Do You Think People Want Socialism?

Question

It seems like the Democratic Party is leaning towards socialism. If the current candidate, who is a Marxist, wasn't running, it would be someone else who is a Marxist. That's because that's what the people want, right?

abc3643 · Accepted Answer

To a certain degree, yes.

Here's why: People want all sorts of freedom in their lives and a capitalist representative democratic society can do that. But people also want to be free from fear.

Ask yourself this:

Do you want to freedom to:

A. mingle with the lions, tigers, and bears at zoo with them free to roam around so you can pet them and snuggle with them, or
B. do you want them behind cages where, you can't pet them, but they won't kill you and eat you?

You'll opt for B, of course.

Socialism doesn't have the wide-open freedom of capitalist system, but it also can avoid the instability and hazards of a capitalist system.

Socialism wasn't "a thing" when the Founding Fathers created the United States and its current form of government, but they intuitively knew about it... and, more importantly, they knew about human nature. Human nature is that people will often go for personal gain and act risky even it that will adversely affect others. That's not exactly "united we stand". That's one reason why they created the form of government that we have which makes it difficult for any single part of the government to dominate. In other words, they established a system of checks and balances, although they underestimated how dark human nature could be that could give us Trump and his mob of followers.

Regardless, the Founding Fathers were very smart about the one thing they did not want the capitalist system to be responsible for: National Security.

This is why the Preamble to the US Constitution is this:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

"Provide for the common defen[s]e"...

See that?

That means that the Federal Government is responsible for the most important thing: National security. Can you imagine how incompetent and corrupt our armed forces would be if they were left under the control of wealthy stock holders, CEOs, and Boards of Directors? The Founding Fathers knew that private ownership of the responsibility of national security would be a disaster so, in the very first thing they wrote in the Constitution, they assigned national security to the national government.

So, remember that:

The United States Defense Department is the largest, oldest, and most successful socialist program in human history.

MisterWack · Accepted Answer

Socialism is the same like Leftists calling everything “sexist” or “racist”, completely removing it of its meaning….

I don’t call Republicans fascists or point the finger, what I do is advocate why I no longer support Donald Trump and only Donald Trump, and the direction I would like this country to go towards.

I am always told I’m a “commie” and to quote “go back to China” or I’m a propagandist being paid off by the Big Tech CEOS or George Soros (even though his son took over, George Soros isn’t even in power anymore….) or I secretly hate this country.
I just hate politics where we point the finger, blame someone for shit they had no control over, etc.

I’m not a Trump supporter anymore for my reasonings, that is all.

msfuntastic · Accepted Answer

Congratulations, you've figured out that the left-wing base are actually in favor of more progressive policies, and want politicians who will enact them. Mind blowing, I know.

If you describe socialist policies to people and don't call them socialist, maybe even call them Trump policies, they'll tell you it all sounds good. But if you call it socialist policies, they've been programmed to trigger their fight or flight response.

Oh my, dirty MARXISTS. They think people should have a right to healthcare! They think people should have affordable child-care, they think the rich should pay their fair share. Dirty stuff. If Trump said it, it would be totally MAGA!

Gwendoline · Accepted Answer

National Health insurance is basically you the taxpayer paying the government through a small percentage of your earnings and cutting out the middle man of a private company health insurance provider that may decide not to pay because of a preexisting medical condition. It's like social security or welfare Americans have.

It's like your military, police or fire brigade, not run by private corporations but funded by you the taxpayer.

WhiteSteve · Answer

Can you help me out here? I’m a little lost.

I’m hoping you can give me the definitions of both Socialism and Marxism, and then explain to me which SPECIFIC proposed policies of Harris fall under those definitions

Anonymous · Answer

Typical mistake using Socialism synonymous with communism. Pure capitalism without any social services is anarcho-capitalism (Ancap). Ancap is a utopian society much like communism is a utopian society for the other side of the spectrum. Ancap never works because you need sacrifice some freedom for security like you can't pay 0 taxes and not have military because some other country is going to come in and invade. You need to pay into other services like the police and firemen, etc.

Socialism doesn't leads to communism and you can see that clearly if you look at the Nordic model in Northern Europe where Finland are basically welfare states. The money doesn't come from taxing the rich or from nothing the working and rich people pay into those social programs. And look at the results they are constantly winning the most happiest country. They can save more money because they need to spend as much on health care and other basic needs. There education system is beating out the USA by a large amount when they abandon the education standards. When you drive around you feel safe.

Socialism too board to just look at it and say "Oh communist" it's evil a utopian society. People want it because it works and the Nordic countries are a good place to live. I personally wouldn't move there, but I understand why people want things like the Nordic Model in their countries because it's really good. But people just see socialism and think "Oh that person is a commie" It's like no people work and pay into the programs.

Makeushiver · Answer

Not in the US. The gilded ahe capitalists had enough control over the government to make sure any hint if Americans actually deciding what was in their nest interests they just. let Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, and Gord. People who actually conspired against the citizens of US into believing that communism andnany thing remotely c! owe to it got you lynched or at least jaoled. Despite that every country in Europe having Socialist and Communist parties. The rich saw the Bolsheviks nationalizing many industries and made sure they stirred up such virulent anti everything that all of those "isms" became ohated. US citizens couldn't have spelled communism or had a clue as to whag. it was but ignorance has never interfered with stupidity ( e. g. Trump suppirters! Also workers were condemned to unsafe and disgusting work conditions and US citizens paid more than anyone else for products so they could keep ranting about communism w/o ever knowing anything about ig. Americans have never worried about evil men again if Tru! p as long as they had someone to hate and

Syntosi · Answer

First of all, people are aiming for more socialism which is not the same as Marxism and Kamala is not a Marxist. Words have meaning and that ain't it.

Do people want socialism? Probably. Its very tempting for starters and very logical not to mention there are successful examples of a socialist capitalist hybrid system. It was likely always inevitable but the poor state of society after capitalism entered "late stage capitalism" (or in other words the stage where capitalism stops benefiting normal people and exclusively helps the rich and powerful). People who feels the economy is unfair, which it is, will want some kind of reform and socialism is the logical direction for things to move.

D_Bone_Steak · Answer

Socialist and Communists have been spoon fed a utopian idea of it that becomes tragic af as soon as they take control of the food supply. I just digressed. They don't know shit about how it leads to starvation and cannibalization. They've been fed rainbows and sunshine ideas.

I feel sorry for these people. If only they could take a week off from their ideology and see things from another viewpoint.

Anonymous · Answer

Democrats want socialism. Their supporters DON’T want socialism but they’re not smart enough to realize it so they vote for it.

It’s weird but true.

Most democrat supports can’t even say anything good about Kamala or anything bad about Trump other than what was fed to them through the media.

they will repeat what was said m.

All the ones that can provide SOME answers had to search it because they themselves don’t know why or what. zero nada.

It had to be fed to them. It’s not because they reached a conclusion from what each candidate has done or said in the past

but rather what was INTERPRETED they they said or did in the past told them through some media source or a commenter.
Otherwise they can’t tell you and answer unless they search for it. All they know is they were told Trump is bad evil racist and Kamala good “black minority” woman that was to give “freedoms” 🤯

why are they dumb? 😑

beefcakebradybatson · Answer

Communism is not Socialism, which exists to a degree with schools, infrastrucure, social services and everything individuals couldn't afford unless they were among the overlords. Socialsm also affords ALL citizens at least a dignified if not comfortable life rather than Capitalism's ethos of "Winner take all," evident when opulence is a few miles (2.5 more kilometres) from homelessness and squalour.

Communism is a totalitarian system in which the state completely subjugates the individual to its (state's) caprice. ( Cuba, North Korea, the former Soviet Union being the most obvious examples). In other words, as the last, great columnist Sydney J. Harris (who long ago foresaw a Donald Trump) wrote,"It's either the way of the shark (Capitalism) or the way of the ant (Communism) unless people got, ummmm, WOKE !!!"(the last five words Yours Truly's).

phraseology · Answer

That entire "unburdened by what has been" thing Kamala was pushing is Maoism. Tim Walz is also a Chinese Communist Party loyalist and strong proponent of Maoism. They prefer Maoism over Marxism because the Chinese were trained by the Nazis and subscribe to most of the same ideas.

Kaneki05 · Answer

The only people who don't want socialism are those who don't get it, and don't understand the things they actively need and want in society are already based upon those ideals.
And without socialism people wouldn't have rights they do today. We would still be putting kids in factories and up chimneys, and making sure women have limited access to work.
Don't take much to look at the Victorian era or before to see how bad life was before Marx.

lightbulb27 · Answer

to some degree yes, depends how you think of it.

when there is a big divide between "haves and have nots", you get these issues... and it seems to go in cycles as countries become corrupt.

corrupt currency, bailouts... etc... denying suffering. smart people have resources to beat and control the system. others don't.

RavVid · Answer

I think most people want some Marxism. Like every body would like job security and some restrictions on being arbitarily sacked. They would generally like some social security being in place.

People might think some industries need to be protected. Farmers are often quite socialist in outlook.

DryGermanGuy · Answer

I would say, people want a useful balance between raw capitalism and social security policies. None of the purist extremes work well for the majority of people. See various European countries for what is a successful mixture.

jshm2 · Answer

Nothing wrong with a bit of socialism. The Nordic countries are among the happiest and richest in the world, and they are practically socialist. It's about accountability and transparency. Two things America lacks at any one time.

sawno · Answer

I think mostly people who are in university or recently graduated university do since its heavily promoted there. The majority does not and real world experience / debates with others in the wider world can help deradicalize.

Dargil · Answer

They want free stuff but don't know what they will give up. Liberty. Generation Z and Generation Alpha will only know what they have given up by talking to their grandparents. Bad days are coming.

Jersey2 · Answer

The intellectually weak do, along with the lazy. They don’t know their history or the reality. They should move if they want such a system… but they are too lazy and have little to offer a new country.

Maybe_Maybe_not · Answer

Someone leaning to socialism is not even remotely closed to Marxism. There are middle schools, libraries, dictionaries and even internet access where you live. Use any of those, please.

blueonblack22 · Answer

If people actually fully comprehended what destruction this could ultimately lead to then would want absolutely nothing to do with it.

nolabels · Answer

I believe that there are people who THINK that they want Socialism, until they get it and see it for what it truly is, then, not so much.

Avicenna · Answer

Most people don’t want it, which is why the Democrats don’t campaign on it.

AviatorTom · Answer

I'm pretty sure that most people don't even know what socialism is.

Alwayreckles93 · Answer

Just become one of Jehovah's witnesses and forget about this whole politics world.

CupcakeTheDestroyer · Answer

Harris isn’t a Marxist, Trump said her father was one, but that claim is not substantiated.

slatyb · Answer

No, we want a social democracy. No one is suggesting the government should nationalize industry.

Anonymous · Answer

I think most people just want a level playing field. But those hopelessly up to thier eyeballs in debt with little hope of ever digging out of it. Yeah, I could say how they'd be considering socialism as the answer.

CuriousMufuxka · Answer

I see more people wanting a lazy "easier" way to operate in society. "Smart device do ordinary tasks that I could accomplish better and quicker"

noohair · Answer

Humanity repeated mistakes because people think they are smart enough to do what is actually impossible.

Anonymous · Answer

The deadbeat Dems want it. Working sucks. LOL

Anonymous · Answer

only Democrats want socialism but are absolutely clueless on how socialism works

Staximus · Answer

The demonrats want big government and big control of your life and finances

OddBeMe · Answer

Ask your grandparents if they like medicare and SOCIAL security

msc545 · Answer

People want equity and fairness, especially economically. Capitalism cannot accomplish that.

justsam2525 · Answer

No people are sick of billionaires not paying taxes and telling us what we should be doing

exitseven · Answer

Where can I get one of those shirts?

strateguy632 · Answer

No, but they get fooled by word tricks.

FunkyMonkee · Answer

Just the loony lefties!!

Massageman · Answer

Not if they have functional brains.

Pterodon · Answer

Democrats have always been socialist

eagle1951 · Answer

nope

Do You Think People Want Socialism?

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