Among millennials, 42 percent would prefer to live in a capitalist society, while 44 percent said they would rather live in a socialist society. Seven percent opted for communism and the same percentage said they preferred fascism. In other words, 58 percent of millennials want to be less free, and 14 percent of those wish to live under a totalitarian tyranny.
The only comfort, if one can call it that, in this survey is that it also showed that most people truly don't know the difference between capitalism, communism, fascism and socialism.
There's a well-known story, probably apocryphal, about a college prof whose students yearned to see socialism established here in the U.S. The prof agreed and suggested they start by implementing it in their class.
The students weren't sure what he meant so he explained: On previous tests there had been a lot of grade inequality since some students had A's and B's and some had D's and F's. The students with high grades, the prof declared, should feel guilty since they're privileged by being smarter and having better study habits than the low achievers who can't help that they're not as smart and were raised in an environment that failed to inculcate good study habits and a desire for academic success.
So, the prof informed his students, on the next test anyone who has a B or higher will have points subtracted from his or her score and given to those who had failed. That way everyone would have a C. Everyone would be equal and happy in the new socialist-run classroom.
Actually, the high-achievers didn't think they'd be happy at all because the new system sounded grossly unfair, but they kept quiet at first because they didn't want their classmates to think they were selfish and uncompassionate toward the less fortunate.
On the other hand, this idea sounded great to the low-achievers, but the high achievers, being smarter than their classmates, quickly realized there'd be no point in studying for the tests since everyone would get a C whether they studied or not. Then they thought a little further and realized that since no one would study there'd be no A's and B's at all. In fact, it was quite possible that no one would even pass the exam. Everyone might fail. They'd all be academic equals, but they'd all be equal failures.
When they mentioned this to the prof he nodded and replied, "But that's how socialism works."
Not only is socialism unfair, not only does it not work (especially in a nation with a substantial underclass), but it also breeds selfish, ungrateful citizens. Here's a video that explains why:
Maybe the reason so many millennials say they like socialism is not because they understand what it does to an economy and to the character of the people who live in the system, but because they liked Bernie Sanders, and he was a socialist. He was promising free tuition, free healthcare, free everything. How he'd deliver on those promises they might not have understood, exactly, but when you're feeling the Bern maybe you don't much care.