Matt Walsh: 3 Solid Reasons Why Socialism Resonates With Young People

June 03, 2016

Writer

Matt Walsh, contributor at TheBlaze.com, joined The Glenn Beck Program on Thursday to talk socialism, rabbit holes and apes with guest host Buck Sexton.

"Young people have more favorable --- according to different polls I've seen --- more favorable impressions of socialism than capitalism. Is this sort of just the progressive dream of many decades of controlling education coming to fruition? Is this just public ignorance of history? What's happening here?" Buck asked.

Matt Walsh offered three solid reasons on why socialism resonates with young people today:

I think the first is just stupidity. A lot of people are very, very stupid. We can't forget that.

I think that young people, especially those that are lost and weren't raised, you know, with any kind of moral foundation of any kind, you rebel against things just because they exist and you go for something else just because it's different.

I think the third thing is the saddest reason . . . that we've lost . . . the young generation has lost what I think should be an instinct, to kind of want to go out on your own, make your own way in life, be independent, be free, you know, self-determination. These are things that a lot of people in my generation aren't inclined to.

The progressive left, as we know, have been remarkably effective at delivering their message --- through infusing public education with leftist ideology and, according to Walsh, tying it to the morality of good vs. bad. Conservatives, on the other hand, have failed to make the case that their principles and values are the best way to equal the playing field and help people rise above their circumstances.

To win over younger voters, Walsh believes the conservative right will have to connect on an emotional level, not just a logical one.

"So I think what conservatives have to do is come back and not just explain why capitalism makes people wealthier, but to explain why it's the morally superior arrangement. And this shows that the moral message is what appeals to people more than anything. It speaks right to their heart," Walsh said.

Speaking about reacting on an emotional level, Buck turned the conversation to Hambre the gorilla being shot and killed when a young boy fell into the silverback's enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo. Walsh's article on TheBlaze --- One Human Is More Important Than A Million Gorillas. And We All Know It. --- brought out a visceral reaction from those who view animal life equal to or above human life. While much of the criticism was somewhat levelheaded, plenty of comments were off the rails.

"I also encountered hundreds of people who flat-out said, 'Look, it's not the ape's fault that the kid fell in there. It's the fault of the parent. It's the fault of the kid, even.' And so, you know, survival of the fittest. The ape is stronger. You shouldn't make the ape pay the price for the stupid decision of the parents of the kids, and that means that the kid dies," Walsh said.

The national outrage, candlelight vigils and wreaths placed by a gorilla statue were ridiculous and over the top for Walsh.

"People die all the time. You don't see this reaction. One hundred twenty-five thousand unborn humans are killed every day in the world --- every day. Fifty million human beings are killed in the womb every year. And there are no monuments."

Why would someone place an animal life over a human? Walsh believes it's directly related to the rabbit hole progressives would find themselves in if they answered one question: Why is human life sacred and special?

"Why is it sacred? You know, I recognize that it must be true. Why is it true? And it must be true because there's some sort of power, some dimension outside of our own, some creative source from which we, you know, derive that value, which is what is explained in the Declaration of Independence. And if that's true, then that means that we have a moral responsibility to treat human life with respect and dignity. But if we have a moral responsibility, then what does that mean? And pretty soon, as progressives travel down this path and they fall down this rabbit hole and they get to the bottom, and they realize they're wrong about literally everything they think," Walsh said.

It's easier for many to accept a twisted worldview than to admit to being wrong.

"They're not willing to confront these questions which may lead them to the conclusion that they're wrong about everything," Walsh said.

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

Featured Image: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders greets supporters at a campaign rally at Lincoln Park on May 23, 2016 in East Los Angeles, California. Sanders is campaigning ahead of the June 7 California primary. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)

EXPOSED: Why the left’s trans agenda just CRASHED at SCOTUS

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

You never know what you’re going to get with the U.S. Supreme Court these days.

For all of the Left’s insane panic over having six supposedly conservative justices on the court, the decisions have been much more of a mixed bag. But thank God – sincerely – there was a seismic win for common sense at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. It’s a win for American children, parents, and for truth itself.

In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court upheld Tennessee’s state ban on irreversible transgender procedures for minors.

The mostly conservative justices stood tall in this case, while Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson predictably dissented. This isn’t just Tennessee’s victory – 20 other red states that have similar bans can now breathe easier, knowing they can protect vulnerable children from these sick, experimental, life-altering procedures.

Anna Moneymaker / Staff | Getty Images

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, saying Tennessee’s law does not violate the Equal Protection Clause. It’s rooted in a very simple truth that common sense Americans get: kids cannot consent to permanent damage. The science backs this up – Norway, Finland, and the UK have all sounded alarms about the lack of evidence for so-called “gender-affirming care.” The Trump administration’s recent HHS report shredded the activist claims that these treatments help kids’ mental health. Nothing about this is “healthcare.” It is absolute harm.

The Left, the ACLU, and the Biden DOJ screamed “discrimination” and tried to twist the Constitution to force this radical ideology on our kids.

Fortunately, the Supreme Court saw through it this time. In her concurring opinion, Justice Amy Coney Barrett nailed it: gender identity is not some fixed, immutable trait like race or sex. Detransitioners are speaking out, regretting the surgeries and hormones they were rushed into as teens. WPATH – the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the supposed experts on this, knew that kids cannot fully grasp this decision, and their own leaked documents prove that they knew it. But they pushed operations and treatments on kids anyway.

This decision is about protecting the innocent from a dangerous ideology that denies biology and reality. Tennessee’s Attorney General calls this a “landmark victory in defense of America’s children.” He’s right. This time at least, the Supreme Court refused to let judicial activism steal our kids’ futures. Now every state needs to follow Tennessee’s lead on this, and maybe the tide will continue to turn.

99% see THROUGH media’s L.A. riot cover-up

Barbara Davidson / Contributor | Getty Images

Glenn asked for YOUR take on the Los Angeles anti-ICE riots, and YOU responded with a thunderous verdict. Your answers to our recent Glennbeck.com poll cut through the establishment’s haze, revealing a profound skepticism of their narrative.

The results are undeniable: 98% of you believe taxpayer-funded NGOs are bankrolling these riots, a bold rejection of the claim that these are grassroots protests. Meanwhile, 99% dismiss the mainstream media’s coverage as woefully inadequate—can the official story survive such resounding doubt? And 99% of you view the involvement of socialist and Islamist groups as a growing threat to national security, signaling alarm at what Glenn calls a coordinated “Color Revolution” lurking beneath the surface.

You also stand firmly with decisive action: 99% support President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to quell the chaos. These numbers defy the elite’s tired excuses and reflect a demand for truth and accountability. Are your tax dollars being weaponized to destabilize America? You’ve answered with conviction.

Your voice sends a powerful message to those who dismiss the unrest as mere “protests.” You spoke, and Glenn listened. Keep shaping the conversation at Glennbeck.com.

Want to make your voice heard? Check out more polls HERE.

EXPOSED: Your tax dollars FUND Marxist riots in LA

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

Protesters wore Che shirts, waved foreign flags, and chanted Marxist slogans — but corporate media still peddles the ‘spontaneous outrage’ narrative.

I sat in front of the television this weekend, watching the glittering spectacle of corporate media do what it does best: tell me not to believe my lying eyes.

According to the polished news anchors, what I was witnessing in Los Angeles was “mostly peaceful protests.” They said it with all the earnest gravitas of someone reading a bedtime story, while behind them the streets looked like a deleted scene from “Mad Max.” Federal agents dodged concrete slabs as if it were an Olympic sport. A man in a Che Guevara crop top tried to set a police car on fire. Dumpster fires lit the night sky like some sort of postapocalyptic luau.

If you suggest that violent criminals should be deported or imprisoned, you’re painted as the extremist.

But sure, it was peaceful. Tear gas clouds and Molotov cocktails are apparently the incense and candles of this new civic religion.

The media expects us to play along — to nod solemnly while cities burn and to call it “activism.”

Let’s call this what it is: delusion.

Another ‘peaceful’ riot

If the Titanic “mostly floated” and the Hindenburg “mostly flew,” then yes, the latest L.A. riots are “mostly peaceful.” But history tends to care about those tiny details at the end — like icebergs and explosions.

The coverage was full of phrases like “spontaneous,” “grassroots,” and “organic,” as if these protests materialized from thin air. But many of the signs and banners looked like they’d been run off at ComradesKinkos.com — crisp print jobs with slogans promoting socialism, communism, and various anti-American regimes. Palestinian flags waved beside banners from Mexico, Venezuela, Cuba, and El Salvador. It was like someone looted a United Nations souvenir shop and turned it into a revolution starter pack.

And guess who funded it? You did.

According to at least one report, much of this so-called spontaneous rage fest was paid for with your tax dollars. Tens of millions of dollars from the Biden administration ensured your paycheck funded Trotsky cosplayers chucking firebombs at local coffee shops.

The same aging radicals from the 1970s — now armed with tenure, pensions, and book deals — are cheering from the sidelines, waxing poetic about how burning a squad car is “liberation.” These are the same folks who once wore tie-dye and flew to help guerrilla fighters and now applaud chaos under the banner of “progress.”

This is not progress. It is not protest. It’s certainly not justice or peace.

It’s an attempt to dismantle the American system — and if you dare say that out loud, you’re labeled a bigot, a fascist, or, worst of all, someone who notices reality.

And what sparked this taxpayer-funded riot? Enforcement against illegal immigrants — many of whom, according to official arrest records, are repeat violent offenders. These are not the “dreamers” or the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. These are criminals with long, violent rap sheets — allowed to remain free by a broken system that prioritizes ideology over public safety.

Photo by Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg | Getty Images

This is what people are rioting over — not the mistreatment of the innocent, but the arrest of the guilty. And in California, that’s apparently a cause for outrage.

The average American, according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, is supposed to worry they’ll be next. But unless you’re in the habit of assaulting people, smuggling, or firing guns into people’s homes, you probably don’t have much to fear.

Still, if you suggest that violent criminals should be deported or imprisoned, you’re painted as the extremist.

The left has lost it

This is what happens when a culture loses its grip on reality. We begin to call arson “art,” lawlessness “liberation,” and criminals “community members.” We burn the good and excuse the evil — all while the media insists it’s just “vibes.”

But it’s not just vibes. It’s violence, paid for by you, endorsed by your elected officials, and whitewashed by newsrooms with more concern for hair and lighting than for truth.

This isn’t activism. This is anarchism. And Democratic politicians are fueling the flame.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck's 'No King but Christ' merch: Will faith STOP the chaos?

On Saturday, June 14, 2025 (President Trump's 79th birthday), the "No Kings" protest—a noisy spectacle orchestrated by progressive heavyweights like Randi Weingarten and her union cronies—will take place in Washington, D.C.

Thousands will chant "no thrones, no crowns, no king," claiming to fend off authoritarianism and corruption.

But let’s cut through the noise. The protesters' grievances—rigged courts, deported citizens, slashed services—are a house of cards. Zero Americans have been deported, Federal services are still bloated, and if anyone is rigging the courts, it's the Left. So why rally now, especially with riots already flaring in L.A.?

Chaos isn’t a side effect here—it’s the plan.

This is not about liberty; it's a power grab dressed up as resistance. The "No Kings" crowd wants you to buy their script: government’s the enemy—unless they’re the ones running it. It's the identical script from 2020: same groups, same tactics, same goal, different name.

But Glenn is flipping the script. He's dropping a new "No Kings but Christ" merch line, just in time for the protest. Merch that proclaims one truth: no earthly ruler owns us; only Christ does. It’s a bold, faith-rooted rejection of this secular circus.

Why should you care? Because this won’t just be a rally—it’ll be a symptom. Distrust in institutions is sky-high, and rightly so, but the "No Kings" answer is a hollow shout into the void. Glenn’s merch begs the question: if you’re ditching kings, who’s really in charge? Get yours and wear the answer proudly.

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