Shocking Poll on Socialism in America

Fox Nation ^ | 29 Dec 2011 | Bernie Becker,

[mandaladon]

While capitalism received a largely favorable response, Pew also found that at least 25 percent of respondents across all age groups, races, income levels and ideologies were dismissive of capitalism.

Tea Party sympathizers, conservative Republicans and those making more than $75,000 a year were the most likely to respond positively, while slightly more than half of blacks and Hispanics took the opposite view.

Almost 50 percent of those aged 18 to 29, those making less than $30,000 a year and Occupy Wall Street backers also had an unfavorable reaction to capitalism.

A majority of blacks and liberal Democrats, meanwhile, reacted positively to socialism. But while reactions to capitalism were fairly consistent across all age groups, 18-to-29-year-olds were more than three times more likely (49 percent to 13 percent) to endorse socialism than those older than 65.

[mandaladon]

A majority of blacks and liberal Democrats, meanwhile, reacted positively to socialism...............Obama's followers

[Lurking Libertarian]

18-to-29-year-olds were more than three times more likely (49 percent to 13 percent) to endorse socialism than those older than 65.

Proving what Winston Churchill said, "Any man who is not a socialist at age 20 has no heart. Any man who is still a socialist at age 40 has no head."

[DB]

I guess I was heartless then...

[DJ Taylor]

Socialism works great until you run out of Chinese money.

[bigdirty]

If you support socialism in America, you stop being an American.

[formosa]

I’ve spoken to many people who do not understand the vast differences between the types of policies. Definitions escape them. They do not understand that government getting into bed with banks and big business is a form or fascism - not capitalism. Ignorance abounds. It’s why I hate the term Crony Capitalism. It’s confusing to more people than you can imagine.

[JediJones]

I’ve met lots of them. Supposedly well-educated college graduates who praise the European model. When you press them, they just say the government “should” pay for my health care, “should” pay for my college, and so forth. Ask them where the government will get the money and they’ll say the government has plenty of money or can just print more. Despite the college education, they are completely ignorant of the basic principles of economics.

[pieceofthepuzzle]

I suggest that parents give less money to their college-age/voting-age children and tell them that they have to cut back because their taxes are going up, and that the liberals in academia are raising tuition costs.

[Graewoulf]

Let’s see now - - - 25 % like Socialism, 99% are the OWS in Obamavilles, 47 % pay no personal FIT, and the rest don’t like anybody very much!

[wizwor]

Oh come on. I’ve been home from work for two weeks. I’ve played with my family, watched tv, and done some puttering. I’ve put on a couple pounds. It’s been awesome. If someone would pay my bills, I wouldn’t go back to work.

Of course, that’s a big if, since I’ve been paying others’ bills for half a century. Still, if you were to poll me, I’d raise my hand for MeTV and bloody mary’s. That’s the fun of polls — they have no consequences.

[Logical me]

Blacks and Hispanics? That figures. Does anything else needs to be said?

[ColdOne]

They left has been working for this for many years. Not surprising at all.

[Menehune56]

Plenty of our fellow citizens agree with Marxist philosophy: From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.

Sean Hannity makes this point quite often in his man on the street interviews.

[Maceman]

I’m shocked that the percentage of Americans who want socialism is only 25%.

[teletech]

THIS is why Obama won’t be easy to beat in November. This country has gotten so “gimme happy” I wonder if we can ever recover.

[Donnafrflorida]

That was my first thought (Churchill’s quote) when I read this..

[KC Burke]

Socialism is when the purpose of government is to mandate or manage a society so strictly that desired social outcomes are achieved. To do this, an overarching economic control is required — communism, fascism, despotism or totalitarianism. This can also take the form of the tyranny of the majority through a locked in social-democrat party system.

The correct contrast to socialism is a free society where the goal of government is to stay limited, establish general order and to allow free interaction of its citizens. It can be done with limited government of modest cost. It needs no special funding and freedom of individual commerce and individual industry is generally termed capitalism — a term popularized by Marx is describing its supposed evils.

The poll is dishonest in its choices. The true question is: Which do you want, socialism or free society?

[Scotsman will be Free]

More proof that we need a divorce. I just wish that we could get on with it and get it over with.

[RitaOK]

Thank your public school down the block, the receiving pen universities, and the orchestration trough of academia for such results.

These Marxist led institutions resume in January, continuing, unabated, to working over young Americans, so we can continue lazily to wonder what the heck happened to our country. Their agenda is not even slowed, let alone stopped. Ever.

[Uri’el-2012]

The framing of the question by Pew
has skewed the answer.

The word Capitalism is a pejorative word
created by Marxists to describe Freedom and Liberty.

The poll would have had a different outcome if they had
asked if they wanted Freedom or Liberty.

Pew research is a PROGRESSIVE polling operation.