August 8, 2025
Here’s the setup.
Michael and I were on the bus last month, going to Pompeii to visit the ruins, something she and I have done several times. But we keep going back because it is one of the world’s most compelling sites and stories. It’s not so much the ruins, it’s the experience of just meandering through, contemplating the terrible human tragedy it represents. How unlucky those poor people were. The frozen in time corpses, the frozen in time lovers/family members embracing…its very emotional.
Contrary to general belief, it wasn’t the ash that killed them. The morning after the first eruption, a pyroclastic blast of superheated air hit the town and people simply suffocated as their lungs burned out. No escape possible.
Across the aisle from us are two 20-somethings. I guess maybe college freshmen. They are with their parents on our Ritz cruise, their first time to Pompeii. And as the tour guide gave us the introductory lesson as we approached the town, they had their earphones on and were watching You Tube rock and roll concert videos.
And they continued to do so as we walked through the town.
Hold that thought.
A recent poll from the Cato Institute/YouGov indicated that 62% of 18–29-year-old Americans look ‘favorably’ on Socialism.
What is so dismaying is we are talking about educated and advantaged kids. The guys on the bus were going to one of the world’s most iconic sites and they were totally uninterested; Pompeii being overridden by Miley Cyrus.
“How’d you like Pompeii?”
“Huh? Whatever.”
Despite all the education many have under their belts, they seem to be mostly clueless about how the world works. Now I get it, we can talk about how their parents and grandparents have sheltered them. I don’t have to go down that road. And we can give some points for inexperience, sure. But…
Graduates ripping up their diplomas at Columbia in protest
Pretend for a moment you’re their parents and you sweated the night shift to help put them through four years of college…
But I am utterly convinced that the rise of social media fueled by technology has helped fashion a generation greatly influenced, negatively.
I was with my son on a hockey trip to Toronto a few months ago, watching my grandson play (he plays at an elite level). And I had some time with the dads, and they were telling me about how hard it is to corral their kids’ social media diet. Parental controls, confiscating cell phones, educating kids about predators and all of that.
The addiction is to me obvious, but the lack of knowledge about history and geography and great books and philosophies makes them prey to the Pied Pipers of politics…people who promise to bail them out of their problems (Socialism being a front and center example).
Mr. Mamdani might become the Mayor of New York City. And you know where his supporters lie?
“Mamdani’s success with younger voters could signal a sea change in electoral politics, where indicators like race and geographic location become less important. The young voters across racial and ethnic backgrounds seemed to have pretty well mobilized behind Mamdani.”
So, for some, it is convenient to place it on various ethnic minorities but that is simply not the case. This appears to be more of a generational issue.
We were having dinner last night with two friends, they of very definite Left political persuasion. And we debated back and forth but our friendships are strong, and it was fine. But we did all agree that there is something amiss in the effects of technology. That somewhere between the analog life of our childhoods and the digital life today, a human chasm has opened and may never be closed. Interpersonal skills suffer as one simple example.
And as we now move to a world of AI and robots, I wonder not only the depressive effects on employment, but what our young people will be able to offer an employer in employable skill set.
There is great risk to the Republic in all of this. If you are Democrat, you have to worry that your party is being hijacked by Socialists. If you are a Republican, you have to worry that a Socialist might be your next mayor. But more, we all have to worry that an implosion of the Democrats into a Socialist swamp (that the rest of the country is going to most assuredly reject) could move us toward a one-party system.
And to me, the risk of fascism doesn’t lie in one man, it lies in a one-party system, lacking a loyal opposition. Because once you have one party (any party) control everything, all the checks and balances are gone and excess shoulders in.
Gentle readers take some time to learn about Socialism and the universal failure it is. Today’s Socialists think if they just tweak it a little bit, they can make it work. That’s a pig in a poke, it doesn’t work.
Remember, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
And then educate your kids and your grandkids. Make them aware and better citizens. It’s good for the Republic, good for us all. And to be clear, having an educated electorate is not partisan, it’s something we all want. You want to vote Dem or Rep, I’m cool on that. I want BOTH parties to succeed. It is after all a FREE society…
At least for now.
I always welcome thoughtful feedback. If a particular piece resonates—or raises a question—I’d be glad to hear from you. You can reach me directly at anthony@workingprofit.com
