Panda Express didn’t sign up to represent generational failure



Panda Express and Chipotle have unintentionally become memes for mediocrity and failure. While their food might be unhealthy and has occasionally caused food poisoning, labeling the restaurants as symbols of decadence seems unfair.

Similarly, it was unjust to blame old shows like "Saved by the Bell" and "Boy Meets World" for corrupting white American youth and causing them to fall behind their Asian American peers academically.

Zoomers need to take active steps to improve their own lives. This means putting down the phone, engaging with the real world, and fostering spiritual growth.

This reflects today’s public discourse, which often simplifies ideas into memes for easier, more entertaining consumption. Unfortunately, this approach obscures genuine disagreements and turns clear, reasoned debates into a tangled mess of bad arguments.

In what feels like a sequel to the recent H-1B visa brouhaha, another discussion has emerged that deserves attention. As before, both sides present valid points and would likely agree on solutions. Yet, in the pursuit of content and audience engagement, participants continue talking past each other and trading potshots.

The current debate focuses on Zoomers — those in their late teens and 20s — and their ability to succeed in today’s America. One side argues that this generation faces insurmountable obstacles to success. The side claims the workplace and academia have become toxically feminized, and the gerontocracy leading our institutions suppresses the rise of younger generations.

Demands for ever more credentials have reached absurd levels, while the American dream of a spouse, children, and homeownership has become prohibitively expensive. Adding to this, older conservative voices seem oblivious to these challenges.

As a teacher working with Zoomers, I would add that online pornography and smartphones have taken a massive toll on the generation coming of age. These influences directly affect the libidos and social habits of young people entering adolescence. They have also created an anti-social culture marked by paranoia, crippling anxiety, and self-loathing. Most interactions between young people now occur online, limiting shared realities and empathy. This dynamic has wrecked the dating scene and stifled the formation of real friendships.

In addition to diminishing job opportunities and upward mobility, older generations have left Zoomers with a world of universal loneliness. This began when they handed children tablets and smartphones with unrestricted internet access. While parents rationalized these devices as tools for learning and self-improvement, the reality was far darker. These gadgets acted like a drug, poisoning children’s minds and damaging the culture at large.

The opposing side in this debate contends that a decent life is still achievable if young people were to stop making excuses and put in the effort. This is where Panda Express comes in. A motivated Zoomer could work his or her way up to managing a fast-food restaurant. While not glamorous, these roles offer honest work and could support a family with disciplined, frugal living.

Supporters of this perspective often share testimonials to back their claims. These stories highlight individuals who worked hard, avoided the usual vices, fell in love, started families, and now live fulfilling lives as popular influencers. Their message is clear: If they could succeed, so can anyone else.

To this, I would agree that Zoomers technically have access to all the resources they need to succeed. I’ve seen stumbling blocks turn into stepping stones, helping some of my students become far more accomplished at their age than I ever was. They have the tools to teach themselves nearly anything and engage in discussions once reserved for older generations.

However, what is possible isn’t always probable. Most people aren’t intellectual prodigies capable of instantly achieving fame and fortune. And more importantly, they shouldn’t have to be exceptional just to enjoy the same quality of life their parents once had.

Many Millennials in their 30s and 40s fail to see the significant generational gap between themselves and Zoomers. What was achievable for Millennials no longer holds true for Zoomers, who have borne the brunt of woke ideology and elite mismanagement.

For Millennials, hard work and basic credentials still could guarantee decent-paying jobs. Relationships and friendships formed naturally, and housing was relatively affordable. This is no longer the case for Zoomers, and dismissing them as “whiny brats” who spend too much time online fails to acknowledge the unique challenges they face.

To address or mitigate the struggles of this younger generation, both sides of the debate must acknowledge the validity of the other’s arguments. Leaders should adapt to modern realities by ending the reliance on cheap labor, curbing excessive public spending, streamlining regulations, breaking up monopolies, reforming education, prioritizing American workers, regulating addictive technology and online pornography as public health issues, and incentivizing marriage and parenthood.

At the same time, Zoomers need to take active steps to improve their own lives. This means putting down the phone, engaging with the real world, reading meaningful books, gaining work experience, and fostering spiritual growth. These efforts can help them build friendships, find partners, accumulate wealth, and create stability. While this path may not lead to glamorous jobs or extravagant homes, it is far better than resigning to a life of aimless frustration and online trolling.

Donald Trump’s return to office offers hope for both sides of this debate. If he fulfills his promises, conditions will improve. At the very least, the current decline will pause for a few years, giving Americans time to adjust and steer their course toward a brighter future.

As with the H-1B debate, this conversation is productive. These arguments have long been overlooked, and younger generations have endured the worst effects of this neglect, living in a world filled with unnecessary dysfunction. Beyond sharing memes and entertaining ourselves, we must address these challenges seriously, take constructive action, and leave fast-food chains out of the blame game.

Rift on the right: Entitlement vs. hard work revisited



A recent social media debate about the state of the American economy should make the GOP consider whether the party of self-empowerment should rebrand itself as the party of entitlement.

Christopher Rufo is a journalist who is well known for, among other things, his culture war crusades against critical race theory in K-12 schools and diversity, equity, and inclusion training in universities. But the goodwill he built up on the right began to evaporate quickly among his former supporters when he cited higher-than-expected salaries for managers at Panda Express and Chipotle as signs of a strong economy.

Life is hard, but part of being a man is doing hard things. Those bootstraps aren’t going to pull themselves up.

A descriptive point about the availability of work quickly morphed into accusations that right-wing influencers want young Americans — particularly white men — to accept the declining status brought on by unfettered immigration, the H-1B visa program, DEI, and other forms of anti-white discrimination.

As is often the case on social media — especially X — critics responded emotionally to the point they thought Rufo was making instead of replying logically to his actual words. One of the most illuminating aspects of the online chatter was the clear sense many people felt that working in the service industry was beneath young Americans today.

One popular account even suggested going to trade school was a sign that some conservatives want young men to willingly accept a life of mediocrity. In response, several commentators described having to struggle for years before becoming financially established — the same path every generation has had to take. The problem is that some people seem to think young people should have six-figure salaries within a few years of finishing college.

This debate is crucial for conservatives to hash out in public. While we all agree that elected officials must serve their constituents, opinions clearly diverge on the finer points of the deal.

This debate centers on a word that often makes conservatives uncomfortable: entitlement. Conservatives easily recognize entitlement when a newly graduated Ivy League student demands that co-workers respect his “she/they” pronouns. The same applies to progressives who insist on quotas in industries based on superficial identity traits like skin color, sex, or sexual preference. Yet expecting a specific type of job in an ideal location with a high salary is equally entitled.

This dynamic makes the current conservative debate especially compelling. For decades, liberals have argued that stagnant upward mobility in the working class — particularly for black Americans — stems from policy decisions, institutional bias, and market forces. They attribute disparities in unemployment rates and household income to employment discrimination. Similarly, they cite bias in banking as the reason for gaps in homeownership rates.

Conservatives often counter leftist critiques by emphasizing family, cultural norms, personal responsibility, and resisting self-pity. More people are starting to notice the heightened understanding conservatives display now that structural critiques are emerging from the right.

I hope policymakers and pundits in the MAGA era develop policies and cultural solutions that address the needs of all Americans, not just their favored groups. A hardworking young man should be able to pursue a meaningful vocation, find a good wife, raise a large family, support his community, and become part of a thriving local church. This vision applies equally to young black men in Brooklyn and young white men in Boise. Elected officials should consider both as constituents. At the same time, those men must work hard, seize every opportunity, and remain driven.

An entitlement mindset teaches people to focus on what they believe others owe them and encourages blaming external forces for personal failures. In contrast, an empowerment mindset fosters growth and the determination to make the most of available opportunities. Those who expect an ideal job in their desired location risk falling into envy, resentment, and self-pity. Meanwhile, those who take the job they can get and work diligently until a better one arises set themselves on the path to gratitude and fulfillment.

Yes, we should elect politicians who serve the interests of the American people. But even a booming economy doesn’t protect us from struggle. We can either respond with complaints about who owes us or get to work charting a path forward. Life is hard, but part of being a man is doing hard things. Those bootstraps aren’t going to pull themselves up.

Lawsuit against Panda Express alleges workers were made to strip during humiliating 'cult-like' team-building exercise



A former employee at Panda Express is suing the restaurant chain over training she says included humiliating "cult-like" team-building exercises that had her strip to her underwear.

Jennifer Spargifiore, 23, claimed that she was sexually harassed and emotionally abused during the training session.

Spargifiore worked at the Panda Express in Santa Clarita, California, in 2019 when she alleges the abuse happened. She said that the company sponsored the team-building training as a prerequisite to getting promoted.

Oscar Ramirez, the woman's attorney, said in an email to Pasadena Star News that the lawsuit was intended to force the company to stop "its practice of requiring its employees to undergo horrific psychological abuse and harassment to be promoted."

Ramirez said that the woman was told to attend a training conducted by Alive Seminars and Coaching Academy with 20 to 50 employees from other restaurant locations.

The lawsuit alleges that the employees were berated and yelled at during the training, and then some employees were made to strip down to their underwear.

"Plaintiff — stripped almost naked in front of strangers and co-workers — was extremely uncomfortable but pressed on because she knew it was her only chance at a promotion," the lawsuit recounted. "Meanwhile, Alive Seminars staff were openly ogling the women in their state of undress, smiling, and laughing."

Spargifiore also said some participants had to vomit during the training and that one was forced to vomit in a small trash can in front of the other trainees.

What is Panda Express saying?

The official account for Panda Express addressed the accusations in several tweets.

"We were shocked when we heard about it too. Panda takes these allegations very seriously and has conducted an investigation," they tweeted to one account over the charges.

@MykOrtiz Alive Seminars and Coaching Academy is a 3rd party organization in which Panda has no ownership interest… https://t.co/6zjmOW6aNn
— Panda Express (@Panda Express)1615327074.0

"Alive Seminars and Coaching Academy is a 3rd party organization in which Panda has no ownership interest and over which we exercise no control," the restaurant chain added in a second tweet. "We haven't mandated any associate to participate in Alive Seminars and Coaching Academy, nor is it a requirement to earn promotions."

Spargifiore is suing for sexual battery, a hostile work environment and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and seeking unspecified damages from the company.