Why are so many USamericans afraid to discuss socialism, communism or an alternative to capitilism?

Question

Capitalism apears to be making more people poorer, & a few people megarich.

Answer 1

It is due to the fact that the wealthy exercise enormous power over the media and our education system. Most people have no idea what socialism is. They only know that it is bad; and they only know this because it has been drummed into them their whole lives.

If you took a poll asking people to name the most brilliant man who ever lived, an overwhelming majority would name Einstein. Few, if any, would know that Einstein was a socialist. Here he is in his 1949 essay "Why Socialism."

http://www.monthlyreview.org/598einst.htm

Answer 2

I don't think people understand!!! When they want to increase the life of many people, they turn to government!!!! The worst mistake one can make! You have to force humans into competitive markets. Politics are too easily corrupted and if you notice, the people who plead for more social government intervention are the same people who have never picked up a book on economics!!! The quality of government help is autorocious and at the same time the competitive free market has been known to build the best efficiencies ever created! The private sector builds and the government pulls down! I am not saying that people like Hillary are evil, I am just saying they are brainwashed into thinking that the government will be the end all solution to the worlds problems!!! This is not and never will be viable! Instead of people preaching government intervention they should be educating the children to be self responsible, helping them understand economic freedom, and also leading by example! If people stopped and researched the goods and bads of over subsidization, we would have no economic liberals! You cannot overpay for goods and services and expect more technological and medicinal advances! Socialism doesn't work and every nation that goes through this process has paid more dearly than those who have not! America is not on free market healthcare anymore! This is one of the reasons why 35% of people can't afford insurance! It's not that there is too little government, but that there is too much government already! This double headed snake has to be tackled at the root! The addition of branches just makes it strong reducing the hope and strength the people have! I truly believe and would die to make the world a better place. The funny thing is, we shouldn't have to die for it! Human nature builds the best worlds, fighting this nature is actually fighting human nature! As long as conservatives and liberals thirst for control of others, we will never be able to have the best lives! It is sad but true! Competitve markets, not high taxes and big government build the greatest nations, highest average life expectancy, lowest amounts of child labor, lowest unemployment, more goods and services, better efficiency, lower adult literacy rates, lower infant death rates, as well as the greatest growth of income per capita! The problem is nobody ever researches these things! They always look at a politician and do whatever they say should be done! There is a reason that America doesn't have France's debt and 10.2% unemployment rate. There are reasons why France and Sweden's healthcare are starting to decrease in services rendered! There are reasons why Cuba, Venezuela, Africa, and many other socialist type countries are beginning to decrease in almost every category addressed above! Without knowledge these people are left to opinions, bad opinions. When I reject a government intervention they look at me as a devil even though I know I am doing the best thing for the future of society! It is sad to know that people are so bad that we can't even count on government! Many European countries were very rich before becoming socialist and now they are being drained more and more everyday! The downfall of society is not because of greedy people in the private sector, it is because of uneducated voters that pick a side without research! This cycle of life will never stop and there is nothing the few educated people can do to stop it! World socialism is beginning and it will cause more deaths than communism's 100 million murders! The broken window fallacy is applied in almost every case in this example but many will disregard it! It is sad that so many people care, but that very few of those people understand the best way to help! Teach self reliability to your children, help them understand philanthropy! Help them understand why human nature needs to be placed into competitive markets and why governments destroy growth and prosperity, especially for the poor! Help them understand the truth and lies from the politicians words! It is sad but in todays world, many people do not understand how things just have to be! Heaven on earth is not attainable! Never will be! Economic freedom such as Hong Kong will be exactly what is needed to spread religion peacefully as well as giving the best lives possible to the most people! Give freedom to all ~ Libertarian

Answer 3

The problem with the communist system is that it was not designed with the imperfections of humans in mind. When Marx wrote the Communist manifesto, he invisioned a society nothing short of a utopia. However, the nature of the communist system requires everyone to work jobs for equal pay, regardless of productivity and gives those in charge the possibility of aquiring way too much power if they become greedy. However, humans are far from perfect. What is to keep those workers from getting lazy if they know they will be paid regardless of what they do? or what will keep the leaders from seizing complete power? The capitalist system caters to human desire by rewarding productivity and innovation by individuals with monetary gain. Wouldn't you work harder if you knew you weren't going to be paid if you didn't? Capitalism is not a perfect system. However, it is better designed for imperfect beings than communism, as it makes our weaknesses (such as greed) our strengths. Communism is simply not designed to work in our world.

Answer 4

What you say it's true but have you considered that those kinds of governments have a lot of holes like capitalism? Do you remember what happened behind closed doors in Soviet Union? Power of few, Hunger and pain of millions? I think that the philosophy is good but the practise isn't right. Do you know what exactly Cuban people do for their living while Castro and his comrades are bathing in the beaches of richness and power?
Al least you have a speech freedom.

Answer 5

Because there are those people who are still stuck in the Dark Ages of Cultural Advancement and refuse to catch up to the rest of the world.

Especially the Bushbots--who think Capitalism is great, but Socialism, Communism, or any alternatives to either--as EVIL and should be destroyed at all costs. (While blaming them for the ills of the world in general.)

Answer 6

I don't think there is a clear answer - they certainly are reluctant to be open-minded on these matters, and it does not make any sense - let me see ...

Paranoia about the CIA's/secret services' response maybe? Or maybe it forms part of their national culture & view of themselves? Or part of their hatred of the East? Or they expect things to sound great but be much worse if implemented just out of a collective gut instinct - I reckon it's their love for the US constitution in its original form that lays behind this weird barrier the Americans have on such matters.

Answer 7

You may be talking to the wrong Americans! You also seem to be generalizing. There are lots of us who are not happy the way things are, who want to see a change for the better. As you know socialism, capitalism, and communism ALL have positive and negative points. Personally, I tend toward a blend of socialism and capitalism.
However, I'd love to see something new! 'bout time for a revolution.

Answer 8

Why are individuals so petrified of Communism? perhaps for reliable reason. listed below are some information from Communist regimes from from twentieth century: a million. u.s. 1932-1933 about 7,000,000 human beings died contained in the Ukraine because of Stalin's failed agricultural guidelines. 1929-1963 An expected sixty one,000,000 died contained in the U.S. contained in the era. u.s. suffered about 20,000,000 deaths in WW2, so Stalin became quite usually to blame for the perfect 40-one,000,000. The vast majority died contained in the "gulag" concentration camps. 2. China large bounce ahead (1958-1961) Catastrophic economic guidelines carry about the starvation and deaths of about 30,000,000 human beings. The repression maintains right this moment. 2. Cambodia 1975 - 1979 2,000,000 human beings died from Pol Pots large purges and sufficiency economic doctrine. This became an expected a million/3 of the inhabitants of Cambodia. North Korea about a million,six hundred,000 and COUNTING. The median estimate for the completed numbers of deaths in Communist regimes is about 100 and ten,000,000 human beings. the completed variety of human beings that died in ALL of global conflict II jointly with protection stress and civilian deaths became about seventy 2,000,000. i do no longer imagine maximum folk understand this, yet using concentration camps did not start up with Hitler's Nazis, besides the undeniable fact that the use began in Russia. First the tsarists used concentration camps on a small scale in Siberia, then the Communists higher them to expel all those who did not believe communism, or maybe innocents, to compelled labor. Communism continuously turns this type: authorities needs human beings to artwork for the state. human beings do no longer favor to artwork without repayment. So authorities could stress human beings to artwork.

Answer 9

I have often asked this question. I think it is because Communism got a bad wrap here during the Cold War, as did Socialism.

Our current form of "democracy" is not working. I think we need to examine alternate forms of government that have a strong Capitalistic influence but not the Bush form of terrorism paranoia or privacy invasion.

We also need less weathy people in the government hierarchy.

Answer 10

Capitalism is not making people poor.

Isn't it ironic that you are now using the innovations and products of capitalism to discuss alternatives to capitalism?
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Rampant illegitimacy makes people poor.

Illegitimacy Rates:
Black ~ 68%
Hispanic ~ 45%
White ~ 24%
Asian ~ 15%

Median Household Income:
Asian ~ $61,000
White ~ $51,000
Hispanic ~ $36,000
Black ~ $31,000
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Dropping out of school makes people poor.
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Wasting your time hating rich people makes people poor.
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Capitalism is liberty. Liberty does not make people poor. People who cannot handle the personal responsibility of freedom makes them poor.
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And why do I oppose socialism?
When it comes time to forcibly confiscate my private property, you will be no where around. You will get the government to do the dirty for you and tell me it is for the "common good" that the government controls me.

All hail government !!
Except for the genocide, famine, world wars and millennia of oppression - government is wonderful.
I have no intention of ever voluntarily allowing government to become more powerful.
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Here is a comparison of capitalism vs socialism
http://www.timbro.com/euvsusa/
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