In less than a month, voters in hundreds of elections will face a binary choice.
asserted
voters → face → choice
Whether free enterprise or “free” stuff is the best way to address their primary concern: the affordability crisis.
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enterprise → address → concern
On Nov. 3, Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) members are running in more than 200 local and statewide elections throughout the nation, offering “free” stuff like healthcare, housing, childcare, and more as the ultimate solution to the very real cost-of-living crisis.
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members → run → crisis
Unfortunately, the free stuff “solution” seems to be gaining popularity, especially among America’s youth.
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solution → seem → youth
According to a late 2025 Heartland/Rasmussen Reports poll, 58% of likely voters aged 18-39 support government-run grocery stores in every town in America, and 62% support more subsidized government housing.
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% → accord → housing
Even worse, socialism’s free stuff message in general is gaining traction among Americans on both the left and right.
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message → gain → left
On the other hand, Americans’ views of free enterprise are going in the other direction.
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views → go → direction
The free stuff canard has gained momentum over the past decade, despite its inherent illogic, because the long march through the institutions has succeeded.
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march → gain → institutions
“Highly educated” people are much more prone to fall for the socialist free stuff fable, not because they are so smart, but simply because they have been brainwashed.
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they → educate → fable
They view society as a zero-sum game.
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They → view → game
If an individual acquires great wealth, they must have done so unfairly.
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they → acquire → wealth
The free enterprise society that America pioneered was specifically designed to override the zero-sum societies that lacked private property rights, rule of law, limited government, and the freedom to choose one’s path in life.
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that → pioneer → life
The record over the past two centuries clearly shows that free enterprise has dwarfed socialism in producing higher living standards for all of society.
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enterprise → show → society
In terms of the current affordability problems facing Americans, a return to free enterprise principles could unlock all sorts of innovative solutions.
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return → face → solutions
In healthcare, if free enterprise were unleashed, the system would be patient-centered, allowing Americans a menu of healthcare plans based on their individual circumstances.
Decouple healthcare insurance from employment, a relic from World War II domestic price controls.
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system → unleash → controls
Loosen regulations so that people have ample choices, not a few one-size-fits-all plans.
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size → loosen → all
Reduce government intervention, which severely distorts price signals and undermines the laws of supply and demand.
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which → reduce → supply
An intrusion of free enterprise principles would likewise do wonders for the moribund housing and energy markets.
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intrusion → do → markets
Reducing arbitrary and capricious zoning laws would substantially increase supply.
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Reducing → reduce → supply
Lowering property taxes would boost demand.
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Lowering → lower → demand
Eliminating rent control would incentivize more housing.
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Eliminating → eliminate → housing
Renewable energy mandates have wildly skewed electricity prices.
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mandates → skew → prices
The absurd war on fossil fuels has reduced the supply of abundant, affordable, reliable energy.
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war → reduce → energy
These are but a few ways that free enterprise principles and policies could alleviate the affordability crisis.
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principles → alleviate → crisis
The free stuff pitch is a much easier sell, especially when the population has been conditioned to frown on free enterprise by powerful cultural institutions for decades.
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population → condition → decades
To buy the free stuff story, however, one must enter a fantasy mindset untethered to history, human nature, and reality.
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one → buy → history
Suffice it to say, nothing is free.
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nothing → suffice → ?
The stuff, like healthcare services rendered, medical devices, employee wages at a childcare center, construction materials, etc. never appear free of charge.
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stuff → render → charge
The so-called free stuff is provided by the productive members of society via taxes.
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stuff → call → taxes
The DSA candidates say that if billionaires just foot their fair sure, all the free stuff they promise will be funded forever.
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they → say → sure
But that defies basic arithmetic and common sense.
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that → defy → arithmetic
Free enterprise societies not only produce better economic outcomes than free stuff societies, but they are also virtuous, moral, and worthy of defending.
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they → produce → defending
They uphold human dignity, instill purpose, and incubate ingenuity.
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They → uphold → ingenuity
They embrace freedom, promote opportunity, and reward hard work.
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They → embrace → work
Free enterprise is not flawless; some succeed more than others.
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some → succeed → others
But free enterprise, as history shows and reason confirms, is and always will be far superior to the imbecilic idea of endless free stuff.
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reason → show → stuff
Chris Talgo ([email protected]) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
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Talgo → protect → Institute
The Aporia
