Half of millennials would rather live under socialism and communism

[StLucieBengal]

http://www.dailywire.com/news/23109/poll-half-millennials-would-rather-live-under-hank-berrien

Scary stuff. Hopefully these kids wise up as they grow up.

Quote:Poll: Half Of Millennials Would Rather Live Under Socialism Or Communism Than Capitalism

Hank BerrienNovember 2, 2017

Nikolay Doychinov/AFP/Getty Images
A survey from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, and conducted by research and data firm YouGov, claims that half of American millennials say they would rather live in a socialist or communist country than a capitalist democracy.

Here’s where it gets even worse; 26% of millennials viewed Che Guevara as a hero; 22% viewed Russian president Vladimr Putin the same way, and 18% viewed the father of communism, Karl Marx, as a hero. 17% felt that Vladimir Lenin should be venerated; 16% felt that way about Mao Zedong; 13% pointed to Josef Stalin and Kim Jong Un.

Marion Smith, executive director of the organization, was genuinely concerned, asserting, “Millennials now make up the largest generation in America, and we’re seeing some deeply worrisome trends. Millennials are increasingly turning away from capitalism and toward socialism and even communism as a viable alternative.”

The millennials’ attitude could be a product of their own ignorance; 71% could not define communism with any precision.

Smith added that the ignorance of communism’s violent history illustrated the vast historical illiteracy across the country and “the systemic failure of our education system to teach students about the genocide, destruction, and misery caused by communism since the Bolshevik Revolution one hundred years ago.”

53% of millennials agreed that America’s economic system is stacked against them, but 66% of those aged 16-20 felt the system works for them.

The Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation website, states, “Communism isn’t back: It never left. We simply forgot about it. And as it rears its ugly head once more, openly and shamelessly, we seem far less prepared to meet the challenge in this century as we did in the last.”

[Johnny Cupcakes]

I imagine that if you dropped the word "socialism" from the title here, this number would go down drastically. While support for socialism is strong, support for communism is much, much smaller.

[Belsnickel]

(11-03-2017, 11:54 AM)Johnny Cupcakes Wrote: I imagine that if you dropped the word "socialism" from the title here, this number would go down drastically.  While support for socialism is strong, support for communism is much, much smaller.

Part of the problem is, honestly, revealed in another YouGov poll from last year.



When you have the majority not understanding what socialism actually is, it will create a skewed opinion of it. 

The other two charts on the page show the age breakdown from the survey last year. Definitely shows similar results, which isn't surprising. 

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

Quote:The millennials’ attitude could be a product of their own ignorance; 71% could not define communism with any precision.

/end thread

[Belsnickel]

(11-03-2017, 12:16 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: /end thread

It's so ridiculous to me how often we see the terms communism and socialism thrown around, from both proponents and opponents, with little regard to what the terms actually mean.

[*jason*]

(11-03-2017, 12:16 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: /end thread

General ignorance and not living through the Killing Fields, the student massacre in Beijing, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Cuban boat people, 50 years of chaos and depression in the Eastern bloc, and the Chinese repression of Tibet probably paints a rosy picture of communism for them. I know that it all sounded great to me when I first read the Communist Manifesto all those years ago. But alas... It's all a pipedream.

[Benton]

Quote:A survey from the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation

I'ma just guess they aren't the most impartial group. But could be wrong there.

If true (and I would be surprised as I don't think most millennials are that familiar with communism), it wouldn't be shocking. We're a democracy, we sell bumper stickers about how free we are and how great that freedom is. Then we turn around and use the profits from those bumper sticker sales to manipulate healthcare costs to benefit shareholders. We tell people we don't like or don't trust that they're free... as long as they start living exactly the same as we do, and we say our freedom is being trampled on when others point out the hypocrisy and lack of civil decency. We take people's money with the pretense of doing common good (bridges, police, parks, education, etc), and then funnel it into special interests and perks for a few.

We're a democracy, but freedom is something disappearing at a disturbing rate.

[*jason*]

(11-03-2017, 12:31 PM)Benton Wrote: I'ma just guess they aren't the most impartial group. But could be wrong there.

If true (and I would be surprised as I don't think most millennials are that familiar with communism), it wouldn't be shocking. We're a democracy, we sell bumper stickers about how free we are and how great that freedom is. Then we turn around and use the profits from those bumper sticker sales to manipulate healthcare costs to benefit shareholders. We tell people we don't like or don't trust that they're free... as long as they start living exactly the same as we do, and we say our freedom is being trampled on when others point out the hypocrisy and lack of civil decency. We take people's money with the pretense of doing common good (bridges, police, parks, education, etc), and then funnel it into special interests and perks for a few.

We're a democracy, but freedom is something disappearing at a disturbing rate.

If you don't like it, you can get out !!!

Always wanted to say that.

[Yojimbo]

(11-03-2017, 12:31 PM)jason Wrote: General ignorance and not living through the Killing Fields, the student massacre in Beijing, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Cuban boat people, 50 years of chaos and depression in the Eastern bloc, and the Chinese repression of Tibet probably paints a rosy picture of communism for them. I know that it all sounded great to me when I first read the Communist Manifesto all those years ago. But alas... It's all a pipedream.

I’m not a supporter of communism (I want a nice balance between socialism a and capitalism), but I could list off a hundred tragedies that could be laid at the feet of capitalism too. Those in power, regardless of economic principles, will do horrible things to retain that power.

[Benton]

(11-03-2017, 12:34 PM)jason Wrote: If you don't like it, you can get out !!!

Always wanted to say that.

And that's what makes it great! You've got the freedom to say "Get out!" And I've got the freedom to say "Stick it!"

Then we go on with our lives.

But those days are rarer. Now, if you say 'get out' it's a political statement and I'm offending you for some fill in the blank cause. Maybe you were a veteran, or a police officer, or you knew a guy who was in the Coast Guard. And when I say 'stick it' then I'm a violent radical attempting to overthrow the government, all because I'm upset about jobs or intolerance or whatever.

[Belsnickel]

(11-03-2017, 12:39 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: I’m not a supporter of communism (I want a nice balance between socialism a and capitalism), but I could list off a hundred tragedies that could be laid at the feet of capitalism too. Those in power, regardless of economic principles, will do horrible things to retain that power.

My thoughts as well. But I think it is important to note that these atrocities that people often attribute to both communism and capitalism are really attributable to assholes. They used the systems as tools to oppress, but it wasn't these systems alone that did so. The human element is what befouls these theories. Blaming either communism or capitalism for these atrocities is like blaming the gun when someone goes on a shooting spree; the economic systems were merely tools.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

I'm not surprised given the current love affair conservatives have with Putin.

[*bfine32*]

We only have to endure the Millennials for a couple more years. Gen Z is coming and they are nothing like the Millennials. They are a product reared in harder times and many of them saw family lose jobs. They believe in harder work and less reliance on the government.

[*michaelsean*]

(11-03-2017, 12:01 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Part of the problem is, honestly, revealed in another YouGov poll from last year.



When you have the majority not understanding what socialism actually is, it will create a skewed opinion of it. 

The other two charts on the page show the age breakdown from the survey last year. Definitely shows similar results, which isn't surprising. 

Well then someone should figure out what they perceive to be socialism.  We can go from there.  

[Belsnickel]

(11-03-2017, 01:35 PM)bfine32 Wrote: We only have to endure the Millennials for a couple more years. Gen Z is coming and they are nothing like the Millennials. They are a product reared in harder times and many of them saw family lose jobs. They believe in harder work and less reliance on the government.

We really don't know much about the next generation. They're just hitting college age next year, so we haven't had too much time to really study them.

[Belsnickel]

(11-03-2017, 01:46 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Well then someone should figure out what they perceive to be socialism.  We can go from there.  

That is in the graph...

[*michaelsean*]

(11-03-2017, 02:47 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: That is in the graph...

I was talking a more detailed idea of what the ones who say they favor socialism actually want.  

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(11-03-2017, 02:47 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: We really don't know much about the next generation. They're just hitting college age next year, so we haven't had too much time to really study them.

Here's a hint: Their music is too loud, they need to get a job, cut their hair, and get off your lawn.

:andy:

[Belsnickel]

(11-03-2017, 02:58 PM)michaelsean Wrote: I was talking a more detailed idea of what the ones who say they favor socialism actually want.  

Ah, ok. Well, that is interesting. I know there is a growing movement of people that are actually pushing for socialism. I had someone introduce me to some of that stuff and, woo boy, the Kudzu Commune ain't for me. Honestly, I would say that most of them are thinking more in line of social democrats, just based on my conversations with my fellow Millennial lefties. There are a fair number of democratic socialists out there, but that's not what most of them really want. Hell, I'd bet a lot of DSA folks are really more social democrats than democratic socialists.

[Dill]

(11-03-2017, 12:39 PM)Yojimbo Wrote: I’m not a supporter of communism (I want a nice balance between socialism a and capitalism), but I could list off a hundred tragedies that could be laid at the feet of capitalism too. Those in power, regardless of economic principles, will do horrible things to retain that power.

Not supposed to look at it that way.  Repeat this now 25 times: Mao killed 60 million of his own people.