I’ve had this working theory for a while: the Right’s compulsion to tag all liberal (and most moderate) political ideas as “socialism” is going to come back to bite them in the ass. Because if most people are in favor of a “socialist” idea like receiving health care, well, can socialism be that bad?
Turns out, I’m right: only half the country identifies as pro-capitalism, with 20% pro-socialist and rest undecided. Better yet, under-30 adults are evenly divided between the pro-capitalist and the pro-socialist.
My guess is that most of these folks are actually progressives, and they identify as socialist only because they keep hearing on Fox News that they have to be if they believe the wacky ideas they do. Which, of course, probably primes them to be receptive to actual socialist ideas.
Great meme, GOP. Keep it up.
By all means, let’s make sure we get the labels right. That and a token will get us on the subway…
I’m betting the people that identify as pro-socialist will be equally pissed off as the people who identify as pro-capitalist when they’re put on a ten-year waiting list for cataracts surgery, or told that they can’t have the experimental cancer drug because it’s too expensive.
Any problem that can be solved entirely by checking someone’s “politican persuasion profile” is likely too simple to be worth discussing.