Young America’s Foundation – Douglas Ernst Blog

I almost feel bad for the conservative movement’s Rip Van Winkles,

because they’re sound asleep at the wheel as liberals are trying to drive an entire generation off a cultural cliff into a moral relativist void. Those of us who are awake know the landing is a painful one…but we need help. Badly.

Bands like MGMT are molding the Kids’ minds. Perhaps one should simply watch the video for Time to Pretend to get a better idea as to what we’re up against. Pay close attention to the lyrics:

I’m feeling rough, I’m feeling raw, I’m in the prime of my life.
Let’s make some music, make some money, find some models for wives.
I’ll move to Paris, shoot some heroin, and f**k with the stars.
You man the island and the cocaine and the elegant cars.

This is our decision, to live fast and die young.
We’ve got the vision, now let’s have some fun.
Yeah, it’s overwhelming, but what else can we do.
Get jobs in offices, and wake up for the morning commute.

Forget about our mothers and our friends
We’re fated to pretend
To pretend
We’re fated to pretend
To pretend

…We’ll choke on our vomit and that will be the end
We were fated to pretend
To pretend
We’re fated to pretend
To pretend

There are a number of ways to interpret this song, but I think the psychedelic video speaks for itself. Moral Relativism? Check. Drugs? Check. A denial of reality? Check. The visuals seem to indicate that choking on vomit in an untimely death is preferable (or at least a toss-up) to accepting responsibility that comes with adulthood. As MGMT sees it, most people are simply existing to shove money into a burning volcanic pit that renders the pursuit pointless (or that we should just cast off capitalism in general).

Anyone doubting the liberal, hippie-commune vibes could read the lyrics to their song KIDS (Currently closing in on 30 million views on Youtube):

Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanted
To be haunted…

So I if have this straight, we should cast off all responsibility, do drugs, live amongst the trees as a minimalist, choke on our own puke, and die young (but don’t worry about it because life will begin anew)? Great.

kids — I look so cute with my pursed lips and furtive glances. Would it change your opinion of me if I turned your kid's brain into a psychedelic oatmeal mish-mash of wasted potential?

If conservatives aren’t going to fight for the minds of young people, they deserve to lose them to guys churning out catchy dance-music to get high and die to. It’s funny that people often mistakenly refer to MGMT as “management”, because bands like them our “managing” the development of young minds while “leaders” within the conservative movement piddle around, hoping someone else will be able to carry the load. And, while there are a lot of fine organizations (e.g., Heritage, Young America’s Foundation) attempting to cultivate the next generation of conservative leaders, by and large the movement is MIA.

There’s an electric feel that this is going to end badly if those with power and influence don’t wake up soon.

Perhaps I’m wrong (although I don’t think so). Some people say I’m a little warped because my mind was molded by a guy with an electric head, but I beg to differ.

This guy? The jury is still out…