Editor's Note: This piece was co-authored by David Goetsch.
Leftist politicians, President Joe Biden, Marxist professors, the mainstream media, historical revisionists and the entertainment industry all play a role in hoodwinking young people into favoring socialism over freedom, enterprise and self-determination. However, the most important factor in the susceptibility of young people to the false promises of socialism is their parents. Turning the youngsters of today into the socialists of tomorrow begins in the home. This is why, with apologies to Willie Nelson, we offer this warning: Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be socialists.
In our upcoming book, "We Didn't Fight for Socialism: America's Veterans Speak Up" (to be released in July), we make the critical point that parents are often unwittingly complicit in the acceptance of socialism by their children. This happens when helicopter parents shield their children from responsibility and accountability during their formative years, accept mediocrity instead of encouraging excellence, and do for their children what children should do for themselves.
Not surprisingly, when children raised this way come of age, they are open to a nanny government taking the place of their helicopter parents. Knowing this, socialist advocates such as Biden and his fellow Democrats promise them taxpayer-funded care from cradle to grave. Not surprisingly, the concept of nanny government resonates with young people who have been pampered by their parents.
A lot of parents in America give their children latitude without responsibility. They also give them material comfort without requiring anything from them. Ironically, many of the parents who make these mistakes were once poor or middle-income youngsters themselves. Because of this, they had to work long and hard for the material advantages they now enjoy. Not wanting their children to suffer the hardships they endured, these parents make the mistake of over-providing for them materially -- resulting in idleness, bad attitudes, poor decisions and unacceptable behavior.
Too many well-meaning parents give their children what children should be required to earn. This is a mistake because an ironic trait of human nature is we appreciate more what we earn than what we are freely given. When children are required to contribute to the family in meaningful ways and earn what they receive, they are better prepared to function outside the home when they come of age.
Shielding children from the realities of life doesn't help them; it harms them. Letting children learn to cope with consequences while they are young and able to grow from the experience is the best way to prepare them for life outside the protective cocoon of the parental home. Is it any wonder when children raised by helicopter parents develop an aversion to responsibility and accountability and acquire an entitlement mentality?
It should come as no surprise when young people raised by helicopter parents are hoodwinked by the false promises of socialism -- promises such as free college tuition, free health care and student debt forgiveness? Is it any wonder young people who have never been required to work refuse to get jobs, even though most employers have "Help Wanted" signs in their windows, are paying well above minimum wage and are offering hiring bonuses? Their parents conditioned them to expect to receive everything they might want without having to work for it. Pandering politicians in the Democratic Party reinforce this unhealthy perspective by promising to pick up where the parents left off.
Young people who don't learn personal responsibility and accountability in the home are sitting ducks for the false promises of socialist ideologues. Unprepared, thoroughly indoctrinated young people who choose socialism over capitalism are just doing what their parents taught them to do.
Oliver L. North is a combat-decorated U.S. Marine, No. 1 bestselling author, and founder and CEO of Fidelis Publishing LLC and Fidelis Media LLC. Find out more about him at www.olivernorth.com. David Goetsch is a Marine Corps veteran, member of the Florida Veterans Hall of Fame, professor of business, Christian counselor and author of 76 books.