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Notes -
Marxism had already infused itself into the Western world by the early 20th century. Anarchism dates even further back. America has long had strains of socialism, communism, anarchim, Marxism in certain respects of academia and labor unions, yet this hasn't stopped 'free market capitalism' and 'liberal democracy' from thriving. The compromise is the far-left remains marginalized despite having some popularity online and campus, as it has been the past 60-100+ years in the US.
A similar pattern is seen around the world. Every country which has elections will have at least one fringe socialist or Marxist party, which never secures many votes or seats but exists nevertheless.
This is complacency. Mass college education and the trend towards more extreme university politicization changes the game. There's a big difference between 0.5% of your population being sympathetic to revolutionary Marxism (still dangerous!) and 20% of your population being sympathetic to revolutionary Marxism. A difference in degree becomes a difference in kind.
No, it’s the marketplace of ideas (TM). As long as the socialists keep failing to deliver cheap goods and/or national prestige, their market share is going to remain low.
I’m not sure why you think colleges are so threatening. Have you been to one, recently? Nobody even gets shot by the national guard.
Our institutions were a lot better at creating revolutionaries in the 60s and 70s, back when we still had a draft. And volume alone can’t be enough, or the labor unions would have toppled the government back when America was predominantly blue-collar.
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but the majority don't stay that way as adults though; they go on to have careers and join the fold of liberal democracy
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