That American professor said that lately, a great many supporters of socialism have been emerging—among young people in the US and elsewhere. But this isn't because they are committed socialists; rather, they are protesting against capitalism, and since there is no alternative to socialism, and people want change...

https://youtu.be/jnaI-UzWVs4

Every form of automation is turned against the worker under capitalism.

Comrade, you know a thing or two about economics—please take a look at this video; it’s short. At the end, there are formulas he uses to prove the opposite.

Do you agree with this?

https://youtu.be/LfRdDwgky0A

That’s Comrade Semin; Semin promoted him on YouTube. He’s a socialist, too.

It’s really gratifying to see young people in Russia starting to think so progressively. And most importantly, they base their arguments on science rather than Solzhenitsyn’s tall tales or fairy tales about God.

I’m convinced that the politics of common sense and science—which Musk championed before—for some reason—going quiet—will sooner or later prevail over the politics of obscurantism or "popcorn and Coke," both in Russia and the US.

I listened to Semin recently; he attended an international communist congress in Britain a few years back. He represented the Russian Communist Party there (not the CPRF).

And the main thing is—honestly, Comrade—he used the exact same words I’ve been using for a long time. Their concept of socialism is somewhat abstract; every speaker at the forum said something different—there’s no unified concept, no single clear idea; it’s all very unrefined.

But on the other hand, progressive youth there—not just those with socialist views—are starting to realize that capitalism has outlived its usefulness, that it’s a hollow sham. So, they’re beginning to look for an alternative. Meanwhile, in Russia, the so-called progressive youth are only just starting to soak up the joys of capitalist life, because they didn't get a chance to enjoy it for 40 years... ))) There’s a lag and some gaps here, too.

It turns out there’s a Marx Library in London; I didn't know that... ))))

"Marx remains relevant as long as capitalism exists."

https://youtu.be/am-D1MtZ7Xg

And agree that education needs to change significantly at this point. A lot of education focuses on rote memorization, but what’s really important now is the ability to integrate the available information, evaluate it, and make decisions. Basically, applying dialectical thinking to the world. Also very much agree that USSR education was far better and broader. Becoming an intellectual was basically seen as the way to move up in society. In the west it’s just about making money which creates a very narrow and selfish horizon for people.

A quick side note: In the USSR, children were made to grow up early and shed their illusions, not the other way around.

As for Hollywood movies—if you strip away the sex, violence, and drugs, the vast majority of them are essentially children's films.

When I got to know American culture better, I was really surprised to learn that adults read comic books... In the USSR, the closest thing to comics was produced only for children who were just learning to read (before starting school). Personally, I was already reading Pushkin and had memorized several poems before I even started school—though I read comics, too.

Comic books, for crying out loud... )))) At age seven, I read H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds. I remember staying up all night in fear after reading The Time Machine.

And I’d borrowed the book from a classmate—a friend who had highly recommended it to me...

But why am I telling you this, Comrade? You were just like that yourself once... )))) You saw it all firsthand!

Teaching kids to experiment using computers in school is actually a really good idea. Once they develop the mindset it’s applicable everywhere, and easily transfers to working with the physical world too.

I’ll join Marx and add this: as long as capitalism exists, education will be crap! Because they aren’t raising intellectuals—they’re raising docile workers for their factories. Intellectuals don’t serve their interests; intellectuals think too much and notice too much... and then they say things that are highly inconvenient for the powers that be...

I do think we’ll need to restructure society in significant ways

I’m afraid restructuring won’t be enough.