In a stark contrast to previous generations, polls have repeatedly shown that people under age 30 tend to support socialism, and eschew capitalism. As for why that is, the likes Huffington Post will tell you that it’s because young people have seen how their parent’s generation was burned by capitalist greed during the crash of 2008, and that they didn’t grew up during the Cold War, in a society that had deep-seated fears of the Soviet Union. However, there is a far simpler explanation for why young people love socialism. It’s because they don’t actually know what it means.
That’s what Campus Reform proved when they interviewed several college students in Washington DC. It turns out that these people will sing praises for socialism, but can’t define its basic tenets.
Socialism is more of a meaningless buzzword that they’ve repeatedly heard, which they associate with equality and social justice. But they couldn’t tell you what it means if they’re lives depended on it.
This shouldn’t come as a surprise. There have been many polls in recent years that have shown how politically illiterate the Millennial generation is. A Reason-Rupert poll from 2014 found that a clear majority of Millennials supported cutting taxes and government spending, as well as reducing regulations and the size of government. That same poll found that a majority of Millennials wanted to increase taxes on the rich, free college, and more government spending for welfare. You might recognize that half of those responses conflict with the other half, and yet a majority of Millennials support it all.
That same survey found that 64% of Millennials support the free market, and 32% prefer an economy that is managed by the government. But when asked about capitalism and socialism, 52% supported the former and 42% supported the latter. Clearly, a huge chunk of our young population supports something that they know nothing about. That was confirmed by a poll taken in 2010, which found that only 16% of Millenials could actually define socialism.
This of course is dangerous. People who actually know what socialism is, what it entails, and what it leads to, rarely support it. What can really destroy a society, is a large population of people who support socialism, but only have a surface level knowledge of what it is. They’re driven by emotions rather than logic and facts, and they’re the ones who usually wind up ushering in government tyranny.
Related:
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Stupid useful idiots seem to be a commodity to our system of government bureaucrats nowadays.
What a bunch of damn morons.
This is ‘tolerance’ and ‘diversity’ in academia has gotten us – generations of iPhone retards.
You like Commie Socialism? Move to Cuba or China. This is America and you can get the Fuk out.
Socialism has no real definition. The “definition ” depends on the language spoken and the understanding of culture and how much money you have. Saying that kids who were born with a golden spoon in their mouth don’t understand is pointless.
You stupid dolt! Socialism has a definite definition! It is taking something by force from one person and handing it to another! Or, paying for your free shit with someone else’s money! Get that through your dumbed down head!
Lol, Communism and Socialism are two different things.
Socialism is pretty much a hybrid of communism and capitalism.
Socialism is a temporary tool used by Communists to make/aid the transition from Capitalism to Socialism.
Read their writings -the Communists- it isn’t some kind of secret or something,
DLOL. “The goal of socialism is communism.”
-Vladimir Lenin
I wish you left wing trolls coming on here had more intellectual heft. As it is, you just prove the point that leftism is intellectually vapid. Socialism advocates production, distribution, and exchange should be owned by the community as a whole. Whatever THAT means. To the communists, it is a transitional state between the overthrow of capitalism (note: socialism is defined as the “overthrow” of capitalism) and the black hell of communism.
I believe that they’re looking at the more benign variety found in the Scandinavian Nordic nations in Europe as opposed to the totalitarian examples you mentioned.
Kev, I speak Swedish, been in Sweden multiple times, and also worked for a Swedish company. I recall reading that Sweden was the 5th richest country 100 years ago. Today? Well, it IS better than Greece (thankfully, the Scandinavians and Finns – Finnish is not a Germanic language, but rather Finno-Ugric… may have mis-spelled that… related to Hungarian)… anyhow, they do have a decent high tech sector, otherwise they just might be Greece. In the 1990s, the Swedish kroner took a massive hit, and they actually brought in a conservative govt. Of course, Norwegian oil has helped them. The Danish PM, Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen was QUITE explicit that they are NOT Bernie Sanders socialists, and in fact was insulted by the insinuation. See http://www.investors.com/politics/commentary/denmark-tells-bernie-sanders-to-stop-calling-it-socialist/ or https://www.thelocal.dk/20151101/danish-pm-in-us-denmark-is-not-socialist Now, I think they ARE, in fact, quasi-socialists, but perhaps we are mincing words. There ARE a goodlly number of young Swedes I know that DO have a clue, but of course, still a minority.
Anyhow, no biggie, just a tidbit FYI. Besides, once Sweden becomes a province of Saudi Arabia, I guess it will be a moot point anyway, right?
My point is there are degrees of everything. Every European nation is socialist by US standards and they’re a far cry from the USSR of old, Venezuela or Cuba. Sweden is importing trouble, there is no doubt of that however they didn’t have an indigenous Camden NJ or Detroit Michigan, likewise for the rest of northern Europe.
Kev, they may not have an indigenous Camden or Detroit (or Gary,IN. where I worked downtown for two years, at the Methodist Hospital on Grant St), but they certainly now DO have a Göteborg and Malmö (second and third largest cities after Stockholm)
But you are right – there IS a continuum.
you condemn socialism, yet you quite happilly put up with taxpayer funded roads, bridges, fire dept, military.. .etc etc etc..
amerika lol – you deserve it.
The corporations pick those people to be leaders of the socialist=corporations. They make a$$hole like me be a worker bee.
So go into business for yourself.
It proves that brainwashing can and does occur on a massive scale. If you love your children teach and raise them yourselves.
Menzo, if the kids have any sense, they’ll avoid college altogether. Go learn some kind of trade that is still in high demand. Auto/diesel mechanic, HVAC, electrician, plumber, etc. Like a recent article here stated, ‘colleges are preparing young people for an economy that no longer exists.’
The Deplorable Braveheart
‘colleges are preparing young people for an economy that no longer exists.’
To a great degree they’re preparing youth for an economy that never existed. Outside of Science, Medicine, Engineering and Advanced Mathematics the prospects of gainful employment are low to non existent.
Why even bother to talk to college kids. Just tell them what to do like I do to my college kid bosses.
You tell your Physician what to do? Your Dentist? Your Attorney?
Education is financially useless if the field of study has no demand for employment. The “College Degree” is no panacea, no ticket to the middle class. Like the employment statistics all jobs are not created equal.
STEM degrees, in a word. That degree in Feminist Queer Theory won’t take one too far…
BH the government scum schools start the brainwashing in kindergarten straight up through college. The young ones don’t stand a chance in their care.
The public, especially children have been robbed, lied to, misled, and deliberately confused.
Some small books to read:
“The Communist Manifesto” by: Carl Marx
“Propaganda” by: Edward Bernays
“Mein Kamphf” by: Adolf Hitler
“The Deliberate Dumbing Down of America” by: Charlotte Iserbyt
Then write a 600 word essay on “What Socialism has done for the world”.
Extra credit if you read:
“The Secret Behind Communism” by: Dr. David Duke
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B, that’s a good reading list. Let me add to it, “The Law” by Frederic Bastiat. “Socialism is when one endeavours to live off other people.”
“Trading With The Enemy” by Charles Higham
“Wall Street and the rise of Hitler”by Anthony C Sutton
Evil lurks on both ends of the political scale.
You are right Kev. As Alexandr Solzhenitsyn said “The line between good and evil runs through EACH of our own individual hearts.
Issue is, capitalism recognizes this fact. Socialism has no clue. Moreover, Adam Smith’s first book was The Theory of Moral Sentiments. Capitalism needs to be married with a moral people.
Interestingly, I was in Menards a couple days ago. I had accidentally mowed over the power connection to a solar powered security light. The woman said she would still take it back, even though it was 100% my fault. I told her that I could not, as a Christian, do that, as it would be mis-representing the truth. Imagine capitalism where everyone is doing that? Imagine capitalism where people are donating money (tithing) to help the less fortunate get back on their feet by teaching them to fish.
Socialism simply does not apprehend essential human nature, that is the problem.
TEST
“Socialism simply does not apprehend essential human nature, that is the problem.”
“Imagine capitalism where everyone is doing that? ”
You made my point. The first utopian. The second, left to itself is cannibalistic. Frick at US steel, coal miners before John L Louis. Actually like Obama being the greatest gun salesman in history the unfettered capitalist has been the greatest recruiter for communism.
“White Power” by: George Lincoln Rockwell
Free e-book on line. Google it.
Easy-to-read. Start here.
Don’t let the title scare you off. Rockwell is not a lunatic fringe. He is a brilliant Naval Officer with a theatrical flare and an advertising professional. He created The American Nazie Party in order to get attention for his anti-Communist message to America. All of which is explained in the book.
He compares Communism to ship wreckers who kill everyone on board and steal the treasure.
__
These are the type of “snowflake” citizens that will doom our society to repeat the tragedies of the previous century. Not knowing history has dreadful consequences.
People where your $ goes is the most powerful voice at this time. Everytime you buy from companies you disagree with your helping them profit and continue their agenda of market dominance. For me I’m boycotting all corporations. i have stopped just about all spending unless it essential. Stopped eating fast food years ago feel better for it too. Look at your daily purchases and try to cut them down. I’m a coffee fan used to go to dunkies and get a medium ice and a wrap every morn and would spend about $5 daily. Around $35 a week that is a lot of $ just for a tiny wrap and medium. Now I go to local gas station and get a large iced for $1 went from $35 week to $7 . $28 times 52 wks in a yr is $1456 I keep out of dunkins profits and in my pocket. Got rid of cable internet and phone bundle over a yr ago. Was paying about $200 month. Switched provider and got just high speed internet for $46 a month. Bought a tv antenna for $30 a streaming internet device $70 and a majic jack $30 saving $150 a month . I’m not going without I watch whatever I want for free and still drink coffee. If everyone did what I did cable company would lose 75 percent of profits Dunkin would lose all their customers. $1800 in my pocket. $3256 a yr in my pocket to save or use how I see fit. Think about every dollar you spend. Dismiss those who say your cheap they are just broke and want you to be too.
Asshat, I also save money wherever possible myself. I only go to the gas station on occasion for coffee and even then I use my own cup. Also gave up fast food and Directv a few years back. The money I’ve saved goes toward prepping. No credit card bills or loans to worry about. The old Honda is paid for and still rolling along. As far as movies go I either look at something on youtube or pop a DVD into the CD-ROM on the laptop. I don’t care for TV; too much garbage on there. As long as I’ve got internet I’m happy. Everybody and their mama used to call me cheap but I don’t give a shit. I’m not drowning in debt trying to pay for stupid things I don’t need.
Young people are brainwashed dumbed down lazy idiots. They are carried by parents for way too long.free shit at the expense of others sounds great when you lazy and entitled special snowflakes. Society is weak tptb has no problem controlling people cus they won’t fight for anything. Afraid of violence. Everybody needs to be punched in the face at least once. When you get opened up once you will understand the need for violence sometimes. I hate civilized society adults playing dress up. Nobody care what brand clothes you wear.
The time that these people should’ve learned what socialism is, its ramifications and history was when they were in grade school. For in essence all those interviewed lived and (supposedly) studied in a socialist system. The simplest test would’ve been to simply to have told each one that they had to work in a factory, that each would be paid exactly the same, that they would each have had to live in exactly the same type of home, eat the same food, wake and sleep when told to, and not be able to complain about it. No debate, no protest, no consideration of differences. Hell, the mention of work alone would’ve sent most of them running for their mommies.
What more proof does one need to understand that the Zombie hordes are already killing us, they just use technology to broadcast their presence….God damn we are so phucked as a species.
How does one prep against that threat? Hmm? If you know the booby trap is already there, your best defense is to trip it off while at a safe distance, then deal with the damage…COME ON ELE!!!
A communist with a smile.
SOCIALISM
**a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. ~synonyms-leftism, welfarism
**(in Marxist theory) a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism.
CAPITALISM
**an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state. ~synonyms: free enterprise, private enterprise, the free market; enterprise culture
Grandee, that is all true. The saddest part is that these millennials won’t learn what socialism is REALLY all about until they come completely under such a system. If someone wants to learn ahead of time what socialism is really like just go to Canada or the European Union. I’d like to think they would wake up and smell the coffee but I doubt it.
grandee
Unfortunately we have been increasingly morphing into crony capitalism.
When government controls the means of production you don’t have freedom. When the .0001% uber wealthy control the government you don’t have freedom either.
The sad fact is that the US public has no more control over the government than the people in the USSR had in 1970.
Evil lurks on both ends of the political spectrum.
Ask them who is the Vice President.
Ask them to identify at least one Amendment, any amendment and if they get confused, ask them: “What is an amendment?”
“Mirror, mirror,
in the palm of my hand,
please keep me distracted
while they take our land.”
This one chart says it all. Who has been the main buyers of Equities and Wall Street stocks since 2008.
ht tp://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-07-17/there-has-been-just-one-buyer-stocks-financial-crisis
The half decade of QE which was told to us that would help stabilize the economy in combination with low interest rates down to zero was nothing more than a large giant windfall for US banks and US Companies as they got to borrow money, at near zero interest rates and what did they do with that money??? One thing they did NOT do, was spend it in our economy. They paid themselves.
They bought stock buy backs, on the cheap and their stocks took off creating more Billionaires at the top. So while the other 99% of Americans struggle with their daily economy, we got nothing but inflation and the tab, as they stole the loot. It was one huge transfer of wealth to the top, and the rest of us got the bill in the form of more National Debt piled on for generations. Its the largest US Treasury Bank robbery in the History of the USA. Read the article. So when you folks in your measly 401K’s think you are getting rich on Paper, they could sell off the top 18% and this market will take a beating. The Pro’s clean house and the rest are holding the bag of nothing but worthless paper. Good Job!!!
Socialism is Communism. Take the wealth from the productive people of society and hand it over to the losers in society which produce nothing, like the snowflakse being interviewed in the video. Idiot Worthless Eaters still living in Momma’s basement, that think they deserve 3 squares a day and a comfi place to sleep, and for sure plenty of video games to play.
Shall we just call them M&M’s (Millennial Morons).
Lol, no communism and socialism are two different forms for economic ways of life.
Communism: No matter how much or how little you work, everyone gets the same… Flaw easily pointed out by a five year old with two words… “Why work?” Then you get into: cause they gov FORCES you to… and thus a populous of slave labor.
Socialism: Allows for business and people to make money… and takes a LARGE chunk and gives it to scumbags who don’t work. Eventually you get to the point where the number of people working can *not* support the massive quantity that do not. And thus Socialism Leads to Communism.
I truly like M&M s as a term for these Moronic kids whom think the world owes them something. I double checked with my two daughters who graduated college this year: what does this world owe you? Their replies were both nothing Dad, it is up to us to take care of ourselves. It starts with upbringing, teaching our kids to be self dependent, how the world’s political systems work, etc.
Stumpknocker, it sounds like you did an outstanding job with your daughters. I wish them the best.
CSS, LMAO! M&M’s [MILLENIAL MORONS] One of the best I’ve ever heard. You summed it up in a nutshell. “From each according to his abilities to each according to his needs.” POS Karl Marx
All that time and money wasted on this student. And She is still as dumb as a box of rocks.
Sgt.
Sarge, spot on. And she’ll still have that student loan staring her in the face. Loans do have to be repaid.
The difference between capitalism and socialism is simple enough. The first money matters most, the second people matter most.
What? ‘aljamo’ – how to tell you this? You could not be more wrong. In the first, individual initiative, personal responsibility, freedom to make your own choices and accept the results – good or ill, the ability to invest in yourself or any other – business or person, taking chances that you decide to take…… In the second, the person or individual has no say in their course through life – the State dictates all, hard work and sacrifice are not rewarded, the individual’s moral or ethical character is always secondary to the government’s (if such a thing actually exists… morality or ethics), one must do as the society tells you with no argument or debate – there is no discussion as all is for the greater collective; and finally, the value of life is only that deemed correct by the rules of the land.
Like we are not already just like that?
In the last 12 hours there was a 7.7 mag earthquake on the ring of fire, in far east Russia. Not far from Alaska. Only 11 km. deep. Also, an earthquake swarm in the same spot. Mostly comprised of mid sized earthquakes. No tsunami alert according to NOAA.
The United States move to socialization began in 1913, followed by FDR’s so called ‘new deal’. It went into high gear with LBJ’s great society, and is continuing it’s death spiral in America.
Socialism is simply taking from working people and giving to those who do not work, or do not work as hard. If you do not work to support yourself, you should receive nothing. It’s really as simple as that.
Modern America is a perversion of what the country originally was, and was intended to be.
Welcome to the United Socialists of America:
Social Security – Socialism
Medicare, Medicaid – Socialism
Food stamps – Socialism
Welfare of all kinds – Socialism
Federal government stealing and consuming and redistributing 5 trillion dollars a year – Socialism
Unemployment benefits of all kinds – Socialism
Obamacare – Socialism
Money backed by nothing – Socialism
Military Industrial Complex – Socialism
‘Minority groups’ receiving preferential treatment for any reason – Socialism
Our brilliant forefathers created a from of government that was virtually perfect.
The problem is, as a society turns more and more immoral, they are not capable of interpreting the constitution correctly.
Long term, our republic (if it can even really be considered as such) is doomed.
I must interject — for 30 years the feds have stolen money out of my paychecks to support Social Security and Medicare, so, yeah, I think I’m entitled to Social Security and Medicare, unless the feds want to give me my money back in a lump sum with 10% interest.
Agreed, I also have been stolen from for many decades. Every single dollar I have earned has been looted by the Feds to pay for their corruption and socialism.
I also would like to be paid back what I have been stolen from plus interest.
Your response, although correct from a personal standpoint, is the exact reason why these socialist programs will never end. Everyone is waiting to ‘get theirs’, or be ‘paid back’ for what they put into the system.
I get it, I understand that.
I have never received one dollar from any of these socialist programs, and like you, I have been robbed of a lot of $$$.
However, if these programs would be phased out, and stopped completely. If we went back to a true republic, and all of this socialism was stamped out.
I would forego being paid back, considering that going forward my earned income would stop being stolen.
I also realize of course, that is nothing more than a fantasy.
Virtually no one besides myself in this country would sacrifice past injustices to build a future free of socialism.
Regarding living standards, there is a labor market as well as a job market. The social contract has two parties, and people on both sides can refuse uncostumarily-low standards of any kind — voluntarily.
What if you are not allowed to leave / quit the job, housing tenements, or whichever financial tranche. Will the management / capital do it’s part. What if they can’ fire a person or refuse to support an employee, no matter how bad.
I think, pretty close to 100% of self-righteous pesudo-conservatives are living under socialism, right now, without even realizing it, had just the right demographics, algos, or came out, on top of a sort of hiring lottery.
You are no more strong or bright than the typical rebel without a cause.
Where is acid etch when he is needed??? he could “learning” those students from behind.
Dear kids,
Great to see you on the video. How’s that degree in 18th C. Belgian Lesbian Musicology coming along, that you are taking six years to complete, and spending $100,000 to do? Did your socialit professor thank you yet for you borrowing money so he/she/zihr can retire early, after taking summers off and scads of sabbaticals, along with 16 contact hours a week?
I hope you are feeling better after that case of alcohol poisoning last week, and the abortion the week before.
Here, let me help you define socialism with a definition that is almost 200 years old now: “Socialism (lit. ‘gouvernement’ in Fr.) is the great fiction, whereby everybody endeavours to live off of everybody else.” (Frederic Bastiat, 1801-1850. Let me know, kids, how that one has worked out in Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Moa’s Red China, the USSR, North Korea, Greece, Pol Pot’s Cambodia and Cuba. Better yet, since socialism is so dandy, how about you moving there? Just asking.
Dave in Idaho, HA! Good one!
“When socialism comes to the Sahara, there will even be a shortage of sand.”
– Polish proverb under the Soviets
BTW, since socialism is so great, maybe send these snowflakes on a one way trip to Venezuela where they would be happier?
As Frank Zappa once said, “If you want to get laid go to college. If you want and education go to the library.” The Statists have done there job well, by dumbing down the masses through public education policies. When many young adults get out of high school with a 7th grade reading level, it will not bode well for the future of a nation. When neocons (fascists) privatize the profits and socialize the losses it’s no wonder people are confused about capitalism vs socialism. Sadly, it will more than likely result in “hunger games” for the the good ole USA.
Jeff
“When neocons (fascists) privatize the profits and socialize the losses it’s no wonder people are confused about capitalism vs socialism.”
Ain’t that the truth.
I’m confused. Since when is capitalism a philosophy there losses are socialized? That’s non sequitur
Socialism is when the government or whoever robs & punishes the productive and gives to and rewards the parasitic. Its never been long term sustainable. Its failed every place & time it has been implemented.
They know how to work a phone but not very bright with history.
Blame the parents.
Churchill’s comment is best here:
“If you are 20 and are not a socialist, you have no heart; if you are 30 and still a socialist, you have no brain.”
The capitalists are not able to explain why it comes from a Fifth Plank lending monopoly, both with legal privileges, yet without being a branch of the formal govt.
If it were to hit the fan, imagine realizing that it has no more value than the scriptural Euro or Confederate dollar. Capitalism is based on your confidence — worth no more or less than the confidence of these college students. People can place their confidence in anything, or imagine that anything is illegitimate. The value of capital is based on a narrative, and those are historically subject to collapse.