I agree with jdworth that there is certainly no lack of good young individuals today. Many are very keenly intellectual, and potentially brilliant. Both in literature and art, ... and also in politics, much thanks to the Internet which gives them a chance to get in underneath and analyze rigid and corrupt political systems. And there is now a fast political awakening, that wasn't possible a few decades ago when information came to the people
vertically, from top and down, selectively screened by those in political office and by the owners of newspapers and TV to suit their own long-term interests. Today, with the Internet, information flows
horizontally, the spread is phenomenal, and every citizen has potential access to a vast amount of information. The political system becomes more translucent than it was before, its faults and potential corruption are more difficult to hide. So we may just have an upcoming revolution in the making (against those I describe in the next paragraph). Things are beginning to topple. Or else, if we fail, we will be completely subdued.
It's not the people that is the problem. People today are pretty much the same as they were a century ago (they may even have taken a few evolutionary steps forward genetically). The PROBLEM is that the masses (most of which live rather mundane, materialistic, and non-intellectual lives, mostly enjoying down to earth common pleasures) are corrupted into decadence by those who manage vast amounts of money, who own and shape the multinational corporations market, the financial institutions and banks including the Federal Reserve, all the established media houses and the entertainment 'Hollywood' industry, and they select and
finance the politicians for the "democracy" elections. One may say they have TOTAL control over society, over economy, politics, law, the military, ... even manipulating our culture and values to conform submissively under their control; in short, we are turned into uninformed consumers slaves. It is all well-nigh too horrible and unbearable for most intelligent people to even think about. But if we are able to endure Smith's and Lovecraft's cosmic abysmal horrors, I think we can handle and stand up firmly against this living perversity too.
John F. Kennedy here describes this elite group:
John F. Kennedy speech. The speech in full version:
John F. Kennedy speech, Full version
Anyhow, in keeping with good debate-climate, this is my personal view on matters.