In the song “Blank Generation,” Punk legend Richard Hell famously declared that he was saying “let me out of here!” before he was even born. That was thirty-four years ago, but I can’t help but think that those words resonate with young people today more than any generation before them.

If you’re a middle-class twenty-something in 2011, you’re probably starting to not feel so middle class. You probably just pissed away four years and thousands of dollars on a college degree that means fuck all. You probably just moved back home and have nothing on the horizon. You probably have trouble finding not only the job you want, but the job you don’t want as well.

As for your parents, well, they might not be faring so well either. Some of them might be looking at an early retirement, or worse, a lay off in a job they’ve held for 15, 20, 25 years. If they work in the public sector, they could be looking at cuts to pensions and benefits they’ve been told for years were airtight. If they work in manufacturing, they probably wake up every day wondering if their career has been shipped to China for four dollars a day. Nobody’s safe, everyone’s walking on eggshells, and it seems like it’s only a matter of time before people start raiding their checking accounts to hide money under their mattress.

Not to mention that the great dream of home-ownership became a ponzi scheme that collapsed on the backs of the 99%. Not to mention that the union, the voice of the worker, is being drawn and quartered. Not to mention that wealthy in this country have done nothing to create jobs, have done nothing to improve the lot of the masses, but have only worshiped the golden calf of hedonism, narcissism, and ugly, gluttonous self interest.

And they wonder why we’re so cynical.

We were all told that when we grow up we can be whatever we want. Now, we can’t even be what we don’t want to be. We were told “Go to college, get a job, everything will be fine” Only to find nothing could be further from the truth. Because our future was gambled away by a culture of greed and selfishness. Because our government thinks that it’s more important to bail out blood-sucking sociopath bankers than it is to feed a family, bring a child out of poverty, give someone healthcare, or God fucking forbid, create the real change that we were promised in 2008.

Our nation’s credit has run out. The gravy train is over, and one way or another everyone is left holding a worthless piece of paper. And as you line up to the breadline, you can’t help but wonder how you were so stupid as to by into the American dream.

They call us Generation Y. And they should. Because every single one of us is asking Why? Why can’t I find the job I want? Why is my parents mortgage under water? Why can’t I start saving for retirement? Why is President Obama letting the country be held hostage by obstructionist whores? Why has our government, our corporations, and every institution we’re surrounded by failed us so miserably? Why won’t you tell me the social fabric isn’t unwinding?  Why is this great nation of ours, which we’ve been told our whole lives is the greatest nation on earth, which was built on the blood, sweat and tears of hard work and sacrifice descending into an oligarchy?

No ones going to answer your questions unless you make them. So mobilize. Occupy Wall Street. Occupy Boston. Occupy Philadelphia, Detroit, Los Angeles, your foreclosed house, your closed factory, your bloodsucking bank. Demand answers and occupy everywhere you can until someone says they will come to the bargaining table. We will not be held hostage by the rich. We will not be beholden by private sector fascism. We will not stand down. Because we’re not just Generation Why, We are Generation Why Not.