The Contrasting Legacies of the 20th Century
The 20th century embodied extremes: on one side, governments self-identifying as socialist—spanning left and right—accounted for an estimated 270 million citizen deaths. On the other, free market capitalism succeeded in elevating well over a billion people from poverty.
Academic Preference for Socialism
Numerous scholars condemn capitalism and gravitate toward socialism, including economist Tom Sowell who began as a Marxist. A pivotal shift occurred through empirical observation. Recent surveys indicate a significant portion of college students favor socialism over capitalism, with nearly half endorsing oppressive nations like Cuba above the U.S.
Facts. Before I was a Marxist, I was an empiricist, and I stayed an empiricist. And with the passing years, as I looked into more and more things, I saw the difference between reality and the rhetoric. Unfortunately, so many people today, including at the leading universities, don't pay much attention to evidence, Sowell told FOX Business in 2019.
College as an Echo Chamber for Untested Ideas
Economics professor Brian Brenberg, observed this firsthand, noting college environments shelter bad ideas from real-world scrutiny. Professors champion socialism's promises without implementing them, indoctrinating students who later confront reality.
College is one of the only places where bad ideas can keep living because they never get tested against reality. So, professors, they study these things, they love the ideas of what socialism promises. They never have to do them in real life. They spend their academic career filling kids' heads with these ideas. Kids who gotta go out in the real world, Brenberg said.
I do have a great fear that in the long run we may not make it.
Lingering Concerns
Six years prior, inquiry into whether societies must endure socialist policies before dismissal elicited Sowell's ominous response. While his intellect is unmatched, the validity of this apprehension remains a critical point of contention.
