The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation recently released its annual report on U.S. attitudes towards socialism. Here are seven figures you should know from the survey:
1. The percentage of millenials who are unfamiliar with: Mao Zedong (42 percent), Che Guevara (40 percent), Vladimir Lenin (33 percent), Karl Marx (32 percent), Vladimir Putin (18 percent), Joseph Stalin (18 percent).
2. Among those familiar, at least a quarter have favorable impressions of Guevara (37 percent), Marx (34 percent), and Lenin (25 percent). Among those familiar, many have a favorable view of Zedong (18 percent) and Stalin (12 percent).
3. More than one in four Millenials (26 percent), believe that more people were killed under George W. Bush’s presidency than Stalin’s leadership. Only one in four recognize that more than 100 million people were killed by Communism.
4. Almost one in four (19 percent) of younger Americans (Millenials and Gen Z) have an unfavorable view of capitalism while only 46 percent of Gen Z and 42 percent of Millenials) have a favorable view of capitalism.
5. Only one in three has a very unfavorable view of socialism, and three in four have an unfavorable view of communism.
6. Forty-seven percent disagree with the Biblical admonition that if any would not work, neither should he eat. (2 Thessalonians 3:10); 64 percent agree with Marx’s slogan, “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his need.
7. Almost half (45 percent) of younger Americans say they would likely vote for a presidential candidate that described themselves as “socialist.”
