How to Money · Friday, September 18, 2026
The hosts delve into the societal debate around capitalism and socialism, noting that surveys show people often dislike 'capitalism' more than 'free markets,' suggesting a potential branding issue. They discuss the frustration of older generations opposing socialism while benefiting from entitlement programs, potentially at the expense of younger generations. The conversation also touches on how government spending in areas like college, housing, and healthcare has distorted markets and contributed to unaffordability.
“And there is, I think, kind of like a backlash right now against capitalism, free markets. And it's interesting when you look at the surveys. Part of it depends on how the question is asked. People tend to dislike capitalism more. a lot more than they dislike free markets.”
“And so what this younger reader is saying is that the older generation of Americans have kind of used redistribution to their advantage, potentially harming younger generations. And I do think there's some truth to that.”
“To me, this feels less like, I mean, this is less a socialism versus free markets or capitalism kind of argument. To me, this has everything to do with government spending, right? Because if you talk to young folks in any survey out there, Like, where are we seeing the highest prices? Where are we seeing unaffordability? We're seeing it in college, right? We were just talking about that. You see it in housing. You see it in healthcare. It's the three H's.”