Capitalism vs. Socialism on the Eve of the 2020 Election

Polls have consistently shown that young Americans, specifically Millennials and Gen Z, are increasingly “comfortable” and supportive of Marxism and communism. Depending on the election results tomorrow, November 3, our country could be taking a step towards truly embracing this dangerous political philosophy that has left nothing but death and destruction in its wake.

The latest poll, commissioned by the Victims of Communism, was conducted by YouGov and questioned 2,100 U.S. citizens ages 16 and older—and the results should concern all Americans interested in preserving democracy, freedom and independence.

According to the poll, capitalism is still more favorably viewed when compared to other economic systems, but that number only stands at 55%. It’s down from a high of 61% in 2018. 

As favorable impressions of capitalism go down, the interest and favorability of socialism goes up with 49% of Gen Z having a positive impression of the political system. That’s up from 40% in 2019. 

Currently, a quarter of Americans support slowly eliminating the country’s current capitalist system and replacing it with a more socialist system. That proposal is especially popular with young Americans.

There’s also a growing acceptance and favorability of Marxism, with roughly 30% of Gen Z and 27% of Millennials holding that view. The good news is that this most recent result is down 9 points for Millennials, but up 6 points for Gen Z.

When it comes to the history of communism, the American public is broadly lacking in the most basic knowledge. Only a third of “Americans agree that the Chinese Communist Party is responsible for more deaths than Nazi Germany, and nearly half don’t have an answer.” 

Historians currently estimate that upwards of 45 million people died in China during Mao Zedong’s Great Leap Forward, which killed mostly peasants. Joseph Stalin also likely killed more than Adolf Hitler, an estimated 15-20 million people, mostly before the Second World War even began. Nazi policies killed at least 17 million people, both Jews, civilians and Soviet prisoners of war. But narrative and propaganda, not history and fact, has often become more important on college campuses. 

It’s concerning that Americans seemingly know so little about the history of the last 100 years and the damage that socialism, communism and Marxism have done to hundreds of millions of lives. 

The move towards embracing socialist and communist ideals are deeply disturbing trends, and ones that do not bode well for the future of the United States. As Americans head to the polls tomorrow, they may not only be voting for federal and state leaders and representatives, but the future of the country as well.

Photo from Shutterstock

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