Opinions about socialism

A recent poll by the news website Axios found that a larger number of individuals born after 1980 have a more favorable view of socialism than capitalism. This created a good deal of shock, horror, and revulsion among those of us born before 1980.

I contend we should not be surprised. To begin, many of the leaders in this country have the bad habit of calling both universal health care and tuition-free post secondary education socialism. This is not accurate. Socialism is the government ownership of agriculture and the means of production.

Moreover, those born after 1980 have much different life experiences than those of us who are called baby boomers.

The government paid for 80% of a boomer’s college education. Over the past few decades, this has been reduced to about 30%. After adjusting for inflation, tuition and fees at my alma mater, the University of Missouri-Kansas City, are currently five times higher than when I was an under graduate student in the mid-1960s. I was able to work my way through college and emerge debt-free. Presently, approximately 60% of college graduates are $29,000 in debt.

From 1947 until 1980 and after adjusting for inflation, the median family income increased by 200%. With the decline of unions, the median family income has increased only 28% since 1980.

Obviously capitalism has not worked so well for the post-boomer generations. Why should we be surprised by their skepticism?

JOHN PIEPHO, Cape Girardeau