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Why Do So Many Young People Embrace Socialism?
The Daily Dose of Reason ^ | January 24, 2019 | Dr. Michael J Hurd

Posted on 01/25/2019 5:45:02 PM PST by huckfillary

It’s not youth and inexperience. It’s not even government-run schools and idiotic celebrities. Not primarily.

Why do so many young people embrace socialism?

For the same reason any middle-aged or older person embraces socialism: Anxiety and envy.

By “anxiety” I mean neurotic anxiety, which means a false or exaggerated belief that one will be unable to properly survive or take care of oneself, so that unspecified help is needed to ensure survival.

Envy is often a byproduct of anxiety. If one starts out feeling, “I’m unable to care for myself,” then it’s not a stretch to look at someone else who has more than enough and say, “That’s not fair. He can more than provide for himself, and I’m unable to do so for myself”.

What about the fact that young people have not yet earned much money, and therefore don’t appreciate the value and justice of private ownership, i.e., being able to keep what you earn? Not all young people feel this way. Some young people understand the justice of keeping what you earn. Some do, and change their minds later and become socialists in middle-age.

Regardless, unless you have a significant amount of neurotic fear and/or envy, it’s unlikely socialism would grab your fancy for even five minutes, much less for years (and elections) on end.

It’s true that public schools are teaching the ideology of self-sacrifice and blind service to others (the same premises as Nazism and Communism) as self-evident givens in today’s government-run schools. But these faulty ideas are not new to the present era. Yet in earlier eras, the majority of young people did not turn as socialist as they appear to be doing today.

The more likely contribution of today’s mediocre schools — as well as an increasingly irrational culture — is that young people don’t know how to think. Thinking is your basic tool and precondition of survival. If you feel inadequate to think critically, rationally and objectively, you’ll develop a neurotic and pervasive sense that, “I’m not equipped to survive.” In a land of plenty, particularly, it seems logically appealing when someone comes along and says, “No worries. We’ll pick up your college tuition. And health care. And tons of other things too. You’re entitled to it, after all.” It comes as a relief to the anxiety-ridden souls who embrace socialism.

In older folk, and in some young people born into wealth, there’s the factor of guilt and atonement. That’s a form of anxiety, too. “I’m rich and I don’t deserve to be. It’s not fair.” So it becomes a form of virtue-signaling merged with a psychological tonic to make sure others see you support socialism.

It’s not that most young people are depraved and stupid any more than most older people are totally depraved and stupid. And it’s not just inexperience. It’s fear. And the envy that gets ignited by fear.

It’s truly sad. And yes, it’s dangerous for the future of a free society, but dangerous most of all for those young people who now seek to embrace socialism. It’s not going to end any better for them than it did for anyone else. And if they get their wish, and socialism gets enacted completely, then their fears will quickly become rational.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: anxiety; envy; genderdysphoria; globalwarminghoax; homosexualagenda; publicschools; socialism
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This is another gem by Dr. Michael J. Hurd. The roots of socialism are fear and envy.
1 posted on 01/25/2019 5:45:03 PM PST by huckfillary
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To: huckfillary

An awful lot of young people embraced socialism back in 1968.


2 posted on 01/25/2019 5:45:39 PM PST by Steely Tom ([Seth Rich] == [the Democrat's John Dean])
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To: Steely Tom

Cause they’re STUPID!


3 posted on 01/25/2019 5:46:28 PM PST by HighSierra5
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To: huckfillary

Because Republicans and members of Conservative, Inc. have done a s—tty job of explaining free markets principles and have conceded control of education over to the Left.


4 posted on 01/25/2019 5:47:21 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Trust the plan of the 17th letter of the English alphabet!!)
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To: huckfillary

When it’s all they’re taught in public schools and university, it’s amazing we’re not socialist already. As they start voting, things will worsen rapidity.


5 posted on 01/25/2019 5:47:50 PM PST by sparklite2 (Don't mind me. I'm just a contrarian.Huff)
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To: huckfillary

Schools have been teaching only the “positive” side of socialism because they’re government-run. They have no idea of the real history of it.


6 posted on 01/25/2019 5:47:51 PM PST by Telepathic Intruder
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To: Steely Tom

Government and civics classes ceased yo exist in public education early in the 70’s. The vacuum was fillef with Marx 8n college.


7 posted on 01/25/2019 5:48:28 PM PST by Clutch Martin (The trouble ain't that there is too many fools, but that the lightning ain't distributed it wright.)
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To: huckfillary

16+ years of indoctrination from leftist academia x2 full generations is why.


8 posted on 01/25/2019 5:48:42 PM PST by TADSLOS (If you suck at playing the trumpet, thatÂ’s probably why.)
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To: huckfillary

They have been taught this in government schools. They have never been taught the ten commandments. A few are germaine here. Thou shall not steal. Thou shall not covet.


9 posted on 01/25/2019 5:49:08 PM PST by Fungi
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To: huckfillary

For the same reason Pavlov’s dog salivated.


10 posted on 01/25/2019 5:49:14 PM PST by yarddog
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To: huckfillary

MKUltra. It’s a thing. Sad what they’ve done to the kids.


11 posted on 01/25/2019 5:49:36 PM PST by WWG1WWA (Brothers, what we do be in life echoes in eternity." -Marcus Aurelius)
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To: huckfillary

Simple..they have been brainwashed by Communist professors who have taught them that Capitalism is evil and Communism is super awesome..that they will get everything for FREE, free school, free car, free home, free health care, free everything..all they have to do is embrace Communism, where the Govt controls everything, just give up your freedom and you can get everything you desire for free


12 posted on 01/25/2019 5:49:52 PM PST by Sarah Barracuda
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To: Steely Tom

Yep! And, many became teachers and plied their beliefs on students!


13 posted on 01/25/2019 5:50:43 PM PST by Road Warrior ‘04 (Boycott The NFL! Molon Labe! Oathkeeper)
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To: Sarah Barracuda

Unless freedom is the only thing you desire.


14 posted on 01/25/2019 5:51:50 PM PST by Still Thinking (Freedom is NOT a loophole!)
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To: huckfillary

Because they think socialist girls are easy?


15 posted on 01/25/2019 5:51:59 PM PST by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: Still Thinking

Freedom of Choice
Is What You’ve Got

Freedom From Choice
Is What You Want

-DEVO


16 posted on 01/25/2019 5:52:48 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: Sarah Barracuda

It is romantic to them. That is what lures them in.


17 posted on 01/25/2019 5:52:55 PM PST by Ladysforest ((Racism, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia and vulgarity - with just a smattering of threats and violenc)
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To: huckfillary

Because they lived socialism and still live socialism with their helicopter parents who are so co-dependent on their children liking them. These kids never have a single want.


18 posted on 01/25/2019 5:53:28 PM PST by CodeToad ( Hating on Trump is hating on me and America!.)
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To: huckfillary
I heard some students were asked what socialism was and their response was participation on a social network.
19 posted on 01/25/2019 5:55:28 PM PST by ontap
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To: huckfillary

Other-Peoples-Money


20 posted on 01/25/2019 5:58:07 PM PST by samadams2000 (Get your houses in order.)
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