Delicious hand-wringing from Breitbart.
Poll: Millennials Pick Socialism Over Capitalism
[...]
The survey, taken at the end of January, found that 43 percent of Americans under 30 had a favorable view of socialism. Less than a third of millennials had a favorable view of capitalism. No other age or ethnic demographic preferred socialism over capitalism.
Seniors, unsurprisingly, had the most favorable view of capitalism. Just 23 percent of Americans older than 65 had a positive view of socialism. Sixty-three percent of seniors, though, had a favorable view of capitalism.
Two groups of people with almost no direct experience of socialism. One likes it, one doesn't.
Seniors, after all, experienced the long-standing intellectual battle between capitalism and socialism played out in real life. They witnessed a post-war economic euphoria grind down into a socialist malaise, only to be reinvigorated by a global embrace of disruptive technology, deregulation, and global trade.
Actually, they witnessed a lot of propaganda, which, in a massively ironic twist, may have made socialism cool for the young. They also witnessed the capitalist revival put an end to any real wage growth and push the middle class off a cliff, but Breitbart is above such facts.
Even if millenials aren’t swayed by the dramatic improvement in worldwide living standards, one would hope they would see the benefits of capitalism in the products and services that inhabit their world.
They live, and thrive, in a consumer-driven, on-demand society. They have immediate access, at their fingertips, to more knowledge, art, music, and communication than the wealthiest oligarch just a few decades ago.
Each and every one of the products and services they use every day was developed by someone chasing profit and market-share. It is a cliche to say that capitalism has powered the technological and scientific innovations that have improved all our lives. Apparently, however, it is a cliche that bears repeating.
This is true. Millennials should at least be made to understand that pure socialism and consumer economy do not mix. On the other hand, Breitbart should at least figure out that Germany and the Scandinavian countries are running on something called market socialism, an unholy combination that doesn't seem to hurt their living standards much. Quite on the contrary.
On a postive note, every other demographic block in America still prefers capitalism over socialism. Well, Democrats, perhaps naturally, are evenly split between the two economic systems. At least Democrats, though, have slightly higher unfavorable ratings of socialism than capitalism.
The danger, of course, is that the demographic in America that does prefer socialism is also the future of the country. Of course, they have the luxury of looking positively on socialism, since any impact on their lives is restricted to dusty history books.
Capitalism, on the other hand, has quite an impact on their lives. Mainly as massive student loans and sh*tty job prospects.
The finding also presents something of an existential dilema for the conservative and libertarian movement. Since the 1980s, the institutional infrastructure of the conservative and libertarian movement has grown exponentially.
Aside from dozens of national think tanks and advocacy organizations devoted to propogating conservative and free market views, there are more than a hundred free-market think tanks in states across the country.
It is safe to say that billions of dollars have been spent over the past two decades promoting and educating the public on the benefits of capitalism and free markets. There are publishing imprints, media companies and new conservative news sites everywhere. Yet, something has gone horribly wrong.
Delicious.
Free market propaganda has failed to make people believe that stagnating wages are good for them? Incredible!
As the conservative and libertarian infrastructure grows, more and more young people find socialism cool. As churches turn into mega churches, the number of believers shrinks. Oh, my! I wonder what could have gone wrong.