Ya I know, I tutor them for one of their companies. In past 6 months I've learned so much that you never hear about.. like the homophobia.. rampant sexism.. hierarchy.. etc.
It's not the government's fault imo.. not directly.. since my students basically use me like a shrink I see it from all directions and basically - from the age of about 10 you're studying/working nonstop until 55-60.
Once you graduate, you get a job, once you get a job, you drink 3-5 times a week, if you don't drink you still gotta go out (I have a student who hates drinking but still has to.. another who can't due to health but still has to.. I ask them if they have to they say no.. it's optional but they feel like they do etc.)
And this goes all the way to the top.. I've students from all over, top level government shit included and it's just work work work sleep for 5 hrs work work work work sleep.. weekends are catching up on that sleep.. at some point you get a family.. men choose..sorta - rich men choose (I have a student who's been on hundreds of blind dates.. wtf.. but he's so picky he's only bothered with 3 chicks and told me he could have anyone - he wasn't bragging it was just kind of a matter-of-fact statement for him as if he was talking about the weather etc.). On the other hand.. women won't even look at you if they don't think you can support them so it works both ways in that sense.. like right now most of the convos are about holidays.. and only younger gen. exchange gifts (even then it's rare) - the rest - the man gets everything the wife doesn't give him shit.. wtf. There's like.. no love or any emotion involved in this stuff (except with kids, they love their kids.. if they can afford them because even working 14 hr days you don't get OT and are still living in a studio etc.)
I can go on and on.. but basically as I listen to all of them the picture I'm remembering is me in college studying for 20+ hr during finals.. if you approached me during that 4 week stretch and asked me about what's on the news, have you heard the latest poll numbers or what do you think about X Y and Z that didn't involve my own work.. I wouldn't know/care/even hear you. I'd be too tired/stressed/busy. And that about sums up SK for me. It's like they're robots only it's not on purpose but they simply don't have the time to stop and think - like me during the finals.. It wasn't until the break or whatever that I could even begin to think of things like "why am I doing this" and so on. They never get this break.
Just today I had a student tell me he's super tired but has to work all holidays and isn't sure if it's worth it.. Asked me for a recommendation.. I was stunned. It was the first time I heard one (out of a few hundred) say it.. but he wanted me to recommend something so silly.. he couldn't decide if he should take christmas off or new year's lol. I told him to quit his job (not in those exact words but I told him what I would do/did with my life etc.)