Majority under 40 want socialism, really?
By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist
Here we go again…Rasmussen is out with a survey whose results says 53% of likely U.S. voters ages 18 to 39 would like to see a democratic socialist candidate win the 2028 presidential election. Really?
In the same age group, 76 percent agree that “major industries like health care, energy and big tech should be nationalized to give more control and equity to the people.”
Great.
Once again, we must train the younger crowd on the pitfalls of socialism.
We could try this out by having collegiate football teams agree that they are only allowed to win every other week. An old coach, Bill Belichick might agree with this.
Actually, sports teams are a good proxy for the opposite of socialism. Each team tries its hardest, trades out ineffective players, and desires to win every game. Competition drives performance.
There is no more motive for driving for perfection in products and services in life than to have competition and allow us consumers to pick and choose among many offerings for the same thing.
Want to nationalize something? Amtrak was the result of nationalizing passenger rail service in 1971 – 54 years ago. A half a century should be enough time to get their act together, don’t you think?
Amtrak has lost money every year it has been in business, and now loses close to $700 million per year (latest data).
How’s Amtrak’s service? Well, you want to get on the other side of the Mississippi River? That is only possible on trains that originate in Chicago or New Orleans. You might disagree with me, but I am talking about trains only. In some places a bus substitutes for a train to get you across this river barrier.
As for convenience, just an example, if you want to travel from Atlanta to Dallas, the elapsed time is 60 hours. This is because the only train that goes west out of New Orleans leaves one hour before the only train from Atlanta gets in – a 23-hour layover. You could drive this in 12 hours or fly it in three hours. And Amtrak will be the most expensive way to go.
This is just a hint at what nationalized services might mean.
It is like the old joke Ronald Reagan told. This is in the days of the Soviet Union. A Russian finally saved up enough money to buy a new car. He goes into the car dealership (let’s say he does this today).
“When can I pick up my new car?” he asks.
“Well, let me see… It should be ready on Friday, Feb. 22, 2030 at 2 p.m.,” the salesperson replies.
The car buyer looks dejected.
“That won’t work. The plumber is coming then.”
Is this the world you want to live in?
Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga. and is a columnist for The Highland County Press.
A more realistic comparison....
of what young people want can be seen in countries like Denmark, Finland, Canada, Sweden, Germany, Australia, France, Italy, Japan, the UK, even China as well as others. Today's younger generation are more well-traveled, or at least more aware of the return that citizens of other countries receive for their tax dollars. Medical bankruptcy is practically unheard of and an education doesn't mean decades upon decades of debt. High speed rail seems to work pretty well in Europe< China and Japan, why not here? While no system is perfect, they also recognize that the current push for deregulation and the dismantling of what little protections we now enjoy such as the CFPB are all geared toward one thing, assuring that unfettered capitalism keeps the corporate gravy train running smoothly.