YouGov Poll: 70% of Millennials would vote for a socialist, 36% approve of communism

[sphagnum]

Somewhere, Bernie Sanders is smiling. (edit: lol)

A new survey released by the Washington, D.C., nonprofit Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation reflects that, if the younger generation gets out and votes in 2020, those running for office on the far left have reason to be hopeful.

According to YouGov, which conducted the poll, capitalism, amid a widening divide between the haves and have-nots, has plunged in popularity from a year ago, with one out of every two millennials — ages 23 to 38 — supporting it.

Meanwhile, 36% of millennials polled say that they approve of communism, which is up significantly from 28% in 2018.

Socialism, a dirty word to the president and many of his supporters, has shown a decrease in favorability in all age groups except the Silent Generation (age 74+) and millennials, of which 70% say they'd be likely to vote for a socialist candidate.

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https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/sto...9-9D6C-4BECF8FA3E12?__twitter_impression=true

Disclaimer: Nobody understands political terms and they all probably think "socialism" means a capitalist welfare state, etc. etc.

That said, if you've been paying attention to such polls over the last decade, it's been quite a steady march to the left. The combination of the recession + OWS + Bernie 2016/2020 + the Trump presidency has radicalized a significant portion of young voters and shifted the baseline leftward in general.

 

[pigeon]

Hell yeah Silent Generation getting radicalized

 

[sphagnum]

Old and young forming a pincer attack on the Boomers.

 

[Heromanz]

Seize the means of production brother

 

[pigeon]

I absolutely love that the entire purpose of this poll is to send to Boomers in direct-mail cash solicitations. I hope they find it as terrifying as I find it gratifying.

 

[Deleted member 2779]

On behalf of the anti-capitalist youth of the rest of the world, please fucking vote young American lefties🙏🙏

 

[Diablos]

Just bring back FDR/LBJ minus the internment camps/Vietnam war and we will be on the right track

 

[Rhomega]

Just waiting for "I guess schools these days don't teach kids about Stalinism or Maoist China. Then they'd hate socialism as much as we do!"

 

[Septimus Prime]

if the younger generation gets out and votes in 2020

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Shit.

 

[Prolepro]

Old and young forming a pincer attack on the Boomers.

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getting crushed by the fascist machine together

 

[danm999]

Looks like the decades long campaign to brand any vaguely popular or helpful left wing policy as socialism has backfired mighty good on the old capitalists.

Throw in a financial collapse or two, degrading material conditions and a few nightmare wars and you've got a stew going.

 

[Regulus Tera]

What we are seeing around the world is the collapse of neoliberal structures that arose from American hegemony since the late eighties. It's no wonder that the generations that were born into that mess are skeptical of capitalism, and are looking for alternatives even if those haven't necessarily worked in the past.

 

[CrazyDude]

Just bring back FDR/LBJ minus the internment camps/Vietnam war and we will be on the right track

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U.S probably would have universal health care if he didn't die. I think he would have had enough political capital after the war to do it.

 

[spx54]

President AOC in 2032, baby

 

[S I C K O]

36% dropped on their heads

 

[AcademicSaucer]

communism tho...

 

[peyrin]

 

[super-heated plasma]

I don't mind alot of Bernies ideas, but I definitely don't want to live in a communist state. That's just ridiculous.

 

[Acorn]

Kinda amazed at how quickly socialist(regardless if it was the wrong definition or not) became detoxified in the States. I would've bet my house on that never happening.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

On behalf of the anti-capitalist youth of the rest of the world, please fucking vote young American lefties🙏🙏

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Only if there's an app for it

 

[R0b1n]

Communism? Nah, socialism is cool and feasible though

 

[Diablos]

U.S probably would have universal health care if he didn't die. I think he would have had enough political capital after the war to do it.

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Most likely yes. He ran out of time. I'm kinda surprised Johnson didn't figure it out.

Still, UHC should've been a done deal before Reagan. If someone like Ted Kennedy was President instead of Carter it probably would've got done in the 70's/early 80's and Reagan wouldn't have been a thing.

 

[Zen]

Yeah I've met some people who believe that communism is actually well and good...nah. But I do think reigns on capitalism need to be made. No more of this 1% holding half the world's wealth nonsense.

 

[Pooh]

Kinda amazed at how quickly socialist(regardless if it was the wrong definition or not) became detoxified in the States. I would've bet my house on that never happening.

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It's really only for millennials and younger, and that kind of thing is bound to happen when you have the first generation in America pretty much guaranteed to be worse off than their parents.

 

[thewienke]

I mean - we could also try strengthening trade unions, workers rights, UBI, increasing the minimum wage, state paid college and health care, strengthened social security (this is sorely needed but young people don't care), and a whole lot more under a capitalist system.

People are just clearly pissed as they should be.

 

[Umbrella Carp]

Kinda amazed at how quickly socialist(regardless if it was the wrong definition or not) became detoxified in the States. I would've bet my house on that never happening.

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As terrible as 2008 was, it did achieve one good result: it struck just as these guys in the OP were beginning to leave school and enter a job market that frankly was not prepared for them. Now Capitalism's name is mud and Bernie is a hero in their eyes.

Dramatic and degrading circumstances like being fresh out of school with no job and a very grim future because of climate change and you're gonna breed radicalization. With its own relentless greed, Capitalism has dug its own grave.

 

[ItRhymesWithDoom]

well, I guess the propaganda efforts for fucking up 2020 are going well.

 

[Mekanos]

I mean - we could also try strengthening trade unions, workers rights, UBI, increasing the minimum wage, state paid college and health care, strengthened social security, and a whole lot more under a capitalist system.

People are just clearly pissed as they should be.

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A lot of this would just be lobbied away by capitalist companies over time. It's a band-aid on a bigger problem.

 

[El Bombastico]

I credit the internet. The same thing that created the Alt-Right also showed sane people just how much better Europe and other semi-Socialist nations treat their citizens on aspects like Healthcare.

 

[GiantBreadbug]

*raises hand*

and doing my part by positively radiating radicalizing energies

 

[Spenny]

Fuck yeah! Go silent generation (my 90 year old grandparents fucking hate the Republicans since Trump after being part of the party since the 60s).

 

[dabig2]

Millennials trying not to let the new youngsters steal their vibe. Indeed, the true successors to the so called "Greatest Generation"; just with way less racism; and this time around I'm sure the younger generations will try their best to include people who aren't straight white males and their charges - and also hopefully this younger society will avoid these concentration camps and separation policies.

What kinda sucks is that our (age under 50) eventual fight is going to require like 5 simultaneous WW2 herculean efforts just to survive, not even talking about to thrive. So yeah, we're under the clock a bit. Not a surprise to see that those, more likely to experience how much of a hellhole 2050 is going to be, are tilting more towards systems and THE system itself where the whole is emphasized.

And of course the string of presidents witnessed and 2007 crash. And so many other factors. It's complex no matter how much we boil it down to A->B->C in the end.

That said, we can do so much better. Those numbers need to be 100% vote for a socialist. And the numbers needed to happen at least 20 years ago.

 

[Deleted member 2779]

Only if there's an app for it

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Online voting, now that's a concept. Just as soon as voter ID law reform happens over there lol

 

[Scottt]

Yeah I've met some people who believe that communism is actually well and good...nah. But I do think reigns on capitalism need to be made. No more of this 1% holding half the world's wealth nonsense.

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What is your preferred percentage?
.

 

[Diablos]

I credit the internet. The same thing that created the Alt-Right also showed sane people just how much better Europe and other semi-Socialist nations treat their citizens on aspects like Healthcare.

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Perhaps. But the Interwebs I think has strengthened the far right more than anything else which is an unexpected consequence. I would've never thought it would be so bad 10 years ago

 

[Keldroc]

Socialist policies serving as a watchdog and check on capitalist corruption and greed I am in favor of. Communism is just trading one kind of corruption for another. It only works on paper, at least until you have impartial AI managing the whole system.

 

[Zen]

What is your preferred percentage?
.

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I have no idea. But I do know communism is impossible outside of the realm of fantasy.

 

[Sordid Plebeian]

That communism bit is troubling, but I guess it's all idealized. Hope it doesn't lead toward people legitimizing the CCP in China.

 

[AcademicSaucer]

Socialist policies serving as a watchdog and check on capitalist corruption and greed I am in favor of. Communism is just trading one kind of corruption for another. It only works on paper, at least until you have impartial AI managing the whole system.

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I too welcome our new AI overlords

That communism bit is troubling, but I guess it's all idealized. Hope it doesn't lead toward people legitimizing the CCP in China.

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I have seen that shit quickly devolve into "support anyone thats against the United States capitalism", thats how left wing people end up defending Russia.

 

[joecanada]

But I thought millenials already didn't vote this way ? Wasn't there numbers showing a bunch voted for Trump? Or were the numbers close?

 

[Mekanos]

That communism bit is troubling, but I guess it's all idealized. Hope it doesn't lead toward people legitimizing the CCP in China.

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China isn't communist by any meaningful definition. They are firmly state-capitalist.

 

[Keldroc]

I too welcome our new AI overlords

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Gonna take a lot of capitalism to usher in communism.

 

[Diablos]

Again, modern day FDR/LBJ is what we want. You don't want to go full Commie, sexy as it may seem.

 

[sphagnum]

Gonna take a lot of capitalism to usher in communism.

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That's part of Marx's analysis, yes.

 

[Mekanos]

Again, modern day FDR/LBJ is what we want. You don't want to go full Commie, sexy as it may seem.

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And then in 80 years we're back to where we were.

Capitalism by function will always seek to tear apart regulations and "checks." The key is going to be automation if we want to create a sustainable society, but it can't be owned wholly by the ruling class or they will leave the working class to starve.

 

[Uncle at Nintendo]

Yeah no shit. Millennials will never be able to retire and will have to work until they drop dead.

 

[Hrodulf]

Considering the rampant corporate capitalism and ever-growing wealth inequality, this isn't really surprising.

 

[Deleted member 25600]

And then in 80 years we're back to where we were.

Capitalism by function will always seek to tear apart regulations and "checks." The key is going to be automation if we want to create a sustainable society, but it can't be owned wholly by the ruling class or they will leave the working class to starve.

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A saying that I've seen thrown around recently that rings true is "Capitalism buys deregulation".

 

[Lord Fagan]

Kids these days...

 

[makonero]

President AOC in 2032, baby

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This is absolutely happening at some point. Probably sooner than that though. 2028 I'm thinking.