Learning Points
Generational Economic Disparity and Wealth Transfer:
- For the first time in US history, young people are not better off economically than their parents were at the same age. Only half of Millennials are earning more than their parents, down from a 90% chance in the 1950s for young people to out-earn their parents.
- Since 1989, people under 40 have seen their share of the nation's wealth plummet from 19% to 9%.
- This decline is attributed to deliberate decisions rather than external forces. The two biggest tax deductions in America, mortgage interest and capital gains, primarily benefit older, wealthier generations.
- There's a significant recurring wealth transfer of £1.5 trillion from working-age people to retirement-age people in the form of Social Security, further enriching the already wealthiest cohort (US Baby Boomers).
- Education costs have skyrocketed; for example, a college that cost £1,200 a year in the 80s now costs closer to £30,000, with admission rates dropping from 76% to 6%.
- Baby Boomers are seen as having created a "rejectionist exclusionary society", making it difficult for younger generations to access education, housing, and entrepreneurial opportunities. They've weaponised government to transfer wealth to older, wealthier individuals, even during crises like pandemics.
Social and Mental Health Challenges, Especially for Young Men:
- Society is failing young men, with them falling "further faster" than any cohort in history.
- Key indicators include girls being seven to ten times more likely to be high school valedictorians, two female college graduates for every one male, and men being three times more likely to overdose, four times more likely to commit suicide, and twelve times more likely to be incarcerated.
- Young men are more likely to be broke, talking, and alone.
- The education system is biased against boys, who are twice as likely to be suspended for the same infraction as girls, and teachers often champion girls.
- There's a "mating crisis": one in three men under 30 in America hasn't had sex in the last year. Women with college degrees are often uninterested in mating with men without them, leading to a "Porsche polygamy effect" where a small percentage of attractive men receive most of the attention on dating apps, while the bottom 50% are "totally shut out".
- Shut-out men lose confidence, become prone to misogynistic content, less likely to believe in climate change, and more nationalist.
- The "most dangerous person on the planet" is a young, broken, alone man, and society is producing too many of them.
- Loneliness is an epidemic, with declining participation in social activities (e.g., Boy/Girl Scouts, talking to neighbours, seeing friends). This raises blood pressure, increases stroke likelihood, and causes depression.
- A lack of male role models is critical; boys without a male role model are twice as likely to be incarcerated.
The Role of Technology and Media:
- TikTok is described as an "extraordinary product" but also a national security risk, potentially weaponised by the CCP to diminish America's standing. The algorithm can subtly promote content that reflects America in a bad light, suggests elections are weaponised, highlights racism, criticises capitalism, and undermines trust in leaders.
- The Chinese version of TikTok (Douyin) is aspirational, showcasing engineering, patriotism, and positive achievements, with no politics.
- The "superabundance" of digital stimuli (entertainment, porn, social media) overloads human instincts, leading to negative externalities like skyrocketing depression and self-harm, especially among teenagers whose brains aren't equipped to modulate negative content.
- Social media provides "fake fitness cues" through porn (fake reproductive signals) and video games (fake achievement signals), repurposing energy that might otherwise be directed towards real-world aspirations.
- The mainstream media prioritises partisanship and entertainment over objective news, leading to a "race to the bottom of the brain stem" for eyeballs. Pundits are incentivised to be partisan for higher earnings, making neutral reporting less financially viable.
Political and Societal Shifts:
- There's deep internal division in the US, with a third of Republicans and Democrats seeing the other party as their "mortal enemy". Over half of Democrats worry their child will marry a Republican.
- 25% of Americans are comfortable with an autocrat if they represent their ideals.
- America has morphed from the "best place to get rich" to the "best place to stay rich", with little economic churn.
- Political representation often conflates voice tone and height with leadership qualities, leading to an overrepresentation of certain types of men. Democrats tend to represent female college graduates, while Republicans represent non-college graduate males, leading to rhetoric that feels "fascist light" and institutionalised violence against immigrants and women's rights.
Action Points
Societal and Policy Recommendations:
- Reverse deliberate policies: Unmake the decisions that have transferred wealth from young to old, such as tax deductions on mortgages and capital gains.
- Address the TikTok threat: Implement separation between TikTok's ownership and its product to mitigate national security risks and potential propaganda.
- Reform social media: Introduce identity verification and Section 230 carve-outs to hold platforms liable for spreading misinformation, similar to traditional media.
- Support non-partisan media: Advocate for government-supported news and media (like the BBC) to provide balanced, news-driven content that isn't solely driven by profit or entertainment.
- "Take back" masculinity: Reclaim masculinity from toxic narratives, promoting it as a wonderful thing involving advocating for others, protecting, and using strength positively.
- Address loneliness: Implement unconventional experiments and foster community to combat the loneliness epidemic, including providing male role models.
Individual Advice for People in their 20s and 30s:
- Physical and Mental Grit:
- Lift heavy weights and run long distances. Push your physical and mental limits to build resilience, knowing you can endure more than you think.
- Geographical Strategy:
- Get to a city. Being in a large city offers more opportunities and allows you to compete with and learn from the best, enhancing your personal and professional growth.
- Dating and Relationships:
- Actively seek a great partner: This is identified as the most important decision.
- Create opportunities: Accept invitations, force yourself to go out, and meet strangers.
- Develop social skills: Practice talking to people in everyday situations (e.g., in line at Starbucks).
- Get comfortable with rejection: Rejection is guaranteed in life; embracing it is crucial for success in dating and entrepreneurship.
- Take uncomfortable risks: Nothing wonderful happens without taking risks, whether in dating or career.
- Economic Responsibility:
- Build economic security: Find something you're good at and focus on building a financial base.
- Take economic responsibility for your household: This includes being financially viable and potentially supporting parents or partners.
- Social Engagement:
- Be around strangers daily: Engage in work, church, non-profits, sports leagues, or gym classes to foster social connections and opportunities.
- Build something in the agency of others: Collaborate and contribute to group efforts.