Why are so many college students far-left liberals or socialists?

[nietzreznor]

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This rant was sparked by seeing this girl I used to [censored] who I no longer talk to but am still facebook friends with just joined this group: http://umd.facebook.com/group.php?gi...981&ref=nf I mean what the hell, obviously all Libertarians are evil heartless bastards who want all the homeless to starve etc. How is it not obvious that more government = bad? If these retards have more of their money thanks to less taxes they can give the homeless and poor all of that extra money if they want, do more "good" than the government would with taxes and still wind up with the same or more money. I can't even destroy their ignorant liberal attitudes beacuse they don't have a wall or forum arrrgh.

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I think part of the reason libertarians get this reputation as cold and heartless is because we sometimes have a bad tendency to justify the status quo, existing inequalities and structures, etc. as if they were produced by free markets (eg, the knee-jerk dismissive reaction to leftists complaining about vast economic inequality; we often defend such unequal outcomes, since we oppose govt redistribution, when we might instead attack such outcomes as a product of government intervention).

Anyways, I think this is part of the problem with the libertarian image (and I think it is partly justified); that said, it isn't the whole problem. Many college leftists don't know much economics and haven't taken the time to really understand where libertarians are coming from (no thanks here to the average university faculty).

[goodsamaritan]

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But these budding intellectuals get exposed to socialist ideas for the first time and when you are in the center of government spending its hard to see how socialism isnt a good thing. Its hard to understand that the reason your local factory workers are getting laid off is because your prof is making 150K/yr.

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Huh?

a) How are university students "at the center of government spending?" Higher education subsidies are a minuscule portion of government spending.
b) Lol if you think factory workers are getting laid off because of what college professors make (and the vast majority of them make less than 150K).

[Dan.]

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I'm a libertarian and a poor university student.

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Being a "poor university student" is decently incongruent, especially when you consider the the planet as a whole.

[Nonfiction]

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But these budding intellectuals get exposed to socialist ideas for the first time and when you are in the center of government spending its hard to see how socialism isnt a good thing. Its hard to understand that the reason your local factory workers are getting laid off is because your prof is making 150K/yr.

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Huh?

a) How are university students "at the center of government spending?" Higher education subsidies are a minuscule portion of government spending.


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Do state schools get funding from the feds or only that state? I am clueless about that.

[Vagos]

Wow, I have so much to say about this topic. First off...

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What else can they do but ponder philosophy soloutions.

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This probably has a lot to do with it (also why a lot are anarchist.)

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A lot of college students are anarchists? Hahahah, is this a joke? It's less than 10% AT BEST. I know you're just trying to rib the younger ACists on this forum (like me, Shake, BCPVP), but at least pick a spot where it actually makes sense to do so.

Furthermore, it's that they don't think ENOUGH about philosophical questions that so many of them drift into the liberal/socialist camp. They don't care to think much about the morality or consequences of their views/political actions on other people, they just see "equality for all" as some kind of utopian pipe dream.

In my experience (and I went to one of the most liberal universities in the country), there is a huge impact coming from the faculty! I'm actually surprised no one has mentioned this but I guess it was just so palpable at my school. So many of my professors openly expressed and praised world views of "socialism=good, capitalism=bad" as if they were written fact. It was truly sickening and since a lot of college students don't give politics a second thought in high school, this was new and exciting and made sense...and most importantly, it was the only view they were being subjected to. Makes for a pretty smooth transition.

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I'm a libertarian and a poor university student.

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Being a "poor university student" is decently incongruent, especially when you consider the the planet as a whole.

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This argument doesn't work though, because I believe the original point was about a facebook group where college kids (mainly liberals) post in a college group about libertarians being greedy and rich. If most US college kids are rich compared to the rest of this world, then libertarians can just as easy play the "I only know rich college liberals" card. Let me tell you how many radical socialists at my school would bash capitalism to no ends, but could consistently be seen in the halls eating a Big Mac while listening to their iPod. Why aren't you in the peace corps spreading equality? GREEDY BASTARD!

[Nielsio]

Ralph Raico on the role of intellectuals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X6NprQKAMo

What do you think, Nonfiction?

[Vagos]

Oh, and a story from my last year at college. This is mainly for the college libertarians/ACists on this board...

I was in this film course, it was only 1 credit but was really easy, we just went to watch a film in this local film festival 6 times during the semester. You fill out a survey and that's it. The theme for this particular one was Spanish/Latin American films. Usually a speaker would come who was in someway involved with the filmmaking process.

Well, one week, we had to watch a series of short videos about spreading equality around the world. How capitalism was destroying third world countries and how the answer was more government and more socialism. They were essentially documentaries that take to the streets, etc. So the films end and after an hour and a half of squirming in my chair, the speakers begin to talk about how they helped to create these films and, best of all, how they distribute them!

"We often travel all over the place, and meet up with other groups. We will sell our videos to them or if they are low on cash, we will exchange them for other videos."

I turned to my friend and whispered, "Otherwise known as capitalism." We had a good laugh.


This kind of thing just truly angered me all through college because so many people would just assert that capitalism was a bad thing that destroyed lives when nearly 100% of them benefitted from it and saw an improvement in their daily lives because of it.

[Barcalounger]

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A lot of college students are anarchists? Hahahah, is this a joke? It's less than 10% AT BEST. I know you're just trying to rib the younger ACists on this forum (like me, Shake, BCPVP), but at least pick a spot where it actually makes sense to do so.

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-1 (Illogical)
What proportion of the general population are anarchists? Less than 1% AT BEST. If you're going to rail against liberalism being overrepresented on college campuses you can't pull a victim complex when someone raises the fact that your extreme views might also be overrepresented there.

[HeavilyArmed]

Liberalism is easy. You simply need to care about the problem, locate the liberal solution and advocate. In fact, if you mistakenly stop and think about many knee-jerk liberal answers to problems you'll find yourself hopelessly confused.

Here's a good example. Gas prices are too high. Let's put price controls on it! Problem solved. Don't you feel better? I sure do. Now let's go after the windfall profits too!

1/2 part intellectually lazy + 1/4 part idealist + 1/4 part self-loathing white = liberal. Most every time.

[Mad Cow]

Which one do you like best?

1) College life is more diverse and open than what most people experience, and it works OK. Students are therefore less attracted by reactionary thoughts (gays, Mexicans, socialists, etc), the bread-and-butter of conservatives.

2) Whether you study chemistry or economics, the basic assumption is that if you do X, Y will happen (possibly with a certain probability, etc). Students have consequently a higher trust in active policies (vs. letting things evolve on their own).

3) Many students are somewhat beneficiaries of social policies. If they are not happy, chances are that they want more grants, public funding, etc. They don’t want to spit in the soup.