Friday, October 04, 2013

Public Opinion: Capitalism Doesn't Work For Us

Public opinion is going through a major change.  The combination of the collapsed and languishing economy; and people standing up and speaking about taboo subjects out loud is creating a new political narrative.

The Brookings Institution (http://www.popularresistance.org/poll-42-say-capitalism-not-working-for-us/) , a mainstay of Washington, DC think tanks, found  that 42% of Americans do not think capitalism is working for the United States. Only 9% believe capitalism is working very well. The only age group that thinks they are better off than the previous generation is those over 66 years old.

Questioning capitalism?  When was the last time that was allowed in US political discourse?

http://www.popularresistance.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Single-Payer-what-people-want2-e1380571255143.jpg

And, Americans’ view of government is mostly negative. Only 7% think it is generally working while two-thirds think it is either completely broken (26%) or broken but working in some areas (40%).  Americans want government to reduce the wealth divide (63%), provide assistance to people who need it (62%) and guarantee health care to all even if it means raising taxes (56%).  Obviously, government is out of step with the people; moving in the opposite direction on all these issues. The discord between what the people want and need; and what government is doing is the foundation of the growing resistance movement.

from here

From each according to ability, to each according to need sounds pretty close to what public opinion is saying. Perhaps those creating the polls need to ask one more question. Socialism is the answer.
JS

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