Rasmussen Poll Indicates American Shift Toward Socialism !!!

[Better Believe It]

Rasmussen Poll Indicates American Shift Toward Socialism
by Kristin Schall
April 11, 2009

Kristin Schall is the chairperson of the Socialist Party USA, NYC Local.

In an April 2009 poll conducted by Rasmussen, respondents were asked "which is a better system-capitalism or socialism?" Just 53% of adult Americans prefer capitalism, 20% of respondents favor socialism and 27% responded not sure. These figures suggest that Americans' attitudes toward alternatives to capitalism may be shifting and that we are living in a time that holds the potential to mark a radical change in the landscape of American politics.

The Rasmussen poll was conducted during one of the greatest economic crisises in the history of capitalism. The resulting pressure is forcing Americans to begin to think critically about ideas that they had previously accepted as given. With more and more people facing the prospect of losing their jobs, houses, healthcare, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the inequalities and injustices of capitalism. What this has translated to is people becoming more open to ideas about alternative visions for structuring society. In short, socialism is back.

In addition to the economic crisis, the right wing's accusation of Obama being a socialist appears to be backfiring. Conservatives were attempting to cash in on a well established strategy of 20th century American political life. These attacks have unintentionally served to get socialism into heavy rotation in the mainstream media, thereby increasing the public's interest and curiosity. Fear mongering and the paranoid style seem to be offering declining political returns.

Perhaps the most significant aspect of this poll is the response from people under thirty. The statistics indicate that 66% of this demographic are actively questioning capitalism as a system. This makes clear that the Cold War fear of socialism, created to shape the American mindset, is withering away. It is being replaced by a political openness to new ideas about how to organize society. This means there is a space for socialists where a serious dialogue can begin, which can connect Americans to grassroots organizing.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2009/04/11-6

20%!!!! I would have thought only 2%. Well, it certainly was around only 2% say a year or two ago.

[saltpoint]

1. Folks objecting to "socialism" should be asked if they like sidewalks.

There sure are a lot of muddy spring days when a sidewalk is a damned good thing.

[Phx_Dem]

6. That's what taxes are for, it has nothing to do with socialism.

[saltpoint]

7. I grin. Taxes / Socialism.

[Phx_Dem]

9. Grin all you want. That's ignorant.

And I guess that means the U.S. has always been a socialist country, right? Which begs the question, why are you just now getting so excited about the thought of socialism if we've been that all along.

If someone wants to live in a socialist country, they should move to one. Ditto for anyone who wishes to live in a communist country. There's always China!

:rofl:

[saltpoint]

10. Well, I'm nothing if not ignorant.

[Better Believe It]

15. China is now a capitalist country. The nations "leaders" have embraced capitalism

You can't have a socialist government with a capitalist economy anymore than you can have a capitalist government based on a socialist economy.

[apr09]

2. Related: In Latin America, more see themselves as socialist than capitalist (Gallup)

From Gallup, January 2009:

"The only two countries surveyed whose residents are more likely to describe themselves as capitalist than socialist are Panama and Mexico."

http://www.gallup.com/poll/113902/Opinion-Briefing-Latin-America-Leftists.aspx

[skooooo]

3. Woo hoo!

Maybe people will start working in their own interests.

[Overseas]

4. Strong social safety nets can give the capitalists more freedom to operate

That's the sad thing about all the "socialist!!" hysteria in the right wing media. Those "socialist" support systems take care of the less ambitious among us who view our quality of life differently and may not crave all the fanciest goods the top capitalists want. Higher taxes for the super-rich 5% ensure that the gaps between the super rich and their workers don't become too extreme.

If we would at least make a few big moves to strengthen our social safety nets, then the capitalists could continue a lot of their business activities without bankrupting the economy at large.

That was the reason we had a lot higher taxes before Papa Ron Reagan took over. To fund longer-term projects that would improve people's lives and support our economic development and national security.

If we had passed nonprofit national health insurance years ago, we would feel much less desperate right now.

If we had kept the top tax rates higher and funded alternative energy sources more fully, we would be far less desperate now.

I am glad that public attitudes are changing.

But the right wing media and Republican public relations teams are certainly having a field day with their commie-fear mongering.

Let's hope their hysteria is contributing to the change in public attitudes. When Republican governors shout about not accepting funding for jobs or extension of unemployment benefits in their states, I am glad their local Republican legislators are calling their bluff.

We need WPA type jobs programs to work on the infrastructure that was allowed to crumble during the Dog Eat Dog War Profiteering and Privatizing Bonanza of the Bush Administration.

And to build the sustainable energy infrastructure that will pave the way to reducing our inflated military budget and pro-war foreign policy habits.

[Phx_Dem]

5. That's distressing, and hard to believe.

[wyldwolf]

8. no. it's a shift towards what the right wing has labled socialism...

... which is FAR from real socialism.

[hollowdweller]

16. I think you nailed it right there.

People aren't into the gov't telling them what to do. Most people are semi libertarian as far as individual lifestyle choices when you get right down to it.

However people want things like a secure old age, not being bankrupted by health care expenses, better roads and schools, low crime rates. The republicans have labeled anything we do as a country to enrich our culture or improve quality of life as socialisim. We used to call those democratic ideas.

I don't think most people are for the gov't to own businesses.

[wyldwolf]

11. Don't mean to burst bubbles here but...

There is no move towards socialism. There is a move towards what the right wing has been calling socialism, namely, a bigger and more active government. That is a long way still from true socialism.

[Jennicut]

14. I tend to agree. But its a good thing that we are moving to a more leftist government

The backlash of the big corps and towards Repugs is leading to people rethinking free market capitalism.

[Douglas Carpenter]

12. the word "socialist" can mean anything from Tony Blair to Maoist guerrillas

They both would call themselves socialist. The term is used very broadly covering a wide range of movements, many of which have little or nothing in common with each other

In Western Europe, Canada and Australia the word socialist usually is applied to the social-democratic parties, such as the New Democratic Party in Canada or the Labor Party in Australia or the SPD (Social Party Democratic) of Germany. These parties have historically advocated a mixed economy within the context of Western parliamentary democracy, and usually support a very extensive cradle to grave social/economic safety net and workers representation in management.

Then, of course there is the Marxist-Leninist tradition which would cover most Communist parties which generally advocate a total collectivist economy managed within a single party state. Although some western communist parties are closer to the social-democratic model, but would generally support a more aggressive approach than the social-democrats.

People such as Howard Zinn or groups such as the Socialist Party USA would describe themselves as Democratic-Socialist and perhaps they could be described as utopian-socialist. They conceive of a almost total socialist and democratic economy that is totally democratic and has the highest standard of civil liberties and operates from a decentralized bottom - up social-economic order. They are frequently, but not always pacifist. Sounds fabulous. But so far such a thing has yet to exist.

[Aloha Spirit]

13. If it ever does exist, they can teach schoolchildren about George Bush and Greenspan

in place of scary ghost stories.

[Douglas Carpenter]

18. I don't see anything impossible about the utopian-socialist vision

But it is simply a matter of reality that it has not occurred so far or at least has not sustained very long and it does not appear that the world is moving in that direction, at least at this time.

I do think the European social-democratic model is by far the most just and pragmatic working model that has so far appeared in social/political history. Far from perfect, but I have not seen anything that actually works better.

[FrenchieCat]

17. It's Rassmusen, which means it doesn't mean shit.

and 20% favoring socialism means 80% favor something else.
I'm not so sure about this may be "shifting" headline.

[Better Believe It]

19. Well at least you didn't redbait 20% of the people. You only attacked them!

Why do you spread so much hate against anyone and everyone you perceive is to the left of President Obama?

[old mark]

20. After Bush, a move in nearly any direction could be seen as

"socialism" by the GOP.
They define it as any action they don't like at the moment, ususally being performed by a Democrat.

mark

[LynnTheDem]

21. Could we also have a shift towards common sense?

That would be welcome, indeed!

[Vinca]

22. Of the 53% who supposedly prefer capitalism, you must deduct

the 30% who get their talking points from right wing talk radio and will support what they're told whether they understand the concept or not.

[BlooInBloo]

23. As with most things, it's not that simple....

http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/04/have-nots-arent-having-it.html