Thread by @JewhadiTM

Socialism as a Millennial religion thedailychrenk.com/2019/02/19/soc…

Think of all the traits and characteristics, most of them negative, associated with the Millennials in the popular mind. They are said to be unrealistic and have both the inflated expectations of life and the inflated perceptions of selves.

They think the world owes them a living – a good one too – though without necessary too much effort.

Things came very easily to them when they were growing up; when that suddenly stops – when the reality finally intrudes – they get angry, frustrated, lost: the world is deeply unfair and is conspiring against them. They are narcissistic, self-possessed and self-obsessed.

They expect instant rewards and instant gratification. Having been told their whole lives how special they are, they tend to be over-sensitive and find it difficult to cope with criticism or obstacles. They’re lazy, flighty and easily distracted.

Remember: these are all generalisations, but stereotypes stick because they ring true.

So no, no surprises here. Their collective personality makes the Millennials unusually suited for the flirtation with socialism.

They are a great match; if this was Tinder, Marx would be getting super liked all the time.

Socialism is the response of a spoiled child when faced with the world that does not genuflect to its every wish the way their parents did –

— the world as it is must therefore be evil and has to be changed to something radically different. Gen Y, of course, did not just magically became the way they are – they were brought up like that...

... so we all bear the blame and the responsibility for a generation who resents not being managers in their 20s and not being recognised as special anymore by all their elders.

Clearly, the capitalism has failed when I’m not showered down with money after I graduate from my double in media and gender studies.

The world indeed is not perfect and it is not always fair, but the sensible response would be to acknowledge how good it actually is, how much better than it has ever been, and how it continues to get better –

— but that would actually require a decent knowledge of history, for example – and then to think of all the various practical ways we can try to make it better.

Instead, the world is hell, all the previous generations have failed us and we need to turn everything upside down. Viva la revolucion.

In November this year we will celebrate thirty years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. It’s sad and it’s terrifying that in such a short space of time socialism is cool again, but it’s not entirely unexpected – hell of a lot of suckers have been born since 1989.