A factor behind Bernie Sanders' appeal: Changing attitudes toward socialism

[Suzanimal]

...
During a breakfast hosted by The Christian Science Monitor in June, Sanders avoided questions about his campaign opponents and steered the discussion towards the “enormously serious problems” he hopes to improve:

“Should college education be available to all regardless of their income?

“Why are we the only major country on Earth without a national health-care program guaranteeing health care for all people?

“Why is the middle class of this country disappearing?

“Is it moral that we have massive wealth and income inequality?"

These questions may resonate with low-income Americans who are seeking effective solutions. According to a Pew Research Center survey from 2011, low-income Americans (43%) are twice as likely as higher-income Americans (22%) to view socialism positively.

More recent data show a slight shift towards the once-out-of-favor ideology among several groups.

In response to a Gallup poll in June, 47 percent of surveyors said they would vote for a socialist if their party nominated one, while 50 percent said they would not. Only three years ago, the Pew Research survey found that 31 percent of Americans reacted positively to the word “socialism,” while 60 percent reacted negatively.

And Sanders’ call to go “beyond establishment politics” may appeal to one group whose political views tend to fall in a grey area: Millennials.

The 2011 Pew Research survey showed that among 18-to-29-year olds, 49 percent had a positive view of socialism, while 47 percent had a positive view of capitalism.

Younger Americans aren’t as set on their political views as their parents or grandparents because socialism means different things to different generations, Michelle Diggles, a senior political analyst at liberal think tank Third Way, told The International Business Times.

"For older people, socialism is associated with Communism and the Soviet Union and the Cold War," she said.

"But the oldest Millennials were 8 years old when the Berlin Wall fell. They have never known a world where the Soviet Union exists ... The connotations associated with the word 'socialism' just don't exist with millennials."

Though Sanders’ views on several policy issues, such as climate change, campaign finance reform and the regulation of Wall Street, align with those of many Americans, time will tell whether the rest of the country is ready for a socialist president.

http://news.yahoo.com/factor-behind-bernie-sanders-appeal-changing-attitudes-toward-211737815.html

 

[Occam's Banana]

Freedom stuff is popular ...

 

[VIDEODROME]

His complaints are valid, but I need more detail on his solutions and how he would implement them. Will College be 'nationalized' somehow? Or will government be the 'single payer' of all colleges? Or will there be some kind of college price control?

It's also frustrating that the Middle Class is struggling so hard, but it's not clear to me how Bernie would deal with this.

 

[tod evans]

All that to say one group of people wants government to take from another group and give to them........

 

[Krugminator2]

Capitalism isn't intuitive. It takes a higher level of understanding. I can't prove it. but I suspect curriculums have moved to the left. Free enterprise has to be learned.

The most famous economist 30 years ago was Milton Friedman and he had a big impact of academia. Now there is no Milton Friedman equivalent having the impact he had on the debate. I just saw a poll showing academic economics have shifted hard left. And also, now the most famous economist teaching the public is a guy who thinks unemployment insurance doesn't raise the level of unemployment and terrorist attacks help the economy.

 

[RonPaulFanInGA]

What appeal? Sanders won't win the Democratic primary, much less win a general election.

 

[Dianne]

http://news.yahoo.com/factor-behind-bernie-sanders-appeal-changing-attitudes-toward-211737815.html

We have had socialist Presidents for six years now, and Bush eight years before him. What more do the Republicrats wish to prove their points. It doesn't work.

 

[TheTexan]

“Is it moral that we have massive wealth and income inequality?"

I agree, this wealth inequality is incredible immoral. The moral course of action here would be to pass legislation to move this wealth around so it's more equal. I'm pretty sure as long as more than 50% people agree with it, I'm pretty sure that means it is also moral.

 

[klamath]

Socialism is sounding pretty tame compared to what Trump is selling.

 

[gaazn]

If Bernie Sanders takes a huge gambit and picks someone like Cory Booker now to run as VP on his ticket before the primaries begin, then he will get the nomination. Obama showed that the path to the nomination for the liberal wing of the Democratic Party runs through the South.

 

[Sola_Fide]

Freedom stuff is popular ...

Slavery is popular...and safe.

 

[NaturalMystic]

Corporatism and crony capitalism is viewed as captalism by many

 

[hells_unicorn]

What appeal? Sanders won't win the Democratic primary, much less win a general election.

This right here. A bunch of stoned out college kids who don't show up to vote will not decide an election, we who supported Ron Paul in 2008 should be clear on this by now. Besides, only a stoned out adolescent would be stupid enough to think that Bernie Sanders could be president. Heck, I'd be surprised if the guy could hold any statewide office outside of New England.

 

[David Sadler]

http://news.yahoo.com/factor-behind-bernie-sanders-appeal-changing-attitudes-toward-211737815.html

There is no liberty in the hive, but many find that comforting.

 

[klamath]

The perfect storm to get Americas first openly socialist president would be the running the ultimate crony capitalist Trump against him.