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Why Younger Americans Misunderstand True Socialism
Real Clear Politics ^ | 8-3-2019 | Julia Mullins

Posted on 08/06/2019 5:52:37 PM PDT by Sir Napsalot

“Socialism does not mean government owns everything,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explained earlier this summer during an Instagram live stream....

Three months prior to Ocasio-Cortez’s declaration, a Harris Poll provided exclusively to Axios showed that 61% of Americans ages 18 to 24 have a positive reaction to the word “socialism,” while 58% responded similarly to the word “capitalism.” Conversely, only 27% of people age 65 and older had a positive reaction to the word that most of them still associate with the Red Scare.

The poll also showed that millennials and Gen Zers are more likely than previous generations to accept socialistic policies and values. These younger generations, for example, overwhelmingly believe that government should provide universal health care and tuition-free college. Half of millennials and Gen Zers claim they would prefer living in a socialist country.

In response to this trend, economists Robert Lawson and Benjamin Powell recently discussed their new book, “Socialism Sucks: Two Economists Drink Their Way Through the Unfree World,” at the Cato Institute. Powell said it’s not surprising that socialism is popular now in the United States, though he added that this favorability comes from an illusion.

Much of America’s youth, Powell continued, has been led into a state of confusion by Sen. Bernie Sanders, who has repeatedly cited Nordic countries as examples of socialism. “When you hear Bernie and others say this, they don’t mean real socialism in the way that Bob and I defined the term of the government owning most of the means of production,” Powell said. “However, Bernie and AOC and the rest of them do want to march you down the road of serfdom … moving to Medicare for All.”

(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...


TOPICS: Education; Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: freecollege; socialism; universalhealthcare
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This is important -

"After visiting Sweden, Lawson and Powell concluded that it’s more capitalist than socialist. They continued on their exploration to Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, China, Russia, Ukraine, and Georgia – all places where socialism does or has existed to varying degrees."

The young generation think they'll get Sweden, and don't want to live in these other places that are truly practicing socialism. However, voting in socialists in power, Venezuela and Cuba are what they are going to get.

The short history of Venezuela's downward spiral is a lesson that needs to be learned. Hard. By the young generation(s).

1 posted on 08/06/2019 5:52:37 PM PDT by Sir Napsalot
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To: Sir Napsalot

It’s been 15 or 20 years since I read PJ O’Rourke’s book, “Eat the Rich.” It would fit right into this discussion.

It doesn’t have a Venezuela chapter, but it’s got great insights into diverse places where socialism has been tried with various degrees of success and failure.

Check it out.


2 posted on 08/06/2019 5:57:16 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
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To: Sir Napsalot

Norway doesn’t have open borders. You have to earn at least $47,000 per year to immigrate.


3 posted on 08/06/2019 6:00:33 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Denounce DUAC - The Democrats Un-American Activists Committee)
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To: Pearls Before Swine

These Reds today all want 3 homes like Bernie Sanders.


4 posted on 08/06/2019 6:01:14 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (Denounce DUAC - The Democrats Un-American Activists Committee)
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To: Pearls Before Swine

PJ P’Rourke’s book “A Parliament of Whores” is a MUST READ for all Freepers.

It is the best and funniest book on government idiocy.


5 posted on 08/06/2019 6:07:58 PM PDT by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself.)
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To: Sir Napsalot

try denmark...real socialism..


6 posted on 08/06/2019 6:13:53 PM PDT by rolling_stone (no justice no peace)
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To: Sir Napsalot
Half of millennials and Gen Zers claim they would prefer living in a socialist country.

Give them what they want. Send them to Cuba, North Korea, or Venezuela.

7 posted on 08/06/2019 6:14:20 PM PDT by exDemMom (Current visual of the hole the US continues to dig itself into: http://www.usdebtclock.org/)
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To: a fool in paradise

norway has oil and good income..


8 posted on 08/06/2019 6:14:51 PM PDT by rolling_stone (no justice no peace)
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To: Sir Napsalot

Student loan debt. Low paying jobs.

That is why socialism is so seductive. If you had $150K or more of debt and a $45K job in a major city, you would feel rather upset.

The GOP needs to do something about the education complex, but they are to focused on protecting the pharma industry and destroying the ag states.


9 posted on 08/06/2019 6:16:23 PM PDT by redgolum (If this culture today is civilization, I will be the barbarian.)
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To: Mr. K
I greatly enjoyed Holidays in Hell.

I was in Panama when he wrote about it, and he captured the spirit very well.

10 posted on 08/06/2019 6:16:31 PM PDT by marktwain (President Trump and his supporters are the Resistance. His opponents are the Reactionaries.)
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To: Sir Napsalot

A great too many people have to live through and experience the hard times, before they learn the hard lessons of life, and then, it’s too late.

It’s like wanting to experience a hard attack before know what it feels like, and then, it could be too late too.


11 posted on 08/06/2019 6:18:30 PM PDT by adorno
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To: Sir Napsalot

I am not going to generalize and say all Millenials are stupid.

I will, however, say that 61% of Millenials are definitely stupid, and I have evidence for that.


12 posted on 08/06/2019 6:24:13 PM PDT by Haiku Guy (If you have a right / To the service I provide / I must be your slave)
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To: Sir Napsalot

The US is already pretty socialist.

SS, Medicare, Medicaid, Commiecare.

70% Federal spending on social programs.

States and local too, who knows how much.


13 posted on 08/06/2019 6:25:28 PM PDT by fruser1
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To: Sir Napsalot

“The Red Scare” murdered 100,000,000 humans.

Good thing it was only a “scare.” Would hate to see what REAL socialism would have done.


14 posted on 08/06/2019 6:26:41 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Trump 2020 - Re-Elect the M*****F***er!)
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To: marktwain

The best part of Holidays in Hell was the chapter about Lebanon. The second best part was about Europe.


15 posted on 08/06/2019 6:28:20 PM PDT by Disambiguator (Keepin' it analog.)
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To: Mr. K

Will do, thanks.


16 posted on 08/06/2019 6:30:31 PM PDT by Pearls Before Swine
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To: Sir Napsalot

Academia is the problem.


17 posted on 08/06/2019 6:32:50 PM PDT by BunnySlippers (I Love Bull Markets!)
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To: Sir Napsalot
Old socialism: government owns all means of production

New socialism: government regulates and taxes privately owned companies so much that they fail and so the government has to step in to save them.

Either way, ordinary productive people lose.

18 posted on 08/06/2019 6:37:05 PM PDT by Freee-dame (Best election ever! 2016)
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To: Sir Napsalot

“only 27% of people age 65 and older had a positive reaction to the word that most of them still associate with the Red Scare.”

Uh, no. Not “the Red Scare”. Poverty, oppression, the gulag, lies, and mountains of corpses.


19 posted on 08/06/2019 6:50:31 PM PDT by Flash Bazbeaux
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To: Sir Napsalot

Bump


20 posted on 08/06/2019 7:48:35 PM PDT by foreverfree
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