Fingon Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_con..._than_socialism Only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 20% disagree and say socialism is better. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure which is better. Adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided: 37% prefer capitalism, 33% socialism, and 30% are undecided. Thirty-somethings are a bit more supportive of the free-enterprise approach with 49% for capitalism and 26% for socialism. Adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism, and just 13% of those older Americans believe socialism is better. Investors by a 5-to-1 margin choose capitalism. As for those who do not invest, 40% say capitalism is better while 25% prefer socialism. There is a partisan gap as well. Republicans - by an 11-to-1 margin - favor capitalism. Democrats are much more closely divided: Just 39% say capitalism is better while 30% prefer socialism. As for those not affiliated with either major political party, 48% say capitalism is best, and 21% opt for socialism. This is pretty damn scary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_con..._than_socialism This is pretty damn scary. In a vacuum neither is better, both are merely economic concepts. In the long run, for a country of our size, capitalism will work better for the most part, although usage of certain socialistic concepts is not bad. The idea that capitalism=always good and socialism=always bad is utter nonsense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelly the Dog Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 And only 2% of those questioned could sufficiently define, explain or understand either of the concepts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Cat Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_con..._than_socialism This is pretty damn scary. Scary? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 And only 2% of those questioned could sufficiently define, explain or understand either of the concepts. Precisely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RkFast Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Sounds like a lot of "grass is greener" syndrome to me. Becuase even I admit....on its face, socialism can sound very appealing. You mean I just pay more taxes and Im "covered" for everything, cradle to grave? GREAT! As they say...the devil is in the details. And not many people understand the details. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted April 9, 2009 Share Posted April 9, 2009 Try to find the silver lining.... The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 20% disagree and say socialism is better. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure which is better. Capitalists (53%) outweigh the uninformed (27%) by a 2:1 ratio Capitalists (53%) outweigh the brainwashed (20%) by a 5:2 ratio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Sounds like a lot of "grass is greener" syndrome to me. Becuase even I admit....on its face, socialism can sound very appealing. You mean I just pay more taxes and Im "covered" for everything, cradle to grave? GREAT! As they say...the devil is in the details. And not many people understand the details. I don't think it is that. For me it is a lot different. What I mean is that I can stay independent and live off the things that I make for myself, no problem... Socialism for ME is NOT about helping MYSELF (I can do that myself very well and have no worries about "surviving."). Heck, to me socialism has nothing to do with me personally. For me, socialism is about SERVICE TO OTHERS and helping others even if by doing so it sets me back. I am not worried about taking a step back, I have the confidence to always step forward. Again, I will always be able to help myself. There are always people better off than you and there are people worse off than you. For me, I don't worry where I want to be and the people better off than me... I worry about the people below me and having the ability to bring them up to par with where I am or ABOVE where I am. For some this is a concept that they can't accept. Some always have to be "winning" over others. I am not saying that we all don't have it as humans... We do... Competition is a natural thing. IMO, that competition between humans need not consume one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartshan-83 Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I think this can be explained through a few theories... 1. As RK mentioned, the "grass is greener" and "surface appeal." 2. In my experience, for younger people socialism doesn't carry the historical stigma is does for older adults. Every generation has their experience-based biases. Communism (and therefore socialism) is likely considered completely abhorrent by many older adults who lived through the height our our country's war against it. By the time I became aware of anything besides my Ninja Turtles, the USSR had fallen. Just as this generation will probably develop stronger anti-Islamic slants (on the whole) than those past, I never lived in a world where calling someone a communist was akin to branding them a traitor. 3. Things suck right now. Capitalism's popularity will take a natural hit as 401ks tank, banks need billions and our economy takes a beating. Re-do this poll in a couple years (or a couple years ago) and I'd say the results are much different. JMO... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I think this can be explained through a few theories... 1. As RK mentioned, the "grass is greener" and "surface appeal." 2. In my experience, for younger people socialism doesn't carry the historical stigma is does for older adults. Every generation has their experience-based biases. Communism (and therefore socialism) is likely considered completely abhorrent by many older adults who lived through the height our our country's war against it. By the time I became aware of anything besides my Ninja Turtles, the USSR had fallen. Just as this generation will probably develop stronger anti-Islamic slants (on the whole) than those past, I never lived in a world where calling someone a communist was akin to branding them a traitor. 3. Things suck right now. Capitalism's popularity will take a natural hit as 401ks tank, banks need billions and our economy takes a beating. Re-do this poll in a couple years (or a couple years ago) and I'd say the results are much different. JMO... I comes down to nothing but "control." IMO, people don't like to be controlled... Even if it has no effect on them... They will fight no matter what just for the sake of fighting it, usually inventing some "slippery slope" theory. People don't like to be told what to do. Now on the other hand, these same people are usually the first in line trying to "control" others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drnykterstein Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 And only 2% of those questioned could sufficiently define, explain or understand either of the concepts. Ya I agree. The republican fear factory went so off the deep end on Obama being socialist that people started to think he actually was. So now they don't disagree with it because they think what he is doing is socialist, and then they see what he is doing is pretty good. So they claim that socialism is better. So congrats fear mongerers, you successfully redefined socialism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Ya I agree. The republican fear factory went so off the deep end on Obama being socialist that people started to think he actually was. So now they don't disagree with it because they think what he is doing is socialist, and then they see what he is doing is pretty good. So they claim that socialism is better. So congrats fear mongerers, you successfully redefined socialism. You do realize that the reckless and irresponsible pork-filled shovel-ready save-the-world stimulus bill easily pranced its way through a Democrat-only signing fest based on scaring this living batshiit out of America with talks of "the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression" in which a half billion jobs will be lost every minute that the bill is not signed? Or maybe you don't remember that, which is completely plausible since the speed at which the bill was supposed to fund shovel-ready jobs apparently never took place. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. Republicans don't have the market on fear-mongering. This administration is so good at it, it's downright spooky. Never let a good crisis go to waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 This country has had a capitalist/socialist blend of government for a long time. FDR was definitely the biggest step in mixing the two and Republicans and Democrats have been building on the socialist principle ever since. There is no difference between the parties when it comes to big government. It's still a blend because we're not as far gone as some other countries--there's still some vestige of capitalism here (not in politicians but in business) but it's a lost cause. The US is pretty much socialist and it isn't going to change without a major sea change/war/revolution or something like that, which is not likely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPS Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 You do realize that the reckless and irresponsible pork-filled shovel-ready save-the-world stimulus bill easily pranced its way through a Democrat-only signing fest based on scaring this living batshiit out of America with talks of "the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression" in which a half billion jobs will be lost every minute that the bill is not signed? Or maybe you don't remember that, which is completely plausible since the speed at which the bill was supposed to fund shovel-ready jobs apparently never took place. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. Republicans don't have the market on fear-mongering. This administration is so good at it, it's downright spooky. Never let a good crisis go to waste. Do you know how much has been spent/committed from the Fed/Treasury/and fiscal stimuli, and how much of it Obama is responsible for? Uhhh...yeah, the crisis was a little exaggerated, only somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 trillion over the past 14 months... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 Do you know how much has been spent/committed from the Fed/Treasury/and fiscal stimuli, and how much of it Obama is responsible for? Uhhh...yeah, the crisis was a little exaggerated, only somewhere in the neighborhood of $12 trillion over the past 14 months... I'm not arguing who is at fault. I'm arguing that a liberal accusing Republicans of fear-mongering is both hypocritical and laughable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TPS Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 I'm not arguing who is at fault. I'm arguing that a liberal accusing Republicans of fear-mongering is both hypocritical and laughable. You are also insinuating that the crisis is/was overblown. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted April 10, 2009 Share Posted April 10, 2009 You are also insinuating that the crisis is/was overblown. It was. Not to say it's not a serious situation. But it was overblown by both sides. I would argue it would have never been blown up the way it was if 2008 wasn't an election year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 Sounds like a lot of "grass is greener" syndrome to me. Becuase even I admit....on its face, socialism can sound very appealing. You mean I just pay more taxes and Im "covered" for everything, cradle to grave? GREAT! As they say...the devil is in the details. And not many people understand the details. Socialism in itself has some good concepts and ideals. The problem is that imperfect people implement those concepts and ideals- same as with capitalism. People always screw things up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 I'm not arguing who is at fault. I'm arguing that a liberal accusing Republicans of fear-mongering is both hypocritical and laughable. I agree. I do think that both types (fear-mongering) are different though. For me, it is only money, so fear-mongering over economic purposes is not as bad... Actually, sometimes necessary to bring about econmic change. I am just indifferent to money and less up tight about stuff like that... Basically, it is not life and death for me... IMO, this type of fear-mongering poses no public safety issue... Unless you are the rich guy who gets his castle sacked or car "jacked." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 It was. Not to say it's not a serious situation. But it was overblown by both sides. I would argue it would have never been blown up the way it was if 2008 wasn't an election year. Are you refering to the WORST ECONOMIC CRISIS SINCE THE GREAT DEPRESSION!!!!!!!!!! Too bad the recession in '82, S&L failures and bailout, dotcom bubble burst and resulting cascade of business failures, post-9/11 market crash and airline industry bailouts, etc. didn't have more hysterical people doing the marketing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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