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Poll: Majority of 18- to 29-year-olds reject capitalism
American Thinker ^ | 27 Apr, 2016 | Rick Moran

Posted on 04/27/2016 7:02:02 PM PDT by MtnClimber

A curious poll out of Harvard was published on Monday showing that 51% of people between 18 and 29 do not support capitalism.

But the curious aspect of this poll is that only 33% of respondents supported socialism. The dichotomy suggests that either most young people haven't a clue about the differernce between capitalism and socialism or, as the researchers believe, the opposition to capitalism arises out of anger at the status quo.

Washington Post:

The Harvard University survey, which polled young adults between ages 18 and 29, found that 51 percent of respondents do not support capitalism. Just 42 percent said they support it.

It isn't clear that the young people in the poll would prefer some alternative system, though. Just 33 percent said they supported socialism. The survey had a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.

The results of the survey are difficult to interpret, pollsters noted. Capitalism can mean different things to different people, and the newest generation of voters is frustrated with the status quo, broadly speaking.

All the same, that a majority of respondents in Harvard University's survey of young adults said they do not support capitalism suggests that today's youngest voters are more focused on the flaws of free markets.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: 2016polls; freemarkets; millennials; socialism; trends; youthvote
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To: The Westerner

THE PARABLE OF THE BEER DRINKERS

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes,it would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that’s what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve. ‘Since you are all such good customers,’ he said, ‘I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.’ Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.

But what about the other six men – the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair share?’

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100%savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).
The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

‘I only got a dollar out of the $20,’ declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, ‘but he got $10!’

‘Yeah, that’s right,’ exclaimed the fifth man. ‘I only saved a dollar, too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more than I got!’

‘That’s true!!’ shouted the seventh man. ‘Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!’

‘Wait a minute,’ yelled the first four men in unison. ‘We didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!’

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works!!

The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.


41 posted on 04/27/2016 8:01:06 PM PDT by XEHRpa
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To: Sirius Lee
One way plane fare isn’t that expensive.

If they were lucky enough to gain Cuban citizenship, they could live on $20 per month plus a ration card. Equality at last!

42 posted on 04/27/2016 8:13:31 PM PDT by TChad
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To: MtnClimber

Take away their “smart” phones. That will wake their “snowflake” asses up.


43 posted on 04/27/2016 8:14:52 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (If SCOTUS is really so fair and unbiased, why is it a campaign issue about who is on it?)
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I think when you get right down to it, these kidseses do not understand what capitalism actually is. They are against the cronyism. And they are against people who get lobbyists to create regulations that make competition impossible, and they are against people who create absoluteky nothing and contribute absolutely nothing to be able to become eleventy billionaires by having the right connections, and a lack of morals, and CEO’s that can take over and gut a perfectly good company and flee with a golden parachute away from the flaming wreckage of a formerly perfectly good company. The kids of today are taught that the above types of actions are capitalism.


44 posted on 04/27/2016 8:16:03 PM PDT by dsrtsage (One half of all people have below average IQ. In the US the number is 54%)
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To: MtnClimber

The status quo is not capitalism.


45 posted on 04/27/2016 8:17:47 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Who is William H. Seward?)
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To: rlmorel
That is the crux of the matter.

They are spoiled and don't “get it”.

46 posted on 04/27/2016 8:22:10 PM PDT by berdie (#No Hill/bern)
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To: MtnClimber

Whats that old saying,’capitalism distrubutes wealth unequally but socialism spreads the misery equally’.
Capitalist elites get wealth through production. Socialist/marxist elites get wealth through confiscation.


47 posted on 04/27/2016 8:32:48 PM PDT by tflabo (truth or tyrrany)
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To: MtnClimber
"Poll: Majority of 18- to 29-year-olds reject capitalism"

Capitalism is not for people who failed to advance beyond getting a weekly allowance.
48 posted on 04/27/2016 8:38:19 PM PDT by clearcarbon
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To: Sacajaweau

Every time this discussion starts up...one has to laugh.

To be at Harvard, you need $61,000 a year for room, board and tuition (doesn’t include pocket money or the $3000 for clothing and beer). Where exactly do they think this money comes from

The beer they drink while ‘off-duty’ at Harvard? Brewed by capitalists. The pizza they eat....baked by capitalists. The $50 jeans they wear...sewn by capitalists. The $700 I-phone they have....manufactured by capitalists.

If they are so bold to reject capitalism....I’d just suggest that they back up some camping equipment and go sleep under some bridge for a year and try to live without any capitalism at all. Show us the absolute pure nature of the cause. Prove how you can make it.


49 posted on 04/27/2016 8:40:03 PM PDT by pepsionice
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To: jsanders2001

It’s obvious they can’t differentiate, even in the mathematical sense.


50 posted on 04/27/2016 8:44:09 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: MtnClimber

Well the practical answer is that just because they reject capitalism doesn’t mean they support socialism. While it’s frightening, it’s not a disconnect.


51 posted on 04/27/2016 8:45:20 PM PDT by RIghtwardHo
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To: MtnClimber
Another conclusion that could be drawn from this poll:

Majority of 18-29 year olds are clueless ignoramuses, which is precisely what public education intended them to be...

52 posted on 04/27/2016 8:58:16 PM PDT by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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To: MtnClimber

[[Poll: Majority of 18- to 29-year-olds reject capitalism]]

While their parents are footing their bills for them


53 posted on 04/27/2016 9:01:34 PM PDT by Bob434
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To: RIghtwardHo

“just because they reject capitalism doesn’t mean they support socialism.”

I agree...but I’m going to have to think about that very profound statement.


54 posted on 04/27/2016 9:40:14 PM PDT by berdie (#No Hill/bern)
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To: Chode
having never EARNED a dollar in their life, i'm not surprised

And they seem to find it admirable that they have never earned anything.

55 posted on 04/27/2016 10:24:49 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

Socialism is a form of government. Capitalism is a business model. Capitalism exists in virtually every country. It flourishes it almost every country, including Communist countries like China and Vietnam. The most extreme cases of it being stifled are Cuba and North Korea.


56 posted on 04/27/2016 10:58:11 PM PDT by AlaskaErik (I served and protected my country for 31 years. Progressives spent that time trying to destroy it.)
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To: MtnClimber

The Gubmint edyoocashun system has dun a great job of brainwashing them towards socialism....


57 posted on 04/28/2016 3:16:03 AM PDT by trebb (Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
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To: MtnClimber

Any poll taken in Harvard Square is lucky to find three people in ten thousand who believe in capitalism.

Go ahead and ask ‘em, and they’ll tell you The Harvard Coop should be giving stuff away.

Especially music CDs.


58 posted on 04/28/2016 5:04:53 AM PDT by Jack Hammer
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To: onedoug

> It’s obvious they can’t differentiate, even in the mathematical sense.

At the rate we’re going they may just get their wish. We’ll see how much they notice all those goodies that created capitalism and the profit expecatations that gave the inventors of those products initiative to push harder when they’re gone. Let’s see how they like their clothes, electronics, appliances, food, housing, etc when the state manufactures them. They’ll quickly notice they’re just functional, unattractive, and poorly made by illegal immigrants just like that Russia. Let the a-holes also learn that they have to wait for the gubmint to dole these items out to get them, if they even will; that they just can’t go out and buy them anymore. I think what we have now is a whole lot of low-level Millenials doused with a ton of useless information in their skulls with the capacity to think critically greatly diminished by their indoctrinators. No wonder why Common Core was introduced. It makes the kids use insane formulas to figure math programs out instead of logic. In other words the gubmint teaching them how to think and follow orders without question. Imagine them doing this for 12 years. They wouldn’t be able to rely on their own common sense without unprogramming the 12 years of damage. Common Core is Agenda 21 rubbish.


59 posted on 04/28/2016 6:45:26 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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To: Jack Hammer

This gives me a great idea for a Louder with Crowder skit. He needs to visit major college campuses ask poll students on what they think about capitalism then ask them if they are willing to take a stand against capitalism. If they answer yes he starts removing one item items manufactured by capitalists at a time beginning with their watches, cell phones, shoes, jeans, shirts, etc...and leave them sitting there only in their underwear just to be nice then walk off. I would LOVE to see that footage.


60 posted on 04/28/2016 6:58:06 AM PDT by jsanders2001
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