For a nation founded on principles of limited government, personal liberty and free-market competition, the United States has a socialism problem. And one of the chief contributors is an unlikely culprit: our schools.
About four in 10 Americans -- including a full two-thirds of Democrats -- have a positive view of socialism, according to a Gallup poll this fall. Another recent study by the CATO Institute paints an even more alarming picture: It finds more than 60% of voters under the age of 30 hold a favorable opinion of socialism, compared to just half who feel the same about capitalism.
These shifting attitudes are not the result of some failure on the part of capitalism, despite activists' efforts to spin it as such. It's the product of the far left's insatiable desire to amass more power under its elitist ruling class -- which has hijacked the U.S. education system and transformed into a vehicle to advance its mission.
Make no mistake, the United States remains the land of opportunity and a beacon of hope for the rest of the world.
Our country boasts the highest GDP in the world, driven largely by small businesses, which employ nearly half the workforce.
And while some like to bemoan the wealth divide, Americans make up most of the world's population living at or above our middle-class standards, and today it is the leader in economic opportunity for those willing to work for it.
American democracy remains an exemplar for the rest of the world, helping promote and defend freedom well beyond our borders. And our commitment to individual liberties and free speech gives hope to those struggling under regimes that subjugate their people under the banners of socialism and communism.
Yet you wouldn't know it from the anti-American messaging being foisted on young people through our schools.
Under the watch of powerful teachers unions, American apologetics have been foisted on students, indoctrinating them into the belief that our country's history, however imperfect, should warrant some vast cultural redistribution.
Our system of government and economy may not be flawless, but they have made and continue to make the United States a global leader for good.
Instead of espousing the virtues of opposing despotism and protecting liberty, our schools are pushing curricula fashioned around critical race theory and the woke 1619 Project -- retellings of our history meant to vilify our country and its systems rather than provide an education that equips students to think critically and do better.
Many expect such woke ideology to be preached at college campuses. It's one reason why most Americans' say a traditional four-year degree is no longer worth the cost -- a trend that accelerated under former President Joe Biden's retreat from American exceptionalism.
A major in the history of gender or LGBTQ+ studies might be good for baptizing impressionable young people in the culture of wokeism, but it turns out those degrees don't have much value for employers -- or students.
It shouldn't be surprising that over two-thirds of recent college graduates come out with a positive opinion of socialism, compared to only 40% who would say the same about capitalism.
Who can blame them after being beat over the head with the alleged merits of socialism and evils of capitalism for more than a decade?
Perhaps most alarming is that student outcomes have steadily fallen while the Department of Education has enabled this cultural and economic assault.
The unelected bureaucrats whose job is to equip students with the skills to think independently and prepare them to succeed in the real world have instead been focused on stoking culture wars and hawking the liberal agenda -- which serves to further entrench their power.
President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon have promised to dismantle the Department of Education, and it is imperative Congress give them the authority to finish the job.
The nearly 50-year-old dinosaur has been hijacked by the left and weaponized against American ideals.
Meanwhile, it's failed in its only responsibility -- to improve educational outcomes.
Hopefully, students will one day read in the history books about the Trump administration's historic accomplishment of closing the U.S. Department of Education.
That will be a clue that conservatives finally ended the left's attack on our young people and got our education system back to the task of preparing future generations of leaders.
Ken Buck graduated from the University of Wyoming law school in 1985 and went on to serve in the United States House of Representatives from 2015-2024 representing Colorado's 4th congressional district.
