Democratic Socialists Are Courting the Youth - How do we stop them?

American Thinker ^ | 22 Jul, 2026 | Carole Hornsby Haynes

[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.

[Drew68]

Just show them the photos of skull piles from “socialist” countries.

They’ll smile, imagining that after the great revolution, they’ll find themselves part of the ruling elite and that mountain of skulls belonging to MAGA fascists.

[Drew68]

Hire pro-American public school teachers and college professors. Change the curriculum too.

How does this make housing affordable.

[Drew68]

Close all public schools and give that tax money back to the taxpayers and mandate the teaching of the Bible, American history and the 3 Rs in all private schools.

”We won’t make housing affordable but we’ll ensure the kids you’re not having because you can’t afford them will receive thorough Bible study in school.”

Are you serious? Enjoy your communist revolution because if these are the primary solutions, we’re screwed.

[dfwgator]

Chile is a different country, not every country can be like the US.

[Drew68]

And that’s the problem. Deporting 100 million Third World immigrants who don’t belong here is the literal “fix everything” button.

The will to do this (because it’s not going to be pretty) exists only amongst a sliver of the MAGA far right.

So many others talk a great game about doing this only to buckle when they see it in practice.

”Don’t deport Juanita my housekeeper! She’s sweet and so helpful!” “These ICE agents are so rough! I don’t like the optics of what I’m seeing!”

[drypowder]

One of the bad things about communism is that it forces compliance to its rules. Teaching the Bible in schools is not forcing compliance, it’s teaching an alternative. Teaching the Bible is not like Islam where they will kill you if you don’t comply and Islamists will certainly kill you if you’re a Christian or a Jew.