Trump isn’t an icon of positive masculinity. He also did very little for young men during his four years as president

  • rodbiren@midwest.social
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    4 months ago

    My take is that they vote for him because he is angry. These young men are largely angry and have had media of all sorts telling them that they should be. They don’t want someone telling them how they will boost the middle class and have equitable tax. They want someone who says they will burn every problem to the ground and break things. They want someone screaming at someone to blame.

    Why we have a huge chunk of young men desperatly angry is a choose your own adventure of societal issues where we have provided almost no healthy outlet for healthy aggression or the physicality that comes with being a young man. Everyone is free to come up with their own reasons, but for me it is the lack of outlet or the feeling of societial participation for young men.

    Whatever the reason, a culture who sweeps the problems of frustrated young men under the rug for long enough I feel will live to regret it.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      These young men are largely angry and have had media of all sorts telling them that they should be.

      They’ve had two decades of socio-economic bedlam. Its not like people are just angry for no reason. Sucks out there to be a Zoomer during one of the most on-paper rapid increases in domestic prosperity, while your demographic is entirely cut out of the gains but expected to assume all the costs.

      Trump’s selling snake oil. But he’s got a target rich environment of suckers precisely because the labor movement in this country has been abandoned by both parties and the Democrats have (correctly) identified this group as the most expensive to turn out during election season so not worth the effort.

      If you’re going hard in the paint for the culture war, you’re better off aiming for middle aged women. They vote. They donate. They organize. And they stay loyal to their party. Young men are only good for the next hype cycle before they give up or lose interest. The economy for Zoomers isn’t looking much better in the next four years, so Dems can come back around for them after Trump is gone.

      Whatever the reason, a culture who sweeps the problems of frustrated young men under the rug for long enough I feel will live to regret it.

      These aren’t problems unique to young men. They’re structural and societal. Young men are just the demographic that produces the most immediate feedback and engagement. And the current GOP is entirely embedded in the social media hype cycle, so they’re as along-for-the-ride as their turnout target.

      The real people profiting off this mess aren’t Republicans, but the social media advertising market who actually get to generate revenue off the bad decisions of deluded young people.