Why do so many people reject Socialism when they do not know what they are rejecting in the first place?

Question

Capitalism and other kids stuff -

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hentIFNmZFo
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3oPrYeWTpc
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1kDoRo6wRY
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXMnQ6Sp04o
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CGEFzSAW3Q

German Nationalist he disagreed with the socialist belief in equality. When he witnessed the German Revolution he was disgusted. Hitler was quite the opposite of Socialism, he wanted total fascism and corporate control, much like the neo-con vision.
Hitler saw socialism as part of a Jewish conspiracy.
You are simply incorrect from a historical perspective to relate National Socialists (read Nationalists like Republicans) and Socialists (like the Communists who fought Hitler and the Nazis to the end in WWII).
get educated.

"Sweden, probably the most socialist country on the planet" - I rest my case...

Answer 1

Socialism means different things to different people. The name has stood for many bad things. If there is an element of it you like you'd be better off arguing specifics, and not labels.

Answer 2

We have a long history of Socialist movements to observe. When they get into political power, people die. NAZIs (National Socialist Workers Party) are the most notorious.

As a 'social conscience' movement, Socialism has its place. The problem is giving political power to those who think they should take from some and give to others to set things right. The recipients tend to be those who support the Socialists' absolute power to keep on taking and giving.

Under Socialism, those who are 'with the party' get all the goodies.

Leftist movements, including Socialists here in the US as well as the Communist-founded ACLU, work hard at subverting and eliminating religion. Religious leaders are an obstacle to the tyrant's absolute dominion over the minds of the people. Communists purged the religious as do socialist dictators. Hitler's own propaganda minister wrote of the Fuhrer's driving wedges between religious leaders and the people in order to seize absolute power over the beliefs of the people. Hitler killed as many Christians as Jews - both were inconvenient to the Secularist, Darwin-based Aryan movement.

Answer 3

The thing is people are idiots and they believe propaganda that capitalism is good and socialism is bad.

Most of these idiots think Socialism, Communism, and Fascism are the same.

Also many people do not know that socialist ideology is more of economic ideology than a form of government.

Aside from that many people preach socialist beliefs (like for a raise in the minimum wage or regulation for an industry) and do not even know they are doing it ... then later they say they "hate socialism".

Answer 4

I think one of the main reasons is that there has been an impressively successful campaign of propaganda against socialism, that effectively equates it with a lack of freedom. It is astonishing the number of people who believe that democracy and capitalism are inextricably linked, and that any form of socialist government must be inherently anti-democratic.

One of the people answering your question quoted the example of Sweden, saying that 50% of earnings went to pay tax in that country. I am not qualified to say whether or not that is the case, but I would ask this: what percentage of your earnings, as an American, goes to paying for the profits of the company to whom you give your money?

If you pay for health care; for a private pension; for private security; for any of the multitude of things that could potentially be provided, by the state, for everyone, regardless of their income, then under capitalism, a sizeable chunk of your income ends up as company profits, benefitting the shareholders and directors of the companies from whom you buy those services. Why is it better to hand over your cash to a company whose mandate is to provide profit to its shareholders, than it is to hand it over to a government whose mandate is to provide quality services for everyone of its constituents, without the need to make a profit?

Answer 5

The name has a negative connotation in the United States. Many people instinctively see socialism as an anti-freedom, inefficient system. This is probably a holdover from the Cold War, when every effort was made to paint the enemy in negative terms.

Personally, after much study and consideration, I think the instinctive reaction is pretty accurate.

Answer 6

This is why: Socialism: a theory or system of social
organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership
and control of the means of production and distribution
of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

Answer 7

Capitalism breeds competition, and competition fuels growth and new ideas. Socialism is just full of social welfare that makes being lazy an ok way to be. All socialist cultures , Canada included lag way behind in new medical discovery and technology advancement. We on the other hand lead the world. God bless America.

Answer 8

i don't need who watch these you-tubes to guess what they are saying. people, like me reject socialism because we want as little government involvement in our lives as possible.

"THE GOVERNMENT THAT GOVERNS BEST, GOVERNS LEAST." Thomas Jefferson, third president of the U.S.

if one wants socialism i suggest that they move somewhere like Sweden, probably the most socialist country on the planet. want to pay over 50% of every dollar you make in taxes -- and that is just up front. don't forget the hidden taxes.

so if you want the government to tell you how many sheets of toilet paper you are allowed each day -- VOTE SOCIALIST!!!!!!

Answer 9

People in American often reject socialism because they are foolish enough to think that it is a step away from democracy.

Answer 10

sounds better than whats happened the last 6 years