I think my child is a socialist?

[brokenheartedbattleostrich]

My son has just turned 15, and recently he has been coming home from school telling me how he has been learning lots about socialism. Since this started happening, we have been arguing nonstop. He doesn't seem to let anything go. Whenever I try to talk about work at the dinner table (in fairness, I am a banker), he can't go 5 minutes without getting angry at me and disrupting the meal. I understand what he is going through, he's not the only one to have a lefty phase - I had mine at university! That being said, I'm worried that he's going down a bad path, and that his behaviour is going to become a real problem. God forbid I take him into waitrose! If anyone has any advice, do share.

My 15 year old is a argumentative lefty too, I’m proud of her 🤣

one of my grandsons gone the other way. Hoping it's a phase

@Limensoda
"Socialists understand they should pay their taxes."
Funny how so many of their members and donors struggle with actually doing so, then?

FTR the Tories I know personally [not one mysefl, before you all assume] are all assiduous in paying proper tax - because they respect the law. Sorry to burst your tribalist, self-righteous bubbles, people.

Well, despite being a banker OP, you’ve obviously done a good job raising your young socialist.

My suggestion is that he goes out and gets himself a Saturday job then voluntarily gives half his wage to the HMRC.If he wants to spout socialism then fine, but he can put his money where his mouth is

I think OP would prefer he becomes an extremely wealthy banker or CEO and put his money offshore where HMRC can't get it. Socialists understand they should pay their taxes.

Laughing out loud about this, so may people on the left use measures to avoid tax. Do as I say not do as I do.

What about Ed Miliband's avoidance of inheritance tax?

Seriously if this kid thinks he's a socialist, fine, but I bet you he won't be giving half his earnings voluntarily to the HMRC or to his local food bank etc. He'll keep it and spend on himself like the majority of other teens.

Haha sounds like my 14 year old. All very know all about socialism and sure in the knowledge that his old fold know nothing.

But his old mum was a keen reader of history and politics, studied Russian, we studied a lot of Russian history and politics at school for some reason and I’ve been there in the old days. I have also read a lot of auto/biographies set around the mao era.

We have some interesting conversations. We also have discussions around sex and gender issues.

Brilliant- well done your son for being interested in fairness and equality

What @NameChangeNugget said.

He's learned about socialism and the right but has anyone explained to him that there is a centre to it all too OP?

I'd rather be centrist than a socialist any day. Best of both worlds 😁 I get to keep my money but also benefit from the state 👍

I married a committed liberal who aged into a right winger when he discovered how badly his taxes were being spent. I've got lefter with age.

Whatever my children proclaim I explain the other perspective. Makes dinner very interesting.

It’s just a phase he’ll grow out of it. Try not to worry too much.

I have a 14 yo and a 17 yo. We have fantastic debates over the dinner table.
Don't tell him he is wrong (he isn't, he just has a different view to you), but probe his ideas. Ask what happens in different scenarios when different sides are considered. Try and put forward other ideas, in hypothetical situations - don't impose your views as being the only possible route. Maybe you can learn something from your DS. I know I learn stuff from my DCs daily. It's great they have their own views and ideas.

“Maybe he's just learned at school that bankers are one of the reasons this country is on its knees and he thinks you're one of them.

I think it's great when teenagers have a bit of oomph about them and they should most definitely start to question things. Leaders of the future!”

Nothing to do with people borrow more than they could afford. But hey why take any responsibility?

You have two options-

Explain how a capitalist economy raises £800,000,000,000 a year and what it does with that money.

Give him the notional role of Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer in your home for a year and watch him save money by reducing all your groceries and household bills down to £3.82.

Brilliant- well done your son for being interested in fairness and equality

As I understand it, socialism isn't about redistribution, it's about ownership. In a socialist state the government would own all land and property and businesses, and the only way for people to get money would be by selling their labour.

(I've no doubt that people who call themselves socialists believe in redistribution, I'm just saying it's not a defining characteristic of socialism. Even the USA has a fairly large welfare state, by worldwide standards, and I gather very few people there would think of themselves as socialist!)

As it happens I was googling yesterday, for a list of socialist states, and a list I found contained almost no state that wasn't communist or at least formerly communist. I don't think any current European state was on the list. I saw Sweden call socialist somewhere else, but it didn't make that list.

(I was seeing if there were any more positive examples than Venezuela. China was the only one in the list where I was aware of any positive attributes.)

My two teenagers are lefties and I'm proud. I'd far rather that than having dreadful entitled Tory twats for offspring. They care about injustice and inequity.
You should be grateful OP, and admit that as a wanker banker you are propping up the capitalist parasitic scumbag system. Be glad your ds isn't part of that

I try not to deaminise people for their politics or fall back on stereotypes. 🙄

Fear not, OP. Thanks to your influence, the inner destructive capitalist in him will emerge by the time he’s 35.

In the meantime, get him hooked on Milton Freeman. Don’t give up!
There’s hope he can still grow up to be a selfish #MeFirst asshole yet!

Socialisim is a broad church from full managed economies to left of centre free market economies with an emphasis on equality and public service. I wouldn want to live in a right wing country, for those that do try reading 1984 (though I find the writing style poor).

Just to say, I know some lovely bankers and a care worker for adults with learning difficulties who’s an arsehole .....

topcat2014 I don’t know. I don’t think you should cringe about that. That could have been the starting point for a very interesting discussion. There is huge wealth inequality in this country.

Congratulations. Your child has reached a developmental milestone. It’s as appropriate as toddling and learning to speak.
A thoughtful 15 year old ought to have an interest in the politics and economics of the world around them and a thoughtful parent should encourage it.
The only inappropriate attitude here is yours.

Is that you, Fred Goodwin?...

Good morning, OP. Well, you are in a bind, aren't you? Wherever did he pick up ideas like this? We would recommend a return to National Service, hard labour each morning before school and cold showers four times a day. That ought to wake him up a bit.

Try to look on the bright side. At least he's not showing any signs of becoming an internet troll yet. Now that really would be a concern.

We've escorted the OP from the building now as, funnily enough, we weren't convinced they were completely genuine. We're going to leave the thread up for now just in case there are any poor beleaguered left-wing teenagers reading in need of some light relief.

Thanks for the reports.

I've always thought that 'merchant banker' was rhyming slang for 'wanker'. Have I been deluding myself?

I bet he likes the money you bring home though!! On the off chance the OP was genuine, most of them go through this phase, but it does moderate a bit over time.