A recent poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports and The Heartland Institute (a conservative and libertarian think tank) found that most Americans prefer a free market economic system rather than a socialist alternative. When asked the question: “Which is better — a free-market economic system or socialism?”, 75 percent of respondents chose the free market option while only 11 percent preferred socialism. The poll, conducted on Dec. 6-7, had the participation of 1,000 likely voters in America.
“Despite the increased calls for socialism by many on the far left, the vast majority of likely voters believe that the United States should embrace a free-market economy. Only a sliver of likely voters think that the United States should abandon the free-market capitalistic policies that are responsible for making the United States the wealthiest nation in world history. Despite the countless calls for more socialism among elites in media and Hollywood, Americans aren’t interested in adopting the same socialist policies that have led to mass poverty wherever they have been tried,” Chris Talgo, editor and Research Fellow at The Heartland Institute, said in a statement.
One question that was asked in the survey was the respondents’ impression of Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 38 percent said that they had a “very unfavorable” view of her. 20 percent held a “somewhat unfavorable” view, 19 percent saw her as “somewhat favorable” while 18 percent had a “very favorable” opinion. Cortez is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
President Trump has consistently spoken about socialism. At a Dec. 5 rally in Valdosta, GA, he suggested that Democrats want to implement socialism in the United States and that they will have the power to do so if they win control of the Senate. He asked Georgia voters to support the Republican Party in the Jan. 5 Senate runoff elections as a way to allow their children to “grow up in a free country.”
During a recent Senate runoff debate hosted by the Atlanta Press Club, Republican candidate Kelly Loeffler stated that Democrat Raphael Warnock has repeatedly praised Marxism and the redistribution of income. She then asked whether Warnock would renounce socialism and Marxism. Warnock did not respond directly but did say that he believes in “our free enterprise system” and mentioned that his dad was a small business owner.
Free higher education?
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During his presidential campaign, Joe Biden suggested that he will make some forms of higher education free once he becomes president. In a Dec 23 Twitter post, he wrote: “In the 21st century, twelve years of school isn’t enough. That’s why under the Biden-Harris plan, community college will be free — and public colleges and universities will be tuition-free for families earning less than $125,000 a year.”
However, in her 2017 Senate confirmation hearing, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos mentioned that it is important to “…consider the fact that there’s nothing in life that’s truly free. Somebody’s going to pay for it.” She also warned that a “free college” policy is a socialist takeover of higher education that could severely damage the American economy.
“Make no mistake: It is a socialist takeover of higher education… Now, depending on your personal politics, some of you might not find that notion as scary as I do. But mark my words: None of you would like the way it will work.” There are currently a number of states offering free community college tuition for eligible students.
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