Socialism is un-American—in the Founder's sense of the phrase. None of them, regardless of affiliation (even the Federalists) would have liked it. Much of what they wish is expressly unconstitutional. Being in favor of the constitution doesn't make you some sort of crazy radical, or anti-government. In fact, it makes you PRO government, since the Constitution IS our government.
Young people are for the most part pretty dumb, that's part of it.
Socialism might work for some places—particularly tiny countries. The problem that always arises is that it requires, strong, centralized control over most all aspects of everyone's life. This is always dangerous, since that gives those in power almost infinite tools of control. Large scale democide in the 20th century was almost the exclusive purview of socialist regimes—remember that there were only "communist" regimes in name, functionally, all socialists.
Again, it's not BECAUSE of socialism, but because the central control required for socialism is a necessary requirement for totalitarianism. There are (and were) no decentralized, totalitarian states (since decentralized and totalitarian are mutually exclusive).
Also, on the level of the average guy, they realize that it's against human nature. They also tend to envision themselves as being capable of succeeding enough that they'll be the victim of confiscatory taxes. Those content to never be successful are perhaps more likely to want to steal from others—legally.
In addition, people will always try to create free markets when markets are fettered. Always. Anything that is too highly taxed, or banned is available in a black market—everywhere on Earth. Proof that this is the natural state. Other economics exist only at gunpoint—free markets exist in spite of gunpoints.
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