[Peace-discuss] Fw: Capitalism vs. Socialism: Big Surprises in Recent Polls

Thu May 20 17:47:59 CDT 2010

There are those who'd argue that we already do, and that Capitalism is losing... And a few more who think we must have Capitalism if we want Democracy. Yeah, those billion$ spent on propaganda are paying off for the folks paying the piper...
 --Jenifer
--- On Thu, 5/20/10, John W. <jbw292002 at gmail.com> wrote:

From: John W. <jbw292002 at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Fw: Capitalism vs. Socialism: Big Surprises in Recent Polls
To: "unionyes" <unionyes at ameritech.net>
Cc: "Peace-discuss" <peace-discuss at anti-war.net>
Date: Thursday, May 20, 2010, 6:58 AM

So why the fuck can't we just have a hybrid of capitalism and socialism, as other more enlightened countries do?  Never mind - no need to answer that.  :-(

On Thu, May 20, 2010 at 6:21 AM, unionyes <unionyes at ameritech.net> wrote:

----- Original Message ----- From: <moderator at PORTSIDE.ORG>

To: <PORTSIDE at LISTS.PORTSIDE.ORG>
Sent: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 9:50 PM
Subject: Capitalism vs. Socialism: Big Surprises in Recent Polls

Capitalism vs. Socialism: Big Surprises in Recent Polls

By Charles Derber
CommonDreams
May 18, 2010

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/05/18-3

According to the conventional wisdom, the US is a
center-Right country. But a new poll by Pew casts doubt

on that idea. It shows widespread skepticism about
capitalism and hints that support for socialist
alternatives is emerging as a majoritarian force in
America's new generation.

Carried out in late April and published May 4, 2010,

the Pew poll, arguably by the most respected polling
company in the country, asked over 1500 randomly
selected Americans to describe their reactions to terms
such as "capitalism," "socialism," "progressive,"

"libertarian" and "militia." The most striking findings
concern "capitalism" and "socialism." We cannot be sure
what people mean by these terms, so the results have to
be interpreted cautiously and in the context of more

specific attitudes on concrete issues, as discussed
later.

Pew summarizes the results in its poll title:
"Socialism not so negative; capitalism not so
positive." This turns out to be an understatement of

the drama in some of the underlying data.

Yes, "capitalism" is still viewed positively by a
majority of Americans. But it is just by a bare
majority. Only 52% of all Americans react positively.
Thirty-seven percent say they have a negative reaction

and the rest aren't sure.

A year ago, a Rasmussen poll found similar reactions.
Then, only 53% of Americans described capitalism as
"superior" to socialism.

Meanwhile, 29% in the Pew poll describe "socialism" as

positive. This positive percent soars much higher when
you look at key sub-groups, as discussed shortly. A
2010 Gallup poll found 37% of all Americans preferring
socialism as "superior" to capitalism.

Keep in mind these findings reflect an overview of the
public mind when Right wing views seem at a high point
- with the Tea Party often cast as a barometer of
American public opinion. The polls in this era do not

suggest a socialist country, but not a capitalist-
loving one either. This is not a "Center-Right" America
but a populace where almost 50% are deeply ambivalent
or clearly opposed to capitalism. Republicans and the

Tea Party would likely call that a Communist country.

The story gets more interesting when you look at two
vital sub-groups. One is young people, the "millennial
generation" currently between 18 and 30. In the Pew

poll, just 43% of Americans under 30 describe
"capitalism" as positive. Even more striking, the same
percentage, 43%, describes "socialism" as positive. In
other words, the new generation is equally divided

between capitalism and socialism.

The Pew, Gallup and Rasmussen polls come to the same
conclusion. Young people cannot be characterized as a
capitalist generation. They are half capitalist and
half socialist. Since the socialist leaning keeps

rising among the young, it suggests-depending on how
you interpret "socialism"-that we are moving toward an
America that is either Center-Left or actually
majoritarian socialist.

Turn now to Republicans and Democrats. Sixty-two

percent of Republicans in the Pew poll view capitalism
as positive, although 81 % view "free markets" as
positive, suggesting a sensible distinction in their
mind between capitalism and free markets. Even

Republicans prefer small to big business and are
divided about big business, which many correctly see as
a monopolistic force of capitalism undermining free
markets.

The more interesting story, though, is about Democrats.

We hear endlessly about Blue Dog Democrats. But the Pew
poll shows a surprisingly progressive Democratic base.
Democrats are almost equally split in their appraisal
of capitalism and socialism. Forty-seven percent see

capitalism as positive but 53% do not. And 44% of
Democrats define socialism as positive, linking their
negativity about capitalism to a positive affirmation
of socialism.

Moreover, many other subgroups react negatively to

capitalism. Less than 50% of women, low-income groups
and less-educated groups describe capitalism as
positive.

So much for the view that Obama does not have a strong
progressive base to mobilize. In fact, "progressive,'

according to the Pew poll, is one of the most positive
terms in the American political lexicon, with a
substantial majority of almost all sub-groups defining
it as positive.

You may conclude that this all add ups to little, since

we can't be clear about how people are defining
"capitalism" and "socialism." But in my own research,
summarized in recent books such as The New Feminized
Majority and Morality Wars, attitudes registered in

polls toward concrete issues over the last thirty years
support the interpretation of the Pew data, at minimum,
as evidence of a Center-Left country.

On nearly every major issue, from support minimum wage

and unions, preference for diplomacy over force, deep
concern for the environment, belief that big business
is corrupting democracy, and support for many major
social programs including Social Security and Medicare,

the progressive position has been strong and relatively
stable. If "socialism" means support for these issues,
the interpretation of the Pew poll is a Center-Left
country.

If socialism means a search for a genuine systemic

alternative, then America, particularly its youth, is
emerging as a majoritarian social democracy, or in a
majoritarian search for a more cooperativist, green,
and more peaceful and socially just order.

Either interpretation is hopeful. It should give

progressives assurance that even in the "Age of the Tea
Party," despite great dangers and growing concentrated
corporate power and wealth, there is a strong base for
progressive politics. We have to mobilize the majority

population to recognize its own possibilities and turn
up the heat on the Obama Administration and a
demoralized Democratic Party. If we fail, the Right
will take up the slack and impose its monopoly
capitalist will on a reluctant populace.

Charles Derber, professor of sociology at Boston
College and author of Corporation Nation and Greed to
Green. He is on the Majority Agenda Project's
coordinating committee (
http://MajorityAgendaProject.org,

info at majorityagendaproject.org)

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