Commentary | It’s Easy Being a Socialist in America. But Here’s the Truth – By Antonella Marty (Real Clear Politics) / Aug 30 2022
Socialism is spreading across America. Leading up to November, socialist politicians and policies are gaining a foothold in the electoral system, at the expense of centrists.
Millennials and Gen Zers want more government in their lives, not less. And they are not alone: Jaded by the free-market system, many Americans support socialism over capitalism, even though they enjoy the benefits of living in an open economy. They believe that the free market has dealt America a bad hand, one only remedied by further government interference in the economy.
But, in truth, Americans who support more state interventionism and have grown up in the comfortable confines of the U.S. economic system don’t really understand socialism. They don’t recognize the pitfalls of redistribution and collectivism – because they’ve never lived it. (And believe me: I can attest that it isn’t “cool” living under socialism.) Immigrants from Cuba, Venezuela, and other collectivist nightmares may “get it,” but most Americans haven’t had the misfortune of growing up in such countries.
Let’s be careful: Socialism can happen anywhere, even in the United States. There is no vaccine against Big Government.
