Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
Socialism
Socialism had the lowest percentage positive rating and the highest negative rating of any term tested. Still, more than a third of Americans say they have a positive image of socialism.
Exactly how Americans define “socialism” or what exactly they think of when they hear the word is not known. The research simply measures Americans’ reactions when a survey interviewer reads the word to them — an exercise that helps shed light on connotations associated with this frequently used term.
There are significant differences in reactions to “socialism” across ideological and partisan groups:
* A majority of 53% of Democrats have a positive image of socialism, compared to 17% of Republicans.
* Sixty-one percent of liberals say their image of socialism is positive, compared to 39% of moderates and 20% of conservatives.Capitalism
“Capitalism,” the word typically used to describe the United States’ prevailing economic system, generates positive ratings from a majority of Americans, with a third saying their reaction is negative.
As was the case with “socialism,” there are differences across population segments.
* Republicans are significantly more positive than Democrats in their reactions to “capitalism,” although majorities of both groups have favorable opinions.
* Opinions of the word by ideology are divided in an unusual, though modest, way. Conservatives have the highest positive image, followed by liberals. Moderates have somewhat lower positive ratings than either of these groups.
This nation, contrary to what’s being bullyingly implied in all walks of life, is actually about something and it isn’t just about the freedom to be an atheist. If that’s all the freedom you want, you can do that just about anywhere now.
It’s about having your own turf, and running it as you see fit so long as you abide by the laws and pay your bills. Being governed and not ruled.
This vision is not compatible with socialism, not even a little tiny bit.
Having 36% of us say socialism is okay, is no better than having 36% of us saying white supremacy is okay. It is every bit as alarming and every bit as much an offense to our founding principles. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: You want socialism? There’s over a hundred other spots on the earth you can go. Keep it outta here.
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This ties in with my first video editing project I just finished last night. It won’t convince any of the 36%-ers, but I’m hoping to open the eyes of people who think when we call people who are socialists, “Socialists”, it’s not idle playground name-calling.
Words Have Meanings.
- philmon | 02/20/2010 @ 10:24just 36%? That just means that the education establishment will try to educate the next two generations that much harder until they get that number well over 50%.
Utopia or bust!
(or is that utopia and bust?)
- pdwalker | 02/20/2010 @ 20:56It simply reveals that a big chunk of the voting public apparently doesn’t have access to a dictionary, or any other kind of clue as to what political terms mean. Unsurprisingly, there are more of these people on the left than on the right.
- cylarz | 02/21/2010 @ 00:13That’s it. I’m telling Michael Moore. He’ll set you straight. Or make another documentary about you.
;0)
- KC | 02/21/2010 @ 13:02