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Why are millennials transfixed by socialism?
Jul 4, 2018, 7:55 AM
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the winner of a Democratic Congressional primary in New York, greets a passerby in New York, Wednesday, June 27, 2018, the morning after she upset U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley in Tuesday's primary election. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
While filling in for KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson, KTTH’s Todd Herman and KIRO Nights’ Gee Scott wondered why millennials seem to be caught up in the hype of socialism, as evidenced in the election of 28-year-old Democratic Socialist newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York’s Democratic Primary last week.
Ocasio-Cortez stated on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert that to her, Democratic Socialism means “no person in America should be too poor to live.”
“I think young people tend to try to change things,” Gee said. “They want to try to do things in a different way.”
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“I think they think [socialism] equals caring — that having the government decide that everybody is gonna have a certain amount of money, everyone is gonna have a certain job, they think that’s caring,” Todd said.
Gee pointed out that “too poor to live” is very subjective, but said that he is interested to learn more about Ocasio-Cortez’ viewpoint and why she feels the way that she does.
“I would love to hear more of what she has to say behind what she said,” Gee said.
Todd did not agree with Ocasio-Cortez’ call for a universal Medicare system and a universal basic income. If everyone is guaranteed a job in a socialist society, Todd contended, then, “why do they have any incentive to do a good job?”
“Socialism seems to me to be the destination of living by sustenance,” he added, saying that socialism does nothing “to lift people.”
“I understand where you’re coming from — that you don’t want government to be able to control what it is and how it is that you live,” Gee said.
While Gee said that he appreciated the billionaires of the world for creating jobs, he did point out that “there are some people who have not been able to make money for their families because of systematic oppression that has happened in the past … There are certain things where certain people in certain sectors of the world did not have the opportunity to be able to make money at all.”
“I think the best way to give all people opportunity is a free market where ideas are rewarded,” Todd said.
