Ted Belman. I am not surprised. Many people prefer to be taken care of rather than to be responsible for themselves. Eric Fromm made this point in his book Escape from Freedom. The current pandemic forced people to give up their independence and freedom in exchange for dole and other benefits from the state. This is all being paid for by printing money which is causing inflation which erodes one’s savings. Inflation amounts to a confiscation of wealth. In effect the middle class is paying for all the benefits being distributed.
Like Margaret Thatcher once said, “pretty soon you run out of other people’s money.” Capitalism creates wealth. Socialism squanders it.
Per the poll, 49% had a positive view of capitalism.
As for socialism, Democrats favored it by a whopping 59%.
Fox Business observed the results suggest a sizable change.
In February of 2020, the same options turned up the following among Dems:
- Capitalism: 50%
- Socialism: 40%
Why the leap? Might it be due to an increasing reliance on Capitol Hill?
Over the past year, checks from Uncle Sam have abounded — even as job openings have gradually abundantly increased.
Or perhaps the poll reflects something true pre-pandemic: A lot of people don’t know what capitalism and socialism are.
Concerning the “C” word, we’re frequently informed it’s calamitous:
Cases in point:
Capitalism is, of course, a system based on a free-market economy in which an individual may own his or her own business.
Despite that, it’s not unheard of for left-leaning business owners to publicly prefer the Nazis’ favorite economic outlay.
Last month, a Hollywood actor saluted socialism:
“I don’t know that there’s anyone who could disagree with socialist ideology. If you work at Starbucks and you make the coffee, then you should own it. You’re the one making the coffee!”
From what I’ve gleaned over the past few years, such seems to be a common understanding.
Submitted for your approval, two scenarios — the first, based on popular perception:
A group of Starbucks employees are toiling away when Ed McMahon abruptly enters the store. He’s carrying balloons and giant cardboard checks.
Ed announces the employees now own the shop. Let the profits percolate!
Now a contrast:
A group of Starbucks employees are paid less than they’d like. They have no recourse, as those who run the company — Washington politicians — refuse to cough it up.
The workers would go to the cafe across the street, but it’s government-owned as well.
Hence, it pays the same.
So does every place where the employees might find work.
And that amount doesn’t buy much food, because the price of groceries is high — at every same-priced store, which is also run by federal officials.
Ultimately, there is one “big business” — the government.
Which sounds more like socialism?
It is, as you surely know, a system in which the government owns all products and means of production.
Back to the poll, if terms had been replaced by definitions, would the results have been the same?
Regardless, as for Republicans, 67% viewed capitalism fondly.
Socialism scored 8%.
For further framing of the study, in June of 2018, a two-year Gallup poll showed respondents 18-29 years of age liked socialism to the tune of 55%.
In 2021, who would you expect to favor socialism more: registered Democrats or millennials in general?
Politics is changing. Democrats are changing. America is changing.
As for the meaning of “capitalism” and “socialism,” hopefully those who plead for one will at least know that for which they’re asking.
I’d assume politicians know — after all, if things go a certain way, they’ll be the ones in charge.
See more pieces from me:
Harvard Promotes App Comparing Black Lives Matter to Buddha’s Awakening
China’s Eating Our STEM Field Lunch, But at Least There’s ‘Ecofeminism’
California University Eyes ‘Radical’ BIPOC Honors Program Based on Equity Instead of Grades
America will come out of these bad times battered & bruised.
But it will still be America & not some new elitist dictatorship.
This is because America has a unique political system of sovereign states connected in a Federal Republic gathered around a weak central government.
This Sovereignty is legally guaranteed by the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution & the Posse Comitatus Act of Congress.
The Red Sovereign States defy Washington at will & Washington can’t enforce it’s will on those states.
As long as the Red States remain free of Washington’s dictates,
the Democrat regime can’t win & will financially collapse.
Thank you for your kind words, Ted.
I also read “AntiSemite and Jew.” Some of Sartre’s ideas in this book are similar to those in Being and Nothingness. One reason he gives for why so many people have antisemitic ideas is tha many authority figures and “leaders” are antisemites, and many people prefer to accept at face value whatever government or church authorities tell them, rather than relying on the their own observations.
@Adam.
Thanks for your comment. I wasn’t aware of Satre’s book. But I did read his book entitled Antisemite and Jew.
The idea that many people wish to “escape from freedom,” and feel “condemned to be free,” is one of the central ideas of Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist classic “Being and Nothingness,” which he wrote in Paris while it was occupied by the Nazis in 1943. It was Sartre’s attempt to explain why so many people in France, Germany and elsewhere were comfortable with Nazi rule. Rather than endure the “extistential anguish” of having to make decisions, many people prefer to have an authority figure to tell them what to do. Rather thn attempting to learn the truth themselves about matters that concern them, because that is a difficult endeavor with no certainty of success, these people prefer having an authority tell them what to think. This, Sartre claimed was the origins of people preferring dictatorships to free societies, being willing to accept church dogma without question, etc.
Sartre wrote all of this even though he was a lifelong communist. Go figure.
They think of the EU.
But the US elite (Dems elite & Rinos) is pushing for a one party system colluding with China!
This sounds more like elito-klepto-fascism!
The writer states that there would be one system owned by the government and so no choice. Wrong. There would be two systems: one catering to members of the governing elite and one for the rest. The favoured members of the elite would have special shops, hospitals and vacation homes. Their children would go to special schools and be guaranteed a spot at the prestigious universities. Why no one ever refers to the actual operation of the Soviet system continues to amaze me.
Sick ? people