Interesting to look into the United States from abroad. The perspective on generations is so different over here in Norway. This deep division between the generations doesn’t really exist here. Quite the contrary, I feel the difference between the generations have shrunk.

But then again, the conditions for this generation is not worse than the previous. College is still free. Healthcare is still free. The US is suffering from decades of the deregulation and freewheeling capitalism. A gradual dismantling of the welfare state and of the unions.

I remember watching a documentary by a Norwegian returning to his American Midwestern roots. He grew up in the US and was a US citizen. When he came to Norway in the 70s it was a real downer. A step back in time. America was at its peak. Coming back today, he was shocked to see what the country of his childhood had turned into. Former proud towns, now in decline.

It was as if the world had turned up side down. The sunny optimism from 70s America was gone. It was actually pretty painful to watch. It was like he got the air punched out of him from seeing how all his relatives was living around in the US.

Where am I going with this? The division between the generations you see in America today was not inevitable. It is/was a product of decisions made in the political sphere over many years. What has been done can be undone, but it will likely take a lot of time.