Could Canada Become a Thoroughly Red Country?
Joel Kotkin suggests that the idea of Canada turning entirely socialist may not be as far-fetched as it seems. While Canada already has a strong social safety net, it remains a market-based economy with commitments to property rights and civil liberties. However, beneath this surface, a troubling trend is emerging.
Rising Support for Socialism Among Youth
A 2023 poll revealed that half of Canadians aged 18 to 24 favor socialism, compared to 43% of middle-aged individuals and 38% of those over 55. Notably, 17% of young people embrace a stronger form of collectivism, leading the Communist Revolution website to claim that Marxism is the favored ideology of one million young Canadians.
Reasons Behind the Shift
The resurgence of socialism in Canada and elsewhere stems largely from the challenges faced by the younger generation. Like in the United States and other Western nations, young people confront a difficult future, particularly regarding good jobs and homeownership. As recently as 2011, young Canadians were the happiest demographic according to the World Happiness Report, but today they are the most unhappy, reflected in growing pessimism about buying a home or getting married. Some consider moving to the U.S., but the long-term economic outlook there is not much better.
Global Phenomenon
Recent polls indicate that a majority of Americans under 40 support socialism, as do nearly half of college students. One poll found that a majority favor restricting incomes, with 12% supporting a limit of just $1 million annually. Proposals by New York's socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, for state-run grocery stores, rent controls, and social housing are gaining traction even in the capital of capitalism.
This trend is global. A survey covering 28 countries and nearly 21,000 respondents found that half at least somewhat agree that socialist ideals are valuable for societal progress, including 45% of Germans and 39% of Americans.
Role of Education
Kotkin also points to an education system increasingly dominated by far-left indoctrination. In the U.S., about three-quarters of college faculty identify as left-leaning, with moderates being rare. The same applies to Canada. University professors often ignore the lessons of the Soviet Union and Maoist China, where socialism led to mass atrocities. Ignorance of these historical failures makes discussing socialism problematic, as Marxist professors prefer to accuse others of genocide while overlooking that history's greatest mass murderers, including Hitler, operated under a red flag.
