Nearly 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, socialism is on the rise again. In the United Kingdom we see it with the Labour Party’s elevation of Jeremy Corbyn as party leader — Corbyn being one of the most “Old Labour,” socialism-happy politicians in recent British history. In the U.S., we began to see it in 2016 with the rise of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. In 2019, we continue seeing it with his polling strength in the 2020 presidential race and the rise of figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
We see it, too, in polling. According to Gallup numbers released just before Memorial Day weekend, 43% of Americans now see socialism as a “good thing” for America. That is an 18-point shift in socialism’s favor from 1942, and on spec, it’s good cause for free market-minded folks to be shocked and worried about America’s future trajectory.
