last updated June 24, 2012
Welcome to my little corner of the internet! This is the first post of the weblog, The Piper’s Army. I see you have some questions. Ask away!
What and who is The Piper’s Army?
The Piper’s Army is a weblog focusing primarily on political, economic, and cultural issues related to the oft-discounted youth demographic (you know, us Millenials) in the United States. The Piper’s Army is penned by The Piper, a recent graduate in political science from a large public research university on the West Coast. The Piper is a resident of Los Angeles, although is by no means a native Angeleno.
Why is The Piper’s Army?
Our generation may be the most technologically savvy yet, but our voices are significantly underrepresented in the media. At a time when Congress and the President are plotting the course of the country with far-reaching implications for me and millions like me, it seems like America’s youth needs more engagement with the political system.
Not surprisingly, many of the interests of youth America, no matter where one falls on the political spectrum, conflict with the interests of our parents’ and grandparents’ generations. I aim to highlight those differences, to advocate for forward-looking legislation, and to make common cause with forward-looking oldsters.
Many of today’s societal ills plague our generation more profoundly than they do the generations that preceded ours. According to Department of Defense data from 2004, men and women between the ages of 17 and 24 make up 41 percent of active duty military personnel; those between 25 and 34 comprise an additional 35 percent. In the last ten years, the prosecution of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has fallen disproportionately on our generation, and members of our generation already constitute a major portion of the caseload in Veterans Administration hospitals.
While 2010’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will help to extend health insurance to millions of young Americans, young people, aged from 18 to 34, currently constitute 41 percent of the uninsured while that age group comprises only a quarter of the United States population. Perhaps most troubling of all is the position of young workers in the labor market. As of the time of writing (July 2011), the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated that unemployment for 16 to 19 year-olds was 26.4 percent, for 20 to 24 year-olds was 14.6 percent, and for 25 to 34 year-olds was 10.4 percent, all well above the national average of 9.6 percent. Research shows that persistent unemployment, as has been characteristic for young workers during the recession and recovery of the past three years, irrevocably alters the psyches of the unemployed and depresses potential lifetime earnings.
While the problems facing the Millenial Generation are certainly not unique to us, our struggle to address these problems will define our generation’s future. It behooves us to do better at addressing these issues than our parents or grandparents, helping to ameliorate or resolve some of the most persistent problems in public policy. We must get started working on these problems today.
What sort of subjects will you write about?
Almost everything is fair game, I suppose. I’ll write on such topics as macroeconomic policy, educational reform, election campaigns, cultural fads, the perfect souffle recipe, and why professional baseball should resume the four-man rotation. I’m sure that I’m qualified to write about none of it.
You’re one of those dirty communist, hippie, socialist fascists, aren’t you?
Why, yes, yes, I am. Guilty. Pleased to make your acquaintance. On the political spectrum, I lean left. I am a committed social democrat, but I have friends of many political stripes. I hope to bring their opinions to the table as well soon.
Gosh, this sounds like generational warfare. Your blog title has “army” in it. You just want to take away my Social Security check, don’t you?
I would like to say up front that I intend no such thing. I don’t want to take away Grandma’s Social Security or Medicare benefits, and I don’t intend to abandon my obligations to my baby boomer parents as they grow old. My generation needs to find its voice, and it needs to find it quickly, while decisions affecting our country’s future are being made. Binding decisions about the federal budget or entitlements today will have far-reaching repercussions in the future.
Who can I blame for this nonsense you’re writing?
When I was applying to colleges in 2004, I interviewed with an admissions officer at the University of Chicago who introduced me to the nascent liberal blogosphere. A liberal at the University of Chicago, you say? (I told her that I wanted to bring my lefty point-of-view to Chicago’s Economics department. She thought that was riotously funny and said she hoped I’d apply.)
She refered me to Atrios’ Eschaton, Daily Kos, and Matt Yglesias, which became daily reads. I consider Atrios, Kos, and Matt to be my blogfathers (even though Matt’s only a couple years older than I am). I hope I can channel but a little of the incisiveness, wit, and snark that typifies their writing. As I completed courses in political science and public policy as an undergraduate, I took note of the fact that there were many bloggers approaching their craft from a decidedly wonky, data-driven point-of-view. I hope to draw on the examples of Nate Silver and Ezra Klein, among many others, in this regard.
I think you misunderstand what I wrote or you just have the facts wrong or you’re being willfully misleading. I’d like to send you a profanity-laced missive.
Or, I agree with what you’re saying and I’d like to pat you on the head and give you a e-cookie!
I rather wish my readers weren’t so hostile, or patronizing. I’m open to any criticism (or praise) you may have. Send me an e-mail and let’s have a discussion! It’s through dialogue that I may learn something new. If you have any comments or questions about anything I write, you can contact the author at thepipersarmy@gmail.com.
I promise I'll keep future posts shorter, scout's honor!
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