Democracy is Failing the Young – No Wonder They Want Change

[Social Media]

 

Britain today is not merely experiencing a crisis of politics, but a deeper crisis of legitimacy. The challenge isn’t finding examples to illustrate this—it’s narrowing them down. Take immigration: despite multiple electoral mandates to reduce numbers in 2010, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2019, Boris Johnson’s administration introduced policies that saw net migration soar to 906,000.

 

Or consider the asylum system, where Channel-crossing migrants are placed in taxpayer-funded hotels and given priority access to the NHS, while waiting lists for British citizens have ballooned to 7.5 million cases. Then there is the disturbing reality of grooming gangs operating for years with the full knowledge of authorities who feared intervention might incite social unrest. Some parents attempting to rescue their daughters were even arrested, while police found time to pursue individuals making “offensive” online comments about convicted criminals. Crime more broadly presents a dismal picture, with law enforcement failing to solve a single burglary, personal theft, or stolen bike case in 30% of the country.

 

Economic underperformance may be the most pressing concern of all. Real wages remain below their 2008 peak, inflation has battered economies worldwide, the tax burden has reached a 70-year high, and house prices have skyrocketed. The median home in England and Wales now costs over eight times the average income—compared to 3.5 times in the late 1990s. According to the Resolution Foundation, a young household in 1997 could save for a deposit in around three years with 5% of their income; today, two young graduates would need closer to 14 years.

 

Given this reality, young people’s growing disillusionment with democracy should not come as a shock. Support for democratic governance has been declining across the Anglosphere for decades, both within and between generations. Generation Z finds itself governed by a system that appears indifferent to their interests and incapable of meaningful change. The democratic process is functioning as designed—just not in their favor.

 

So far, the backlash has largely been limited to disgruntled polling responses and online rhetoric. However, an increasingly frustrated generation shut out of homeownership and burdened by rising costs poses a long-term risk to stability. With little to lose, they may be more willing to take a chance on radical alternatives.

 

If liberal democratic capitalism is mired in stagnation, a system that is less liberal and less democratic could become more appealing. This could manifest as support for a strong American-style leader, inspired by Donald Trump’s executive orders. It might lead to another surge in support for a Jeremy Corbyn-like figure, promising sweeping nationalizations and council housing. Or it could take an even more drastic form.

 

If politicians want to prevent this, they should stop asking what young people can do for the state—and start asking what the state has done for them.

 

Based on a report by Daily Telegraph 2025-02-01

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

Democracy, what democracy? The only thing resembling democracy is at election time when parties compete to bribe voters. The rest of the time they ignore the citizens.

The entire edifice is IMO rotten to the core.

 

It's no wonder that someone like Trump won, and there is a movement to right wing politics elsewhere.

 

BTW, it's not just the young that are ignored- the elderly are suffering too.

 

IMO the only ones the present cabals care about are the rich.

[JimHuaHin]

No mention of Thai democracy?

[BangkokReady]

It's really moving towards only having a choice between the "evil right" (who only care about the business elite), and the "evil left" (who only care about minorities)...

 

The average working man really has no one looking out for him.

[PomPolo]

I think this story is about Britain the two first posters not the US or Thailand.

Also I don't think it is only the young that are disgruntled it is most people in the country it is an excrement show.

Very good article.

[Gweiloman]

Meanwhile, in communist, authoritarian China governed by a dictator, the citizens are enjoying universal health care, free schooling, cheap and affordable housing, public transportation and groceries and increasing life expectancy. So evil…

 

That’s why they are a threat to global (western) security.

[Chomper Higgot]

5 hours ago, Social Media said:

Economic underperformance may be the most pressing concern of all.

I’m sure the Telegraph would rather discuss that than discuss the rapidly growing disparity in wealth distribution, an issue that disproportionately does effect the young.

[Ben Zioner]

31 minutes ago, BangkokReady said:

The average working man really has no one looking out for him.

There used to be trade unions...

[bangadang]

23 minutes ago, PomPolo said:

I think this story is about Britain the two first posters not the US or Thailand.

Also I don't think it is only the young that are disgruntled it is most people in the country it is an excrement show.

Very good article.

 Then why a MAGA picture? It just further confirms the bias.

[KhunLA]

Not sure democracy is failing them as much as themselves.  They seem to want a bit of socialism, and everything provided for free, in USA at least.   

 

... don't want to pay their college loans 'they' accepted to pay for

... don't want to start at the bottom of the job market, or pay scale

... they seem to want the rewards, without putting in the work or time

... want to move ahead of more senior or qualified workers, thinking the belong to a special group (DEI), oppressed like every other minority group that arrived as immigrants to the Americas, 100+ yrs ago, though have not struggled or been oppressed.

[James105]

3 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I’m sure the Telegraph would rather discuss that than discuss the rapidly growing disparity in wealth distribution, an issue that disproportionately does effect the young.

 

Literally only leftists care about this.  The UK is not a communist country and it never will be, which means those who work hard, are innovative, creative or simply a genius get to reap the rewards of their hard work which most have made many sacrifices to achieve.   

 

Young folks probably don't want to get raped, stabbed or mugged by the influx of cultural enrichers and if the demand for housing could somehow be reduced by not importing the equivalent of the population of Birmingham every single year, then perhaps they might stand a chance of earning better wages and buying a house.  I think that is more important to them than just making a few rich people a bit less rich so the government de jour can spaff the money away on virtue signalling projects overseas.  

[JonnyF]

Democracy isn't failing. 

 

The trouble is we elect parties based on promises and then they do the opposite. Like the Tories on immigration or Labour on just about everything. 

 

That's why reform are leading the polls and will win the next election. 

 

Let's hope they "do a Trump" and do exactly what they promised. 

 

Mass deportations number 1. 

[JonnyF]

3 minutes ago, James105 said:

 

Literally only leftists care about this.  The UK is not a communist country and it never will be, which means those who work hard, are innovative, creative or simply a genius get to reap the rewards of their hard work which most have made many sacrifices to achieve.   

 

Young folks probably don't want to get raped, stabbed or mugged by the influx of cultural enrichers and if the demand for housing could somehow be reduced by not importing the equivalent of the population of Birmingham every single year, then perhaps they might stand a chance of earning better wages and buying a house.  I think that is more important to them than just making a few rich people a bit less rich so the government de jour can spaff the money away on virtue signalling projects overseas.  

 

In my very recent experience the trouble with young people in Britain is they have been infected/brainwashed by the Woke mind virus.

 

On one hand they are pro immigration and on the other they complain they pay too much tax, can't afford a house or get an nhs appointment.

 

The virus prevents them seeing the link between the two. 

 

It was confusing to me but then an hour watching the bbc, itv or channel 4 makes things clearer. 

 

The state propaganda has had a terrible effect on the country. 

 

At least sky (sly) news is going bankrupt. One down...

[Lacessit]

The real problem is the inequity gap between rich and poor, which has now expanded to cover the average person. That gap gets bigger every day.

 

The average person is the most heavily taxed in most countries. The really rich pay teams of tax accountants and lawyers to minimize their taxes. There are any number of strategies, legal and illegal. Governments seem powerless to stop the march of oligarchy.

 

I don't blame young people for getting angry, I had far more opportunity than they ever will, unless there is a revolution.

[JonnyF]

27 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

The real problem is the inequity gap between rich and poor, which has now expanded to cover the average person. That gap gets bigger every day.

 

The average person is the most heavily taxed in most countries. The really rich pay teams of tax accountants and lawyers to minimize their taxes. There are any number of strategies, legal and illegal. Governments seem powerless to stop the march of oligarchy.

 

I don't blame young people for getting angry, I had far more opportunity than they ever will, unless there is a revolution.

 

I disagree. Other countries like Thailand have a huge (bigger) wealth gap but there is less discontent because there is a feeling of belonging.

 

There is a national identity. A national pride. There is a sense of belonging. Same as most homogeneous societies.

 

In Britain the indigenous people rightly feel that someone off a boat is prioritised above them.

 

The feeling that the government hates the country and the people. They are deliberately trying to destroy it. 

 

This cannot continue. It is a recipe for disaster. 

[Chomper Higgot]

3 hours ago, James105 said:

 

Literally only leftists care about this.  The UK is not a communist country and it never will be, which means those who work hard, are innovative, creative or simply a genius get to reap the rewards of their hard work which most have made many sacrifices to achieve.   

 

Young folks probably don't want to get raped, stabbed or mugged by the influx of cultural enrichers and if the demand for housing could somehow be reduced by not importing the equivalent of the population of Birmingham every single year, then perhaps they might stand a chance of earning better wages and buying a house.  I think that is more important to them than just making a few rich people a bit less rich so the government de jour can spaff the money away on virtue signalling projects overseas.  

Actually anyone sees their standard of living declining year on year cares about this.

 

Absolutely nothing to do with Communism and everything to do with neoliberalism stripping the wealth of the working class and increasingly the middle class and handing it to the hyper wealthy.

 

[Chomper Higgot]

2 hours ago, JonnyF said:

 

I disagree. Other countries like Thailand have a huge (bigger) wealth gap but there is less discontent because there is a feeling of belonging.

 

There is a national identity. A national pride. There is a sense of belonging. Same as most homogeneous societies.

 

In Britain the indigenous people rightly feel that someone off a boat is prioritised above them.

 

The feeling that the government hates the country and the people. They are deliberately trying to destroy it. 

 

This cannot continue. It is a recipe for disaster. 

Thailand has one of world’s highest distributions of landownership.

 

The vast majority of English/British were kicked off their land 18th century.

 

 

Nothing to do with your immigrant fixation.

 

[JonnyF]

7 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Thailand has one of world’s highest distributions of landownership.

 

The vast majority of English/British were kicked off their land 18th century.

 

 

Nothing to do with your immigrant fixation.

 

 

Irrelevant. 

 

We were doing great until the early noughties.

 

That's when the cultural destroyers (sorry i mean enrichers) moved in.

 

Downhill ever since. Just as you Americam Libs want it. In fairness our own British liberals want it as well. I guess that's why Labour sent 100 people to campaign for you guys. Bad move in hindsight like most Lib moves.

 

 

 

[Chomper Higgot]

1 hour ago, JonnyF said:

 

Irrelevant. 

 

We were doing great until the early noughties.

 

That's when the cultural destroyers (sorry i mean enrichers) moved in.

 

Downhill ever since. Just as you Americam Libs want it. In fairness our own British liberals want it as well. I guess that's why Labour sent 100 people to campaign for you guys. Bad move in hindsight like most Lib moves.

 

 

 

The rich are devouring the wealth the nation creates and they’ve got you blaming immigrants.

 

Can’t fault their tactic, it works almost every time.

[Nick Carter icp]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Actually anyone sees their standard of living declining year on year cares about this.

 

Absolutely nothing to do with Communism and everything to do with neoliberalism stripping the wealth of the working class and increasingly the middle class and handing it to the hyper wealthy.

 

 

   Who are these hypery wealthy people that you keep going on about ?

Could we have some names of these people , just so we know that they aren't some imaginary group of people

[Chomper Higgot]

1 minute ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Who are these hypery wealthy people that you keep going on about ?

Could we have some names of these people , just so we know that they aren't some imaginary group of people

Oh gawd!

 

Here we go with ‘I want the names’.

 

I suggest you read up on wealth distribution and how it’s changed since the imposition of neoliberalism.

 

 

 

[Nick Carter icp]

3 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

Oh gawd!

Here we go with ‘I want the names’.

I suggest you read up on wealth distribution and how it’s changed since the imposition of neoliberalism.

 

 

   I would like to know whether these hyper wealthy people actually exist , after all, all the World's problems can be solved by making them pay a higher tax rate , so, who are these people ?

[mogandave]

4 hours ago, Lacessit said:

The real problem is the inequity gap between rich and poor, which has now expanded to cover the average person. That gap gets bigger every day.

 

The average person is the most heavily taxed in most countries. The really rich pay teams of tax accountants and lawyers to minimize their taxes. There are any number of strategies, legal and illegal. Governments seem powerless to stop the march of oligarchy.

 

I don't blame young people for getting angry, I had far more opportunity than they ever will, unless there is a revolution.

Yeah, that’s how it is in those POC countries, but in the US, the bottom 40% pay no income tax. 

 

In the US, the bulk of tax revenue comes from the rich.

[soalbundy]

8 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Democracy, what democracy? The only thing resembling democracy is at election time when parties compete to bribe voters. The rest of the time they ignore the citizens.

The entire edifice is IMO rotten to the core.

 

It's no wonder that someone like Trump won, and there is a movement to right wing politics elsewhere.

 

BTW, it's not just the young that are ignored- the elderly are suffering too.

 

IMO the only ones the present cabals care about are the rich.

When the population seeks easy solutions there is a revolution....it's in the air already and could happen suddenly, sooner than we think. When people have nothing to lose they throw in the towel, it's happening in China with the 'let it rot' movement. We've had a small taste of it with the riots against immigrant's hotels, it's why the authorities are clamping down on tweets, stopping trouble at the roots before it spreads, don't let anything get organized, they can get brutal if they feel the status quo is threatened. It's going to depend on how desperat people feel, the answer obviously isn't at the ballot box.

[Chomper Higgot]

11 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   I would like to know whether these hyper wealthy people actually exist , after all, all the World's problems can be solved by making them pay a higher tax rate , so, who are these people ?

I’m sorry you’ve lived such a sheltered life you aren’t aware of the existence of the hyper wealthy, or indeed that the only issue supporting the transfer of wealth from the working class and middle class to the hyper wealthy is taxes.

Trickle down economics is based on a lie, there is no trickledown.

 

Wealth is increasingly concentrating in the hands of a time few, leaving less for everyone else.

 

Clearly you haven’t yet figured out which side of that equation you are on.

 

[proton]

6 hours ago, Gweiloman said:

Meanwhile, in communist, authoritarian China governed by a dictator, the citizens are enjoying universal health care, free schooling, cheap and affordable housing, public transportation and groceries and increasing life expectancy. So evil…

 

That’s why they are a threat to global (western) security.

 

Not the case at all, nothing worth having is free in China

[Nick Carter icp]

4 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I’m sorry you’ve lived such a sheltered life you aren’t aware of the existence of the hyper wealthy, or indeed that the only issue supporting the transfer of wealth from the working class and middle class to the hyper wealthy is taxes.

Trickle down economics is based on a lie, there is no trickledown.

 

Wealth is increasingly concentrating in the hands of a time few, leaving less for everyone else.

 

Clearly you haven’t yet figured out which side of that equation you are on.

 

 

   How many hyper wealthy people are there ?

The Working class these days are much richer then they were when I was younger

[Lacessit]

54 minutes ago, Nick Carter icp said:

 

   Who are these hypery wealthy people that you keep going on about ?

Could we have some names of these people , just so we know that they aren't some imaginary group of people

Combine the wealth of Musk, Bezos and Zuckerberg, and they have more than the lowest income 150 million Americans.

 

Next question.