In a recent conversation that has captured widespread attention, comedian and political commentator Bill Maher addressed the growing economic frustration among younger Americans, highlighting a stark contradiction in modern capitalism’s performance.
Maher pointed to the paradox of contemporary economic life: millions of people attending expensive concerts and seemingly living comfortable lifestyles, while others struggle with basic financial independence. “How can capitalism be working so well for so many people?” he asked, noting that concert-goers aren’t exclusively billionaires but represent a broad swath of the population.
Yet the reality for many young adults tells a different story. “When you’re 30 years old and you still have roommates, yes, capitalism has failed you,” Maher stated bluntly, acknowledging the legitimate grievances driving younger generations toward alternative economic systems.
The commentator then pivoted to what he sees as a dangerous trend: the growing appeal of socialism among youth. “The question to me is, how do we make socialism seem unattractive?” Maher asked.
He argued that while young people’s frustrations are understandable, they lack historical perspective. “What the young people—I understand where their feelings are. They refuse to crack a book and learn that we’ve tried it many, many times. It never works.”
His conversation partner Rep. Jared Moskowitz agreed, but pointed to another critical factor shaping young people’s worldview: social media. The pandemic lockdowns intensified an already existing problem, with people increasingly isolated in their homes and glued to their devices. “What’s going on now has a lot to do with social media and being addicted to being online, which happened a lot during COVID when people were stuck in their houses and just stuck on their devices.”
Drawing from personal experience as a parent, Moskowitz noted: “I have a 9- and a 12-year-old. Right? It’s TikTok. It’s Instagram. That’s where their information is coming from.”
More troubling still is the vulnerability of these platforms to manipulation. “There are foreign powers working on these devices and these platforms trying to sell this stuff to our kids on all sorts of topics,” Moskowitz warned, suggesting that young Americans’ economic views may be influenced by actors with interests contrary to American prosperity.
As the wealth gap widens and housing costs soar, the conversation around capitalism’s successes and failures continues to intensify, particularly among those for whom the American dream seems increasingly out of reach.