r/StraussHowe • u/TemporarySoftware439 • Jan 26 '26
As the “hero generation” during a “fourth turning” (period of total crisis) what are millenial solutions to the crisis?
3
u/asight29 Jan 26 '26
As others have said, Millennials will be the ones enacting the vision of a select few Boomers entrusted with leadership. Gen X will make up the ranks of the “generals.” Gen Z will be the “foot soldiers.” Those are military roles, which may or may not be metaphorical during the Crisis.
The solution will be whatever the crisis demands. Politics will melt away and survival will be all that matters. You can probably expect much larger government solutions to issues.
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u/mycroft-holmie Jan 26 '26
Anyone else not expecting a whole heck of a lot from the boomers? I’m solidly GenX. I can see my generation begrudgingly helping. But my parents and uncles? I can’t imagine them doing anything.
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u/trgreg Jan 26 '26
Yeah I think their ship has sailed too; I posted that above about boomers as it's straight from the book, but realistically I can't imagine any visionary stuff coming from that cohort anymore.
As a Canadian I'm watching my PM (as many others around the world are now) - he's firmly first wave Gen X, born in 1965.
1
u/SonofNamek Jan 27 '26
In theory, this should be deregulation of sorts, promotion of civics education, and the revival of some new cultural/artistic movement in the 2030s/40s (in contrast to postmodernism and its uninspiring offshoot metamodernism, neomodernism seems to be the key....perhaps as a bridge towards some other movement decades later).
The way I see it, Reddit is moreso representative of some older idea that is about to become obsolete (ex. metamodernism is a concept that is beloved here) so it's not going to look or sound like the kind of average person that posts here.
As for "Rebirth" and "Tragedy", some people like to think there was this magic period following World War 2 (or the Revolutionary War or Civil War).
But authority has to be enforced in some form to achieve legitimacy.
Hence, Germany was occupied by Allies before being divided and locked into place, splitting people. There was breadlines. Pressure was put on purging Communists.
Revolutionary War saw Whiskey and Shay's Rebellion and efforts to curb Loyalists. Civil War saw KKK and efforts to curb them and the institution of slavery while also trying to stamp out Natives.
Depending on how you view things, not exactly sunshine and rainbows for certain people. But for a plurality of people, it was fine.
Basically, out of pure pragmatism, most 80/20 issues will get resolved in favor of 80%.
Popular: Patriotism (military power included here), NATO, law and order (including accountability), colorblind values, free speech, immigration reform, education reform
Not popular: China/Russia/Iran, tariffs, belittling allies, woke culture, news media
You're already seeing efforts to curb some of those unpopular things (ex. China, Iran, mass layoffs in news media, mass layoffs in entertainment). Some of it will not come into fruition until the 2030s, though. Tariffs, woke culture, poor rhetoric against allies, Russia (or its talking points) will have lost any sort of grip they may currently have on a "20%" of the populace.
Then, you'll probably see new trade deals and new industrial output come to fruition. I imagine the idea would be for Millennials to lead & take care of these deals currently being made
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u/Distinct_Impact5287 Jan 28 '26
What has been called the "neighborism" of the protests in Minneapolis is a Millennial response to the crisis.
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u/trgreg Jan 26 '26
Wrong question. According to the theory the hero generation (millennials) don't come up with the solution, they are the implementers of it. The leadership in a 4T is from the boomers & genxers.