When I was 17 I thought the Socialist Labor Party had it all 100% right. I had a friend whose dad, whom I liked very much, was a big SLP supporter. Ironically he was a small business owner so I have NO idea where he got the idea the State should do all commerce.
Anyway I was a standard child that way. Then I started to work and saw the mugging I got on my check (before that I worked for my dad so no taxes).
That was that.
The point is at 17 we are almost all idiots.
Did your friend's Dad grow up to be PA's governor Tom Wolfe who built his multi-million dollar business by securing state contracts from political connections?