Socialism Is Resonating with America’s Youth – RedState

Despite her appalling assessment of sowing poverty, misery, death and envy in all places where it has been implemented, socialism is gaining ground with young Americans.

According to a new survey by Rasmussen Reports and the Heartland Institute, more than half of the probable voters aged 18 to 39 “would like to see a democratic socialist winning the presidential election of 2028”.

In addition, as the survey shows, almost 80% of young probable voters believe that “large industries such as health care, energy and large technologies should be nationalized to give more control and equity to people”.

I know what you think: how is it possible? Why in the world the American youth, which represents the future of this nation, struck by socialism?

The answer is complicated, but I will do my best to simplify it.

In my opinion, the problem is twofold: first, the American education system failed to teach American students the truth about socialism for many years. Second, many young people of today have not grown up in a robust free market economy that offers many opportunities to continue the American dream.

As a former professor of high school social studies, I know from experience that public schools tell a twisted story with regard to the history of socialism. During my years in the classroom, teacher the history of the world, the history of the United States and the American government, I was shocked and dismayed when I saw my colleagues give their students a whitewashed version of the horrible history of socialism.

For example, when the time came to discuss the Russian revolution during my student teaching in a prestigious high school in the northern suburbs of Chicago, I could not believe my ears when I listened to my “mentor” teacher describing Bolshevism and Marxism as morally superior to the American revolution and free marks capitalism.

Unfortunately, it was the standard that I met during my five years of teaching. Even in South Carolina, where I spent most of my teaching career, I was surrounded by social studies teachers who were Simpatico with socialism.

For young impressable minds, secondary teachers can have a great influence. Instead of teaching students the unhappiness on socialism, the status quo was that teachers emphasize all the potential positives of collectivism while minimizing / ignoring the sinister side.

As far as I know, socialist indoctrination in American colleges and universities is much worse. To be honest, I lived a little when I attended the University of Indiana in the early 2000s. However, at the time, we discussed at least on both sides of the question. Nowadays, it seems that the debate room is nonexistent. The higher education institutions adopt socialism, rally to its rebirth and silence any dissent.

However, this should not be a major surprise since socialist teachers have infiltrated the best universities in America decades ago. Today, socialists have an excessive presence in the academic world.

On the other hand, I doubt that socialist rhetoric would resonate almost as much as it currently does with American youth given the capitalist economy of cronyism that we currently have.

Although America is by far the best nation on the planet, it goes without saying that the American dream seems less feasible today than for past generations.

My father was able to work and pay his university degree. He graduated without debt. After starting his marketing career at Quaker Oats, he was able to buy a new car and save for a house in a few years.

Like many of my friends, although I am not technically considered to be young, I fear that I couldn’t allow myself a house.

Today, the cost of living – especially for bases such as refuge, health care and higher education – is higher than ever.

Make no mistake, it is not because free market capitalism has failed. It is rather because the capitalism of cronyism and the major government interventions on these markets have biased costs while upsetting the law of supply and demand.

Of course, this is not free market capitalism. It is Lite socialism.

What is funny is that when I questioned my students socialism, they thought it seemed right. But when I asked if they all had to get a B on a test or an assignment, whatever the efforts they made, they almost universally complained how unfair it seemed.

I think that young Americans adopt socialism because they do not understand its history, and they do not understand how really this ideology is in bankruptcy. I remain confident that everything is not lost. These young Americans are not real socialists. They are confused, frustrated and ignorant. Consequently, the best we can do is give them an intensive course in the dark and depressing history of socialism while reminding them that the American dream can be rekindled as long as we return to our free market roots.

Chris Talgo ([email protected])) is editorial director at the Heartland Institute.