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Or sign-in if you have an account.Protesters take to the streets of Montreal on March 27. Photo by Allen McInnis/MONTREAL GAZETTECould Canada someday become a thoroughly red country? This may not be as absurd as it seems.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events.Unlimited online access to National Post.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.Support local journalism.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorAlthough by American standards Canada is already socialist, given its strong social safety net, the country has a market-based economy, with residual commitment to property rights and basic civil liberties. Yet underneath this comforting picture, the emerging reality is frightening.A 2023 poll found that half of all Canadians aged 18 to 24 favour socialism. This compares to 43 per cent of middle-aged people and 38 per cent of those over 55. Remarkably, 17 per cent of young people said they embrace a stronger brand of collectivism, leading the website Communist Revolution to claim that Marxism is the favoured ideology of one-million young Canadians.This newsletter from NP Comment tackles the topics you care about. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againThe reason for the upsurge in socialism, in Canada and elsewhere, lies largely in the conditions faced by the younger generation. As in the United States and throughout the West, young people face a difficult future, particularly in terms of such things as good jobs and the ability to buy a house.As recently as 2011, young people surveyed by the World Happiness Report were the happiest segment of Canadian society; today, they are the most unhappy. This is reflected in growing pessimism about their future prospects, whether in terms of buying a home or even getting married. Some may be thinking of moving to the U.S. But they may not find the long-term economic climate better south of the border.Recent polls suggest that a majority of Americans under 40 embrace the idea of socialism, as do nearly half of college students. Perhaps even more remarkable, one of them found that a majority favour restricting incomes, with 12 per cent favouring a limit of only $1 million a year. Among young people with these views, proposals by New York’s socialist mayor, Zohran Mamdani, for state-run grocery stores, rent controls and social housing are gaining ground even in the capital of capitalism.This is a global phenomenon, as well. In a survey covering 28 countries and almost 21,000 respondents, half said that they at least “somewhat agree” with the statement, “At present, socialist ideals are of great value for societal progress,” and this included 45 per cent of German respondents and 39 per cent of American respondents.In this troubling cocktail, you can also add the influence of an education system that is increasingly dominated by what was once considered far-left indoctrination. In the U.S., roughly three-quarters of college faculty self-identify as left; even moderates are rare. Much the same applies to Canada.In both countries, university professors seems to favour ignoring the lessons of the Soviet Union. Ignorance of socialism’s record in the Soviet Union and Maoist China makes discussing socialism problematic. After all, socialism’s lethal failures are inconvenient facts for Marxist professors. They would rather accuse Israelis, Americans and Canadians of genocide while ignoring the fact that greatest mass murderers — including Hitler — in history did so under a red flag.Do not underestimate the power of omission. Young people are increasingly embracing socialism, although they may not understand what it was. I know this firsthand: when I taught a class about socialism, only one in 30 could identify a picture of Vladimir Lenin. And he was an Armenian who grew up in Moscow.The confluence of historical ignorance and poor future prospects helps explain why socialism is having a reprise. Nor can we expect it to evolve into Scandinavian-style social democracy. The candidates who embrace socialism openly, like NDP Leader Avi Lewis, care less about improving the economy than blathering on about Zionist “genocide” and advocating for the abandonment of Canada’s critical oil and gas industry.The NDP is intent on embracing transgenderism and racial quotas, while advocating for more public ownership of the means of production. Rather than feeding off working-class anger, the Canadian left now largely reflects the angst of younger, underpaid, overeducated professionals. This is the class now increasingly feeling most threatened by artificial intelligence.As in Canada, the American left — led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mayor Mamdani and Seattle’s new leftist mayor, Katie Wilson — are going well beyond traditional social democratic reformism. A far more intrusive brand of Marxism based on the vilification of the rich is now fashionable. This is seen in the fans of Luigi Mangione, the alleged murderer of a health-care executive, who have been handed press passes to his trial by the Mamdani administration.Canadians should be particularly concerned with the adoption of the settler/colonial ideology that dominates the education system. This could prove troublesome for countries like Canada, the U.S. and Australia, which came into the world as colonies. This approach can be seen in discussions of the rights of First Nations to gain title over land owned by the evil “settlers.” This logic does not apply just to Anglos, but also to the Quebecois and recent immigrants from non-white countries.How can Canada, or the U.S., fight this trend? It won’t be by reprising the wisdom of Adam Smith or Milton Friedman, however great their contributions. It can only be reversed when governments realize that the only antidote to socialism is greater class mobility, better jobs and more affordable housing.Until these issues are addressed, expect to see more red communist flags over the coming decade and, if the current generation is not mugged by reality, perhaps waving above Parliament someday, as well.National Post Join the Conversation This website uses cookies to personalize your content (including ads), and allows us to analyze our traffic. Read more about cookies here. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.