Why Millennials Should Ditch Socialism for True Capitalism's Freedom
Cronyism's failures and socialism's pitfalls—embrace libertarian values to build prosperity, innovation, and personal liberty in a rigged system.
As we near the end of 2025, the young people in our country seem to lean toward thinking that socialism is a better system than capitalism. It’s easy to see the allure of socialism and why nearly 70% of millennials think it’s great, at least on paper. As we sit here today, see what years of handouts, heavy regulation have given millennials: skyrocketing housing costs, crushing student debt, wage stagnation, while billionaires make more billions. It seems like the game is rigged against the little guy, and the young middle class is unable to advance. This is the reality born out of crony capitalism with socialistic programs (not true capitalism), when government and business collude against the “little guy”, gaslighting, acting as if they are working to help them. We need less centralized power, and decentralize it all. Let’s stop and look critically at the masquerade of socialism.
Marxism promises equality through central control, but it often delivers misery. Libertarianism, rooted in free markets and individual liberty, isn’t perfect. Still, it empowers you to build your own future. It is the best system that we know, one that lifts all boats, not leaving the poor in breadlines and despair.
The only way socialist programs survive is with capitalism keeping it propped up.
Socialism seems to be the answer to the human desire for fairness. Much like Karl Marx, Zohran Mamdani envisions a world where the government, via the workers, owns the means of production, eliminating worker exploitation. For millennials who’ve watched billionaires make more billions while their entry-level jobs barely cover rent, this sounds like the utopian change NYC needs. Add in a good climate crisis, social injustice causes, and more state intervention seems like the only way to go. Apparently, many young people in our country have been taught in public school that unregulated capitalism leads to monopolies, inequality, and environmental hazards. That is surface-level thought.
What is not taken into account in such a discussion is that with the central government gaining so much power, it becomes an ideal vehicle for corruption and self-enrichment for the very few who are well-connected—precisely the opposite of what Marx promised, and what they say is what is wrong with capitalism. Talk about heavy gaslighting!
The true historical facts of when socialism has been tried, i.e., the Soviet Union, have shown that central planning has led to famines that killed millions due to the government bureaucrats who misallocated resources and induced positive-sounding price controls supposedly to help the poor, but they always have the opposite effect.
Look at another failed socialist experiment with Venezuela, which was once South America’s richest nation. It embraced socialist policies under Hugo Chávez, nationalizing industries and redistributing wealth. Oil companies were chased out of the country, the press was taken over by the government, dissent was not allowed, etc. The result? Hyperinflation, shortages, and mass exodus for those who could afford to leave Venezuela, leaving the poorest to suffer under its socialism. Even Nordic “socialism” isn’t truly socialist—it’s capitalism with strong welfare states, and is only funded by free markets and low corporate regulations. While Bernie Sanders was being a capitalist himself, selling his books, he constantly held up Denmark as an example of how socialism can work. Denmark was not happy about Sanders’ spread of disinformation. Denmark’s own prime minister stated in no uncertain terms: “We are a market economy.” While socialism has great intentions on paper, in reality, the outcomes are always disastrous.
Capitalism, not that crony capitalism BS, I am talking about pure capitalism, is simply the voluntary exchange in free markets. It’s not about greed—it’s about harnessing self-interest for the collective good, as Adam Smith described in his “invisible hand.” Austrian economists like Friedrich Hayek argued that knowledge is dispersed; no central planner can match the efficiency of millions making choices. Capitalism has lifted billions from poverty: global extreme poverty fell from 36% in 1990 to under 10% today, largely thanks to market reforms in places like China and India. Yes, I said China. Even China has allowed a limited amount of capitalism to spread in its country. As they saw communism was failing, they wisely saw that if they allowed limited capitalism, it would save them, and it has, making it one of the leading economies in the world—imagine if it adopted a truly free market economy!
Libertarian values amplify this: respect property rights, minimal government intervention, and non-aggression toward others. Unlike Marxism’s class warfare, libertarianism sees individuals as sovereign, fostering peace through trade. The Libertarian Party has its Non-Aggression Principle, noting that free exchange among the people is a far better way for society than coercion, fraud, or force. Libertarians have also seen the proven fact that government central planning is a far less efficient system than a free market-driven system. Think of Bitcoin— a libertarian innovation bypassing central banks, empowering financial independence amid inflation.
When the state controls everything, corruption surges—public choice theory explains why politicians prioritize re-election over efficiency. Stalin’s purges or Mao’s Cultural Revolution weren’t aberrations; they stemmed from concentrated power.
What about the inequalities supposedly caused by capitalism? Markets encourage competition, breaking up monopolies (antitrust laws help, but overregulation can also stifle startups). Student debt? Deregulate education to lower costs, letting markets innovate affordable alternatives like bootcamps, i.e., Alpha School.
Adopting libertarian values is about voluntary charities and mutual aid societies, where they historically outperformed state welfare, as mutual benefit drives efficiency. Imagine a world where your taxes fund only essentials, leaving more for personal philanthropy or investment.
Millennials, you’re innovative, tech-savvy, and socially conscious—perfect for thriving in free markets. Embrace capitalism and ditch the socialistic victimhood; adopt capitalism’s optimism. Start small: track your finances like a business, invest in index funds, and advocate for policies that reduce barriers, such as occupational licensing reforms.