Is Socialism in Our Future? ... As Millennials Outnumber the Baby Boomers, They Are Looking to Government to Solve Our Many Problems ...Trouble for America Lies Straight Ahead

Millennials are as plentiful as baby boomers today and they hold much different political and economic views about how to make America a better society.

They are viewing more and bigger government as a good thing. In turn that means more self reliance and reliance on free markets is a bad thing. And that spells big trouble for the poor and middle class Americans of the future.

Instead of looking within, the younger generation is looking to government to solve our many economic and related problems. Having come of age in a difficult economic environment, they are seeking security and 'fairness,' whatever that means.

Yes, the tendency toward socialism is growing across this great land of ours, even if we don't choose to call it that.

Millennials' Views Reveal Different Challenges for Each Party presents the interesting results of a newly released nationwide poll conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NBC:

"Millennials aren’t just younger than other Americans. They are different.

They have different views of President Barack Obama. Different views of the new Iran nuclear deal. Different views of the role of government in American society.

A reminder of these differences lies in—in fact, jumps out from–the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll results, which coincides with the crystallizing of the 2016 presidential campaign. The views of millennials and the arrival of the real campaign season aren’t merely coincidental; the 2016 campaign will mark the first time that millennials will equal baby boomers as a share of eligible voters.

It’s not exactly a revelation to say that these new, young potential voters are different from their elders. But a dive into the numbers reveals just how different—and frames differing challenges for each political party in this election cycle.

First example: the millennial view of Mr. Obama. Millennials, defined here as those aged 18 through 34, are the only age bracket that has a net positive view of Mr. Obama. And they have a positive view by a wide margin.

Asked whether they have positive or negative views of the president, 51% of millennials say they have a positive view, compared to 31% who report a negative view. For those aged 35 through 49, the positive/negative mix is 40%/45%. For those aged 50 through 64, it’s 41%/49%. And for those 65 and over, the mix is 44%/48%.

In short, without millennials, Mr. Obama would have a net negative rating. With them in the mix, he’s net positive, by a slim margin.

Example two: the new nuclear agreement with Iran that Mr. Obama is trying hard to sell to the country. Among all Americans, opinion is evenly divided on the Iran deal, with 35% saying they support it, 33% opposed and 32% saying they don’t know enough to have an opinion.

Among millennials, support is strongly positive: 40% support, 19% oppose and 41% don’t have an opinion. . . . the millennial cohort is made up entirely of Americans born after the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis, which is probably more than a mere coincidence.

Example three: views on the role of government. By nearly two to one (60% to 37%), millennials say that government should do more to solve problems, rather than leaving them to businesses and individuals. Every other age group is essentially split on the question. And as a whole, among those aged 35 and above, 46% say government should do more, while 50% say it is doing too much.

What is the political meaning of this? For Democrats, the numbers explain why young voters formed such a vital core of support for Mr. Obama in two national elections—and illustrate the opportunity for them to do the same for Hillary Clinton, or any other prospective Democratic nominee. . . .

Millennials are the only age group to say they prefer Democrats over Republicans to handle the economy."

Summing Up 

In big government's problem solving ability we trust, say the millennials.

Now that's a real head scratcher for me, albeit not for Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. See also The Democrats' Socialist Surge.

And the millennials will be voting in equal numbers or greater numbers compared to the baby boomers in 2016. That means Hillary will be the next president.

Thereafter the influence of the millennials will be even greater.

We're already in big financial trouble as a nation, and it looks like it's only going to get worse.

As trust in big government's problem solving capability replaces trust in individual freedoms and free markets, things are changing in America, and not for the better.

That's my take.

Thanks. Bob.