The divide between generations has been a constant in human history. The trends have always been the same: the older generations view young people as disrespectful and incomprehensible while the younger generations view their elders as out of touch and conservative. With the tumultuous 2016 election cycle, this divide seems to only have deepened, with the majority of millennials voting for Democrat Hillary Clinton and the majority of people age 45 and above voting for Republican Donald Trump. Even before the final election, many younger people voted for self-proclaimed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders. Overall, a trend is clear: millennials and Gen Zs are more likely to embrace socialist ideas, and the origin of this trend may point to a bigger problem in America.
In recent years, the world has not been kind to those entering it. The housing bubble has burst, making it extremely difficult if not outright impossible for millennials and Gen Zs to own houses. Student debt has been through the roof, placing many under crippling debt for the rest of their lives. The cost of living is much higher than it was 20 years ago, making minimum wage jobs hardly a viable option.
Because these conditions exist, millennials find capitalism a system that works against rather than for them. Having grown up with the idea that those who work hard are rewarded, many were forced to rethink their beliefs after the 2008 crash. As their parents lost jobs and houses while corporation giants and big banks continued to thrive, younger generations found their futures bleak. The cost of living would end up significantly higher than it was 20 years ago while income is unable to meet these new demands.
Additionally, different generations may have different views on what socialism represents. For example, millennials associate it with Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Denmark that have maintained a high quality of life with a democratic socialist system, while baby boomers associate it with the Soviet Union and its failures in caring for all of its people.
However, some have argued that millennials often do not understand socialism in their support for it. Opponents of this phenomenon state that it was a result of an inability to separate right from wrong, that proponents of a democratic socialist system often fail to see how socialism has failed in the past, citing communist China and the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin as examples. In contrast, others argue that this new wave is just what the country needs, dubbing it a revolution.
In an age when populism has risen and an unpredictable president has taken center stage, perhaps that revolution could be the dawn of a new era for the nation, or it could signal the beginning of its downfall. A socialist system in America would aim to fix all the prominent inequalities in American society, but in practice, it could potentially exacerbate rather than minimize oppression. Ultimately, however, the future of the country falls to millennials and Gen Zs. It would be wise to listen to what they have to say.
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