No wonder, then, that progressives who lived through the Cold War and grew up during a time of great prosperity under post-war capitalism are wedded to the idea of saving capitalism from itself. Warren and Reich are like most of their generation in this sense. According to a YouGov Omnibus poll from 2018, a majority of Americans over 65 have a favorable view of capitalism, while only 30 percent of 18-29 year olds see capitalism in a favorable light.
This trend among millennials is clearly represented by Ocasio-Cortez, who grew up after the fall of communism and came of age during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. “Capitalism has not always existed in the world and it will not always exist in the world,” said Ocasio-Cortez during an interview last summer. The idea that the free market system could come to an end is inconceivable to those who have lived their whole lives under the impression that it’s simply the natural order of things.
