WATCH: Students support socialism over capitalism, but can't define either, Prof Giordano argues

Campus Reform Higher Education FellowNicholas Giordano appeared with Stuart Varney on Varney & Co. to discuss a new poll revealing that only 23% of students approve of capitalism.

No one should be surprised that the students’ outlook on capitalism is so low, Giordano argued. Students often pick up anti-capitalist sentiment in higher education, like at Marquette University where a professor taught that individual liberty was the root cause of “capitalist violence.”

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At the same time, schools have pushed socialist-communist ideology, Giordano said, like at UC San Diego, which “has the Ché Café, celebrating Ché Guevara as a revolutionary.”

“The students aren’t being taught what socialism actually is,” Giordano said. “The can’t define it. They give empty platitudes. … They’ll point to Nordic-Scandinavian nations … without ever realizing that those countries rank higher on the capitalist model than the heav[ily] regulated economy of the United States.”

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“What do you want?” Varney asked. “Courses on capitalism?”

“Yes,” Giordano responded. “I want a robust American civics program that teaches about the Founding Fathers, the mindset, the intent of government, liberty, capitalism, limited government, and the principles that our Founding Fathers set forth.”

“We need to speak out against the diversity, equity, and inclusion social justice initiatives that push the socialist model.”

“We need the Milton Friedmans and the Thomas Sowells of my generation which don’t exist to come out and speak forcefully in defense of capitalism.”

“We need to do those three things to change the mindset,” Giordano concluded.