# Many Americans prefer socialism to capitalism, new poll finds



## CJIS (Mar 12, 2005)

*Many Americans prefer socialism to capitalism, new poll finds *

New York Daily News - ‎Apr 9, 2009‎
By Michael Saul Is there anything wrong with a little socialism? Depends on who you ask, but many Americans say no. Is the government having more control over major businesses, like banks and the auto industry, a bad thing?
Weekend Opinionator: A Different Sort of Red America New York Times

One in five Americans finds socialism superior, poll says Wikinews


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## new guy (Sep 16, 2005)

Scary.


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## KozmoKramer (Apr 25, 2004)

Is anyone really surprised?
The liberals and progressives have been working on this since the 60's and it all started with the curriculum in public school system.

When you refuse to teach the youth about Jefferson & Madison, when you speak about the ills of capitalism and the genius of Western Europe, when you portray the US as imperialistic and conquerors, when you push to silence traditional customs like Christmas and the Pledge of Allegiance and instead insert "King and King" and "My 2 Mommies", well, you reap what you sow.


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## Guest (Apr 12, 2009)

You don't have to be a Jew or Christian who have stories of Sodom & Gomorrah, or the many falls of Israel to know what the future holds for the USA under its current course. Just read up on your secular history. Rome is just one of the most glaring examples: A huge welfare state with immorality run amock, subjective truth, underfunded/overcommitted military, rising taxation, over regulation, perceived weakness by others, loss of religious faith, degrading infrastructure, pussified men, senators with no prior military service or any public service, etc.
I could be describing the end of the Western Roman Empire or the United States.


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## BLUE BLOOD (Aug 31, 2008)

" A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." 
Will Durant


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## Hawk19 (Jan 9, 2009)

CJIS said:


> One in five Americans finds socialism superior, poll says Wikinews


"Fascism is a disease of the skin; communism is a disease of the heart."

-Chiang Kai-shek


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

Thomas Jefferson quotes: 
A bill of rights is what the people are entitled to against every government on earth, general or particular, and what no just government should to rest on inference.

Thomas Jefferson quotes: 
If the people let government decide what foods they eat and what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.

​
​


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## Killjoy (Jun 23, 2003)

> Only a slight majority of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism, according to the latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.
> 
> Asked whether capitalism or socialism is a better system, 53% of American adults cited capitalism, 20% said socialism and 27% said they weren't sure.


I don't consider 80% vs. 20% to be a "slight majority". The 27% who weren't sure, don't count for socialism. The 27% also probably couldn't tell you their who their senators are but probably could tell you the names of the last 3 "American Idol" winners.



> According to the poll, adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism, while adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided.


Interesting how that works. Looks like it fits pretty neatly into Koz's statement:


> Is anyone really surprised?
> _The liberals and progressives have been working on this since the 60's and it all started with the curriculum in public school system._


All this this represents is the resounding failure of the American educational system. People simply have no concept of how our economy functions, how our government is run or what it truly means to be "socialist". Time and time again it has been proven that socialism doesn't raise poor people's standard of living, it simply lowers everyone else's. In the real world there are no free lunches and you have to pay for things. If socialism were so great, why aren't people trying to flee in droves to Europe or China?


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)




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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

KozmoKramer said:


> ...well, you reap what you sow.


Koz, the very irony that those who favor socialism used a very captialistic method of intituting it is all the more evidence that their view is wrong.

I'm sorry, but I think this is key evidence that Americans only respond to the percieved value of the word ("Wow, that sounds like a good idea") rther than knowing what the term means. Case in point:


> But the pollsters did point out an anomaly: "It is interesting to compare the new results to an earlier survey in which 70% of Americans prefer a free-market economy. The fact that a 'free-market economy' attracts substantially more support than 'capitalism' may suggest some skepticism about whether capitalism in the United States today relies on free markets."
> 
> So, has the nation really drifted that far to the left, or are we simply struggling with our semantics?


Or it could simply be what people's schema on the word "capitalism" actually is. They view capitalism as a dirty word, but free-markets? Hey, to them that sounds like a good, American ideal (which it is).

You can't believe in socialism and the free-market; they are two completely conflicting ideals. Most Americans responding to these polls just go "Yeah, that sounds good, put me down for that...I wanna sound like a good person", without having any idea what they just voted for. Kinda like that oval they filled in with "Obama/Biden" written next to it.

Hence why I don't have a ton of faith in the electorate.


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

Last one, I promise, but i'm too tired for words after a day with extended family members and sugared up kids. I need to get to work so I can get some rest ;-)~
Good evening


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## Hawk19 (Jan 9, 2009)

OfficerObie59 said:


> Koz, the very irony that those who favor socialism used a very captialistic method of intituting it is all the more evidence that their view is wrong.
> 
> I'm sorry, but I think this is key evidence that Americans only respond to the percieved value of the word ("Wow, that sounds like a good idea") rther than knowing what the term means. Case in point:
> 
> ...


Churchill used to say the best argument against democracy is five minutes spent talking to a voter.


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## dcs2244 (Jan 29, 2004)

Tea Party:

April 15: Boston, Worcester, Springfield.

Glenn Beck - The 912 Project


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

dcs2244 said:


> Tea Party:
> 
> April 15: Boston, Worcester, Springfield.
> 
> Glenn Beck - The 912 Project


I like the Tea Party idea and all, but from what I hear all people do at the events is get up onto their soap box and grandstand....

....I guess I'd fit right in.


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

If you have a few spare moments, watch this youtube video re: 
The Pledge of Allegiance:

[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPbIls0iOnI"]YouTube- Red & The Pledge[/nomedia]


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## LongKnife56 (Sep 9, 2008)

9-12 is OK, but 
1776 is better.

Let's hope 
4/15/2009 
turns out as well as
12/16/1773.


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## Guest (Apr 13, 2009)

LongKnife56 said:


> 9-12 is OK, but
> 1776 is better.
> 
> Let's hope
> ...


I think there were more patriots back then.


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## Guest (Apr 16, 2009)

MSP75 said:


> You don't have to be a Jew or Christian who have stories of Sodom & Gomorrah, or the many falls of Israel to know what the future holds for the USA under its current course. Just read up on your secular history. Rome is just one of the most glaring examples: A huge welfare state with immorality run amock, subjective truth, underfunded/overcommitted military, rising taxation, over regulation, perceived weakness by others, loss of religious faith, degrading infrastructure, pussified men, senators with no prior military service or any public service, etc.
> I could be describing the end of the Western Roman Empire or the United States.


Rome wasn't a welfare state... It was the first truly powerful military dictatorship that collapsed due to civil revolt and religious intolerance as a result of government corruption.

And how can you say that the United States' military is underfunded?!


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

Giving this thread a bump.

Below is a link to a video of Milton Friedman schooling Phil Donahue on the downsides of socialism and why capitalism should rule.

The audio of this video was played today by Jay Severin's fill-in.
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p31-xQ2Rrz4"]YouTube- Milton Friedman Tells Phil Donahue Why Socialism Fails[/nomedia]


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## Guest (Jul 8, 2009)

BRONISLOVAS said:


> Rome wasn't a welfare state... It was the first truly powerful military dictatorship that collapsed due to civil revolt and religious intolerance as a result of government corruption.
> 
> And how can you say that the United States' military is underfunded?!


That fact that the other countries spend less means nothing. They could only spend a dollar a year. That would make the US's percentage appear bigger. Also, The United States has alot more military commitments than the other nations. Including picking up the slack due to the lack of military spending and will by them. 
The late Roman Empire was complacent and "welfare" oriented. Food & stuff was shipped in from abroad and handed out like candy. The Roman citizen was an entitled person who expected everything from the state. The military was "outsourced" on the frontiers. Even as the barbarians were marching towards the Eternal City.


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## LongKnife56 (Sep 9, 2008)

Wow that graph is one of the best jokes I've seen all day.


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## jettsixx (Dec 10, 2005)

I am curious if anyone could tell me in what country in history has socialism worked?


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

LongKnife56 said:


> Wow that graph is one of the best jokes I've seen all day.


Of course your slice would look bigger when you're fighting two wars.


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

This country sucks!!! however there is no other alternative so I am stuck here...


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## jeepster (Jan 29, 2009)

For those who care, check out: Patriotic Resistance


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## LGriffin (Apr 2, 2009)

I just can't imagine socialized health care in this country and I prefer to keep the Doctors working for me, rather than Odrama. Finding a good Doctor these days is like finding a needle in a haystack, so when they start having to wait for the Gov't to approve and pay their bills it will get even worse.
You really have to be your own advocate when it comes to your health and to be barred from requesting certain tests because the Gov't doesn't allow it, more importantly, won't pay for it, would endanger those of us who are not *too stupid to make good decisions* (AKA Odrama constituents).


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## SgtAndySipowicz (Mar 17, 2008)

It's comical when the LEFT calls their proposal on health care "FREE HEALTH CARE". It's even better when the people buy into health care somehow being free under the dems proposal. The dems health care system will further ruin our country, possibly beyond repair.......


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## jettsixx (Dec 10, 2005)

LGriffin said:


> I just can't imagine socialized health care in this country and I prefer to keep the Doctors working for me, rather than Odrama. Finding a good Doctor these days is like finding a needle in a haystack, so when they start having to wait for the Gov't to approve and pay their bills it will get even worse.
> You really have to be your own advocate when it comes to your health and to be barred from requesting certain tests because the *Gov't doesn't allow it, *more importantly, won't pay for it, would endanger those of us who are not too stupid to make good decisions (AKA Odrama constituents).


This statement right right is what scares me the most.


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## OfficerObie59 (Sep 14, 2007)

What scares me most about public healthcare is the standing it would appear to give government to ban any and all behavior and items it wishes. Gov't could take the head injury arguments it applies to seatbelts and motorcycle helmets, and ban objects and activities that suppposedly directly or indirectly increases healthcare costs.

All food w/ _n_ grams of fat per serving could be banned becuase it causes heart disease. Smoking could be banned outright as it causes emphysema and the O2 refills cost too much money.
Treatments for melanoma cost too much money, so every citizen is compelled to apply 15 spf sunblock or greater if they are to spend more than one hour in the sun. Firearms could be banned to the smallest possible group of citizens, because of the rate of gun violence involving inner city youths enrolled in the public option.

I could go on and on, and while I know some of these seem far fetched, I see a public healthcare option as a backdoor method for government to futher regulate behavior. Just look at the Commerce Clause of the Constitution to see how the federal government uses something that was intended to have very limited use to vastly increase government power.


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