Socialism has failed every time it has been tried because it is impossible for a group of people to implement a centralized governing apparatus capable of effectively organizing society.
Heretofore, most people have resented and rejected the yoke of socialism, sometimes after long struggles, because collectivism is also antithetical to individual autonomy, free will, human nature, and the pursuit of happiness.
This is not the case in the United States. Today, more than 30 years after the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, young Americans want socialism.
According to new polling conducted by Rasmussen Reports and The Heartland Institute, which included 1,496 likely voters aged 18 to 39, more than half of young Americans want a democratic socialist to win the White House in 2028.
Likewise, more than half of those polled have a favorable impression of New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, and nearly 60 percent support socialist policies like a nationwide rent freeze and government-run grocery stores in every town.
SEE ALSO: Mamdani Wants Gov’t-Run Grocery Stores in NYC. Here’s How Well That’s ‘Working’ in Kansas City.
There are many reasons why socialism appeals to young Americans.
First and foremost, young people are not being taught about the dark history of socialism. Second, they are misled into believing that socialism is superior to free-market capitalism. Third, they are brainwashed into believing that collectivism is more righteous, fair, and just than personal freedom. Fourth, they feel that the American dream is dead and socialism is the solution to the cost-of-living crisis they face.
Nearly three-in-four young likely voters think the cost of housing is at a crisis level, and only 22 percent think they will be better off than their parents.
At this point in time, given the economic headwinds they face, coupled with their ignorance of socialism, it makes sense that an alarming portion of young Americans want socialism.
RELATED: Magic Fairies and Pixie Dust: Listen to What Mamdani Says About Funding for ‘Free’ Buses in NYC
Even more concerning, many young Americans also want to give an advanced AI system the authority to control the majority of public policy decisions. More than 40 percent of young likely voters are okay with letting AI, not human beings, determine the laws, rules, and regulations that govern society. More than a third think AI should revise the Constitution, be granted to authority to determine individual rights, and run the world’s largest militaries.
The reality that almost half of young Americans want AI to govern society, combined with the fact that more than half also want socialism, makes for a dangerous proposition.
What if AI could make socialism feasible? What if AI and quantum computing could organize enormous amounts of data in real time and develop an efficient centralized system that could monitor and control everything?
Theoretically, an AI-based socialist system could do a far better job than human-led bureaucracies when it comes to redistributing wealth, calculating and distributing resources, monitoring the population, etc.
Modern, AI-infused socialism could be billed as incorruptible, all-knowing, and most importantly, effective.
Unlike the vast centralized bureaucracies that utterly failed to micromanage economies, an AI-driven command-and-control economy could use ruthless efficiency to guarantee equal outcomes.
Of course, an AI-generated socialist utopia, in which Marx’s dream of “From each according to their ability, to each according to their need” is finally realized, could turn into a dystopian nightmare.
Before this happens, I hope young people realize that socialism is the problem, not the solution. Even more importantly, I hope they understand that liberty, free will, and individual autonomy are blessings that ought to be protected from any encroachment, whether from humans or machines.
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
Editor’s Note: President Trump is leading America into the “Golden Age” as Democrats try desperately to stop it.
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