60% Say Capitalism Better Than Socialism

Rasmussen Reports
Apr. 24, 2010

Big business does NOT want free-markets. They want government enforced monopolies and heavy regulation in order to shut their competition out and create a massive hurdle for any other entrepreneurs which seek to engage in their market. Big business wants big government because they use big government as a hammer to smash their competition.

Just look at the health industry and how the FDA and all the horrible regulations are used to shut out alternative treatments and even vitamins (yet Vioxx and Prozac are just fine).

The greatest friend of freedom is true free-market capitalism, it creates a situation where the corporations compete to provide incredible service at the cheapest costs, everyone wins.

The greatest enemy of freedom is central planning and crony capitalism where the corporations buy the government and use it as a tool of monopoly, oppression and control. It's imperative people realize this is the case, we do not have free-market 'capitalism' as things stand, we have a criminal kleptocracy who's job is to loot the economy for the bankers and bankrupt our nation and then blame free-markets and a lack of regulation for the collapse (which if believed will lead to full on despotism with price controls, massive taxation, and perpetual bankruptcy). - Chris, InfoLib Sixty percent (60%) of U.S. adults nationwide say that capitalism is better than socialism. A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey finds that 18% disagree, while 21% are not sure.

Adults under 30 are closely divided on the question. While Republicans and unaffiliated voters overwhelmingly say that capitalism is better, just 43% of Democrats agree. Twenty-four percent (24%) of Democrats say socialism is better.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of investors favor capitalism, compared to only 45% of non-investors.

Last year at this time, among all adults, only 53% said capitalism was better.

However, it's important to note that just 35% believe a free market economy is the same as a capitalist economy. In fact, despite tepid support for capitalism, 77% of Americans prefer a free market economy rather than a government managed economy. That's consistent with the 75% who say that business is better at customer service than government.

One reason for the gap in support for capitalism and free markets is clearly the behavior of some large American corporations. Seventy-three percent (73%) of Americans believe that Goldman Sachs is likely to have committed fraud as charged by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission. Seven-out-of-10 Americans believe that government and big business work together against the interests of consumers and investors.

In his new book, In Search of Self-Governance, Scott Rasmussen describes it this way:

"The more or less official story line goes something like this: Big government and big business are perpetual and intractable enemies. Big business wants totally free and unfettered markets while big government wants to regulate everything that moves. ... As the story goes, the two sides duke it out and end up with compromise regulations. Businesses get enough freedom to compete while government gets enough regulation to protect consumers.

"This is bunk!

"The reality is a bit like a scam you'd see in a bad movie. Some guy is harassing a girl at a bar and another guy steps in to chase the jerk away. For good measure, he gets tough and just a little bit physical. After the jerk is gone, the 'hero' is free to accept whatever thanks he can from the damsel who thought she was in distress. She, of course, has no way of knowing that the two guys were friends and will switch roles the next time they try the scam.

"In the political world today, advocates of big business and big government play the same game. ... They pretend to fight so that one of them can rise to the defense of consumers or taxpayers. Big business leaders proclaim the virtues of the free market, and regulators talk about a mandate to protect consumers. Just as the guys reverse roles when it suits them, the elites take turns drifting back and forth between the business and government sides of the aisle."

Rasmussen adds, "Voters have come to believe that capitalism means large, well-connected corporations keep the profits when times are good and get bailed out by taxpayers when times are bad. No wonder they prefer free markets over capitalism."

In Search of Self-Governance is available at Rasmussen Reports and Amazon.com.

Not surprisingly, the new survey found that just 24% believe the government is capable of adequately monitoring the dealings of Wall Street financial firms. Fifty-three percent (53%) say it is not.