Why millennials are drawn to socialism

[RoadRunner79]

Steve Chapman should have just asked a millennial why we are so drawn to socialism. While he got a few things right in his recent column Why millennials are so drawn to socialism, he focuses on minor details and misses the big picture.

Millennials are the first generation in American memory who start off their adult lives worse off than their parents and will likely die that way. We graduate from college burdened with debts that in rare cases exceed $100,000. Capitalist policies have shipped American manufacturing overseas in order to bust labor unions, lower costs and increase profits. So unless you get a college education, there aren't any realistic opportunities for a living wage to support a middle-class lifestyle. Even then, if you choose a major such as education in Oklahoma or Kentucky, you'll still barely break the poverty line. Did I mention you also now carry a student loan debt worth as much as a mortgage that, in all likelihood, not even bankruptcy protection can get you out of?

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opini...story.html

It seems that young people have always been drawn more to socialism.  I think that a lot has to do, with not having stuff, and wanting stuff, so therefore an ideology where you get stuff for nothing sounds pretty good.  As you get older, you have your stuff, and don't like the idea of being forced to give up your stuff to someone else.  While the current group of millennial's may have an increased sense of entitlement, I don't think that this is anything new. 

As to education;  I think this is somewhat of the problem with the aforementioned sense of entitlement.  People think that they are owed a job, after they get out of college; when no one owes you a thing.  It's possible, that the job market could change while you are in school, but I don't feel that bad for those who do not look at a college education as an investment, and choose a degree they maybe like, but it is fairly well known, that the return on that degree is going to be poor. 

And there are also craft and trade jobs, where you can earn a good living.   I only have an associates degree, which I paid off in about two years.  I still remember my senior year English teacher; who told us about two people that he graduated with.   One became a carpenter and the other a doctor.  It wasn't until about 50 years old,  where the doctor started to make more than the carpenter had.  The carpenter started as soon as he was done with high school, and made a decent living his entire career.   The doctor was in school for quite a few years, not making much money, and incurring debt the entire time.  You also have to look at what you need to do, to accomplish what you want. You might be willing to sacrifice pay for more time off, or to do what makes you happy.  Conversely other jobs may pay better, because no one wants them.  Another thing to look at, is how much in demand is the job or how versatile is the degree (How broad or narrow is the job market).   The point is, that all this should be fairly well known and planned out, before you ever start to make an investment in education.   

A lot of this, is also why I disagree with some of the socialist free tuition ideas being put forth.  I think that for many, it is good, that they have a loan to pay back after, that they have some skin in the game.   That they pick a major that has value afterwards, and work hard to be able to pay off that debt.  While there are certainly conversations to be had concerning the cost of tuition and education, and how best to train are young people (or sometimes not so young for those going back to school);  I don't think that the solution is to relieve people of the debt of going to school, and put it on those who do work hard, and have better planning.... I think we need to encourage those who are not, to do better.