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Millennials heed the siren call of socialism
Orange County Register (CA) ^ | February 7, 2016 | By JOEL KOTKIN

Posted on 02/07/2016 5:03:41 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer

The biggest story this election season is not Donald Trump or the fortunes of the two winners in Iowa, the unattractive tag team of Ted Cruz and Hillary Clinton. For all their attempts to seem current and contemporary, these candidates - and Trump as well - represent older, more established elements in American life, such as evangelicals, nativists and, in Hillary's case, the ranks of middle-age women, seniors and public-sector unions.

The biggest and most important development has been the massive support among the new generation of voters for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and his open embrace of socialism.

The new generation's lurch toward socialism would have been unimaginable at any previous moment in the past half century.

Unless capitalism or its crony offshoots can create a credible future for the young, there's little reason to expect that this generation will abandon their determination to change the system that, for all its faults, has created more prosperity over time for more people than any other.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: election2016; marxism; sanders; socialism
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To: kearnyirish2
Today's young adults are at the tail end of 100 years in which the country operated on the principle that every good thing should and could be provided in infinite quantities by government. Education is good: have government provide infinite schooling at no individualized cost. Libraries are good ... medical care is good ... food is good ... shelter is good ... etc. "Someone should" make sure everyone has as much of all those as they "need."

I often tell my children, "Change 'someone should' in your sentence to 'I am going to.' Change 'nobody did' to 'I did not ...' ." If it doesn't make a difference now, at least someday (when the system crashes, as it must) they'll hear the little voice in their heads.

41 posted on 02/07/2016 7:05:31 AM PST by Tax-chick ("We have no values in common with Saudi Arabia."~ Daniel Greenfield)
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To: grania

Correct. Being saddled with a mortgage-load of student debt and few employment prospects tends to sour young people as well. Someone promising easy answers always has appeal in such an environment.


42 posted on 02/07/2016 7:12:38 AM PST by AustinBill (consequence is what makes our choices real)
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To: fieldmarshaldj
Well, they did have Festival and the Red Hour to let loose, rape and loot.

I'm sure the Occupy Wall Street crowd wouldn't acknowledge any parallels. Science fiction often delivered morality plays, but the Sharknado generation would not understand.

43 posted on 02/07/2016 7:30:24 AM PST by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
If you are highly skilled, then you are compensated well. If you have no skills, there's a good chance that you're unemployed and on the Dole.

Our economy is going to become even more automated in the future so how do we make sure that the lower skilled workers have a stake in our economy's system? So I can see how socialism is attractive for the young today

44 posted on 02/07/2016 8:14:56 AM PST by MinorityRepublican
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
Unless capitalism or its crony offshoots can create a credible future for the young, there's little reason to expect that this generation will abandon their determination to change the system that, for all its faults, has created more prosperity over time for more people than any other.

Author is giving these feel the Bern kids too much credit. Most of them aren't reading Marx and becoming dedicated opponents of the free market, someone is promising them free college and free healthcare, that's all. Talk to them, they don't understand economic theory, they don't know what "changing the system" means.

Hopefully most of the White ones at least will grow out of it when they enter the real world and see what's like trying to make ends meet with the government raping you in the wallet. Plenty of my mom's generation outgrew being stupid dirty hippies.

45 posted on 02/07/2016 8:25:25 AM PST by Impy (They pull a knife, you pull a gun. That's the CHICAGO WAY, and that's how you beat the rats!)
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To: Tax-chick

That’s true; urbanization and the transition from an agricultural economy has led to most people having things provided by someone else that they used to obtain themselves (bread, heating fuel, milk, etc.). I don’t hunt, but I understand I’m just paying someone else to kill and prepare my food for me; all the power to them!


46 posted on 02/07/2016 8:28:38 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2

My grandmother was disgusted with me when I said I never cut up a chicken: I bought skinless, boneless chicken pieces at the grocery store! If our modern system of food delivery falls apart, I’m afraid I’ll have to live on roots and leaves.


47 posted on 02/07/2016 8:50:04 AM PST by Tax-chick ("We have no values in common with Saudi Arabia."~ Daniel Greenfield)
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To: Neoliberalnot

College students also formed the Red Guards of Mao’s Cultural Revolution.


48 posted on 02/07/2016 9:36:29 AM PST by SoCal Pubbie
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To: DH

Best comment of the thread.


49 posted on 02/07/2016 9:59:51 AM PST by Neoliberalnot (Marxism works well only with the uneducated and the unarmed.)
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To: Tax-chick

No, just eat eggs; buy several hens and one rooster...


50 posted on 02/07/2016 12:11:57 PM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2

Good point. We’re not allowed to have livestock in our subdivision, but if the Global Economic Collapse hits, I don’t think the HOA will last long ;-).


51 posted on 02/07/2016 1:19:43 PM PST by Tax-chick ("We have no values in common with Saudi Arabia."~ Daniel Greenfield)
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To: Tax-chick

That’s true; I think you’ll be able to bend the rules...

Just say you’re a Muslim and the chickens are sacred; they won’t dare bother you.


52 posted on 02/08/2016 4:14:55 AM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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To: kearnyirish2

LOL - good idea!

Monday again ... I hope you have a good week.


53 posted on 02/08/2016 4:30:31 AM PST by Tax-chick ("We have no values in common with Saudi Arabia."~ Daniel Greenfield)
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To: Tax-chick

You do the same; thank you!


54 posted on 02/08/2016 4:02:17 PM PST by kearnyirish2 (Affirmative action is economic warfare against white males (and therefore white families).)
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