Posted on 07/22/2026 4:56:25 AM PDT by MtnClimber
In recent years, America’s positive views about capitalism have declined, and its positive views about socialism have increased. The shift is especially pronounced among younger voters. A 2021 Gallup poll found that just 47 percent of American youth, aged 18 to 34, favored capitalism, down nearly 20 points from 10 years earlier. By 2025, support had plunged still more, with only 39 percent favoring capitalism, according to the Harvard Youth Poll.
The shift helps explain the rise in support by Gen Z and Millennial voters for political candidates affiliated with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA). New York City’s Gen Z and Millennial voters turned out en masse to elect DSA candidates.
DSA advocates for government control over almost every aspect of the economy, which brings loss of personal freedom. Why would young voters reject free market capitalism when it is responsible for much of America’s standing as the world’s largest economy and the most innovations over the past century. Why would young adults reject free market capitalism, which has brought economic freedom and lifted more than one billion people out of poverty worldwide?
A survey by Newsweek showed clearly that Gen Z and Millennials do not understand free market capitalism and socialism.
Of those responding, 55 percent believed that capitalism is an economic system in which property is privately owned and production and pricing are driven by market forces. This is free-market capitalism.
The other 45 percent viewed capitalism as an economic system in which corporations gain an edge over competitors with special tax breaks, political connections, and separate rules. This is crony capitalism.
The distinctions matter: 42 percent of those who identified free market capitalism viewed it positively, whereas 2 percent of those who identified capitalism as crony capitalism held a positive view.
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
18 year old voters just finished 12 year of non stop communist indoctrination. The democrats have imported countless millions turd world idiots. There will be no reversing this. Where is the political will to end public education and denaturalize and deport 100 million immigrant families from turd world s holes? There isn’t.
I’m old. Pushing 60. I can’t afford what my parents had and I’m making what many would call good money. In fact, a couple months ago I sold my machining and fabrication business because it was too expensive to run. Taxes, insurance, regulations, and new property managers that tripled the rent and wanted 5 year contracts killed it. Houses and commercial building are bought in hours by massive institutions and turned in to rentals. The subscription based software models raised operating costs just for my software in to the $20k per year range. If I stayed in business rent, insurance, and software was going to cost nearly $70k per year before I broke even. I am not going to work 500 hours a year as a slave. And this was a recent increase once kung flu lockdowns ended. My customers can’t afford what I would need to charge and they get what I produced from China for 10% what I need to charge just to break even. We are not a capitalist nation anymore. I don’t know what to call it now. There is something seriously wrong and we can thank government. When I went to college late 80s early 90s I made $25 an hour as a certified structural steel welder in Fresno and that covered all my expenses, tuition, housing, and plenty left over. Today, nearly forty years later, a welder makes $25 an hour. Even the trades are a crap deal. Those are the results the yutes see today.
This. When people of all ages are financially desperate they’ll vote for whoever seems most likely to shake up the system because what have they got to lose?
” I sold my machining and fabrication business because it was too expensive to run.”
Did you disclose your Financials to the buyer?
“policies which have gutted manufacturing”
As I just replied to another post. The recent increases to my former machining and fab business took my operating costs to about $70k per year just to stay in business. In the past two years that was triple what I was paying. It is like that every where now. Rent, insurance, taxes, and regulations killed my business. Even the software schemes now are tens of thousands a year.
Anybody who would vote for a Democratic Socialist is short-sighted.
Or desperate. Or inexperienced (heaven knows many good Freepers were more liberal in their youth). I don't have an answer to how to get more young people on our side, but I suspect laughing at them isn't it. FWIW I read that 2/3 Gen Z opposes biological males in female sports. It's a start.
My first house in 2000 was 44 thousand. 1/2 acre on the river in a resort town. The city condemned it for a park and now houses in that neighborhood are in the multi million range. My house in Sandpoint Idaho was 65k 15 years ago. Nothing there is under 500k now. Wages have not increased one bit.
Make a better deal for people under 40.
How? Quit being lazy. Ask what they did at school today and do not accept “stuff”.
Get specifics. Do your job as a Father.
Our expensive new Public Library with the solar panels and the batteries has been open for about two years, and is starting a "reimagining" project to get "input".
Everything. 15 years of good financials. It was actually one of my customers who bought it that moved it in to their own facilities. I will support it all on a contract basis. They have big investors, I didn’t.
BWAHAHAHAHA
Everything. 15 years of good financials. It was actually one of my customers who bought it that moved it in to their own facilities. I will support it all on a contract basis. They have big investors, I didn’t.
Yep. You worked hard, played by the rules, and still got screwed with no recourse. When people see that, and the writing it leaves on the wall, in cases like yours and many others throughout the country, I think it’s safe to say that things are not working out.
And if that’s how young people form their view of Capitalism, of course they’re going to think it’s crap. Hope things get better for you, friend. We can’t close our eyes to stuff like this, because it all informs how people see the incentives before them. If action isn’t taken, people will respond accordingly.
Non-whites are 70% Democrat before they even think about voting.
College educated USA Black females are almost 100% Democrat.
Young white USA males are the only majority Republican youth group in the entire country.
Tell the truth. Over and over...
The degradation of the family surely was a major reason this is happening. I’ll add that social media hasn’t helped.
That teacher is Red swine.
AND as I was playing by the rules I got to witness millions of imported trash paid to come here and go on welfare having all their expenses paid by my check every April 15th. Even worse, getting billions of tax dollars as “charities” to get even more imported trash on welfare. Add to that the massive fraud committed by imported trash ripping off billions. Why did I work and run a business all these years? Van life looks pretty good.
LOL. Except Pinochet help participate in the military overthrow of Chile.
And I know that’s not what you want (military overthrow of the US).
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