I think this Rasmussen survey posted today is very telling. It helps explain what to me is the obvious: that voters are largely confused and uninformed about the central themes of politics itself. They don’t really understand that freedom, free-markets, and capitalism are largely based on the same theme, or are at least singing the same song; while they fail to really understand socialism and its horrendous pitfalls.
And that’s in the U.S., where I contend the electorate is more aware and sophisticated that the Canadian electorate, because unlike Americans, most Canadians aren’t and have never been exposed to anything but liberal-leftism, and still don’t see the likes of Fox News Channel or the Washington Times or the Wall Street Journal, all of which allow conservative thoughts to leak out unabashedly; and where folks still seem bent on a mindless team sports method of voting and where they have utterly no understanding of socialism or its pitfalls—in fact quit the opposite—many in Canada actually see socialism as somehow “good” or at least as benign or innocuous, which is of course egregiously wrong.
Just 35% of American voters believe that a free market economy is the same as a capitalist economy. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 38% disagree and 27% are not sure.
This helps explain earlier data showing that 77% prefer a free market economy over a government managed economy while just 53% prefer capitalism over socialism.
Those who earn over $75,000 annually are more likely than lower income voters to see capitalism and free markets as the same. But, even among upper income groups, only half agree that free markets and capitalism are the same.
(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls.) Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter.
The survey also found that 36% believe capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society. A plurality—45%—disagree with that assessment. Men tend to disagree while women are evenly divided.
Fifty percent (50%) of Democrats believe that capitalism operates unfairly in this way but 61% of Republicans disagree. Among those not affiliated with either major party, 32% believe that capitalism unfairly concentrates wealth.
We really need more Ronald Reagans in both our countries. And of course far fewer left-wing liberal or even full-on Marxist media, academia, entertainment, and government propagandists.
PTBC was founded by Mr. Johannesen in 2000.
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