEAH? Well, Bouncy Ball is 34 and says you are a BIG DOODIE HEAD!"

[Floogeldy]

15. Prove it

[WilliamPitt]

17. Not age, but experience

I know 40 year olds who couldn't analyze their way out of a wet paper sack, who know nothing about the world around them and care to know nothing. 99% of this is because they haven't met the world, and don't really care to.

Likewise, I've taught teenagers who could think circles around me, and who had been out and about with experiences - travel, jobs, the hard education of hard times - who defied normal concepts of young people.

It isn't age. It's what you've done, and what's been done to you.

[Bouncy Ball]

19. Very well put, Will.

Age does NOT equal experience or wisdom. Not at all.

I'm glad I'm wise enough to know that. Probably wiser than you young fools and morans.

Sorry, couldn't resist. ;-)

[RevolutionaryActs]

20. Now that right there...

was just lovely. :)

:yourock:

[pres2032]

23. you're spot on!

[LiberallyInclined]

22. it's about life experience

the older you are, the more you tend to have.

[Bouncy Ball]

24. True

but there are some people who don't even want to hear ANYTHING from a person they deem "too young." They have already written them off, you see.

Which is just silly. Just because I have more life experience than a 17 year old DOESN'T mean there isn't anything I can't learn from them. And vice versa.

[enigmatic]

25. When I was 16 I had more life experience then most 50 year old's..

Because of the situation I was in. I know a guy who's 46 and has literally never left his town, and thinks that wrestling is real.

It all depends on the person..

[LiberallyInclined]

27. that's why i said "tend to"...it's not an absolute that it comes with age.

but life experience is where you do your most important learning- and yes, some people get a lot of it a lot earlier than others.



and you should still respect your elders.

[enigmatic]

28. Yep...

And it all depends on how you take that experience and relate it to the world and more importantly, your own soul.

[WindRavenX]

26. I'm not going to argue that

However, some young people have the congitive skills and self-realization to take their experiences that they have had in life and use that to influence their lives.
But we all know a lot of adults don't do that- they don't learn from experience.
I don't think age necessarily is a good measure- it's how you use what has happened to your life.

[Telly Savalas]

29. Age does matter.

It looks like you just aren't getting it. You'll understand when you're older. ;)