A Gallup poll released yesterday found that, for the first time since it began tracking the figure, fewer than half of young people aged 18-29 have a positive view of capitalism, while more than half have a positive view of socialism. The poll also found that, again for the first time, significantly more Democratic-leaning voters have a positive view of socialism than of capitalism.
The percentage of young people viewing capitalism positively is continuing its precipitous fall, from 68 percent in 2010, to 57 percent in 2016, to 45 percent in 2018 (a stunning 23-percentage point drop in just eight years). The percentage of young people viewing socialism favorably has remained relatively flat during this period and stood at 51 percent in 2018—producing a 6-percentage point gap in favor of socialism.
A similar trend is seen among Democrats and “Democratic-leaning independents” of all age groups, with a positive view of capitalism falling from 53 percent in 2010 to 47 percent in 2018, while those with a positive view of socialism increased from 53 percent to 57 percent—a 10-percentage point gap in favor of socialism.
According to Gallup, overall most Americans still have a positive view of capitalism, but this year’s 56 percent positive rating is, by four points, the lowest recorded. Gallup included a list of economic terms, asking respondents to say whether they had a positive or negative image of each. Of these terms, only “socialism” increased its positive image, while “entrepreneurs,” “free enterprise,” “capitalism,” “small business,” “federal government,” and “big business” all fell.
The period covered by Gallup’s figures (2010-2018) is significant. It largely corresponds to the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis and the tenure of the Democratic administration of Barack Obama, which came to power promising “hope” and “change,” while presiding over the largest transfer of wealth from the working class to the rich in US history. Obama left office proclaiming that the economy had “never been better,” but workers and young people clearly feel otherwise.
The growth in support for socialism, and the decline in support for capitalism, confirms the evaluation made in a resolution adopted at the Socialist Equality Party Congress last month. “There is a growing sense among substantial sections of the working class and youth,” the resolution states, “that capitalism is inherently unjust and that fundamental changes in the economic system are needed. While this broad-based sentiment has not yet developed into a mass political movement directed toward the ending of the capitalist system, interest in and support for socialism is growing rapidly.”
The government is a failure. That's not a partisan slam. This started long before Donald Trump. The government spends its time and our money on wars. Our cities crumble and decay and they focus on wars.
I'm truly surprised the numbers aren't higher but give it another year or two.
This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Tuesday:
Tuesday, August 14, 2018.
The Sadr City section of Baghdad has been slammed with a bombing this morning. XINHUA reports, "Two people were killed and 15 others injured Tuesday in a roadside bomb explosion at a popular marketplace in eastern Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said."
The violence has never ended in Iraq. Suddenly, with the realization that, no, ISIS has not been defeated, some are beginning to worry. AP notes, "The Islamic State extremist group has up to 30,000 members roughly equally distributed between Syria and Iraq and its global network poses a rising threat — as does al-Qaida, which is much stronger in places, a United Nations report says."
The Sadr City section of Baghdad has been slammed with a bombing this morning. XINHUA reports, "Two people were killed and 15 others injured Tuesday in a roadside bomb explosion at a popular marketplace in eastern Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source said."
The violence has never ended in Iraq. Suddenly, with the realization that, no, ISIS has not been defeated, some are beginning to worry. AP notes, "The Islamic State extremist group has up to 30,000 members roughly equally distributed between Syria and Iraq and its global network poses a rising threat — as does al-Qaida, which is much stronger in places, a United Nations report says."
In 2015, US intelligence officials estimated ISIS strength at ~33,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
In 2018, DoD estimates ISIS strength ~28,600-31,600 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
What the hell?
Latest U.S. intel suggests #ISIS commands an estimated ~31,500 fighters in #Syria & #Iraq combined.
- #Syria: ~14,500 (almon.co/33ct)
- #Iraq: ~17,100 (media.defense.gov/2018/Aug/06/20…)
So we’ve got a tad more fighting to go, then…
A new U.N. report says the Islamic State extremist group has an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 members equally distributed between Syria and Iraq and its global network poses a rising threat — as does al-Qaida's global network.
ISIS was never defeated in Iraq.
The press sold the lie that it was. We didn't buy it and called it out. Truth has emerged. Finally. Who do we have to thank for that? Believe it or not, US President Donald Trump. When he began claiming he had defeated ISIS, we responded here to drive-by e-mails demanding we credit Donald by noting that we would not be crediting him because our position was that ISIS had not been defeated, that it was still active in Iraq. As Donald continued to make his claim publicly, the western press was left with a dilemma -- give him credit or tell the truth?
Suddenly the western press was awash with articles that ISIS was emerging. No, they weren't emerging. They'd never gone away and violence from January forward proved that. But the western press rarely tells the truth and, with elections approaching in Iraq, it was more important to them to please the US State Dept by repeating the lie that 'hero' Hayder al-Abadi had defeated ISIS.
That was propaganda.
It wasn't propaganda aimed at the Iraqi people.
They knew damn well that ISIS had not left Iraq.
It was propaganda for the west, for western news consumers.
As elections were completed, the Boruzous and other western liars began their 'oh my goodness' pieces, clutching their pearls and anal beads, of 'goodness golly it appears ISIS might be regrouping in Iraq.'
No.
They weren't regrouping. They were still in Iraq, they were still kidnapping, they were still shooting, they were still bombing -- they'd been doing all this and more in January, in February, in March, in April . . . It was just that the western whores weren't interested in telling the truth in 2018 anymore than they were all those years ago in the lead up to the Iraq War.
The only thing more shocking than how many people the corporate media fooled in the lead up to the Iraq War may be how many still get fooled by their baseless claims.
And let's repeat, ISIS is a terrorist organization. Holding areas and governing them? That's not the goal or aim of a terrorist organization. Because Nouri al-Maliki was so inept, ISIS managed to seize control of multiple areas in Iraq. (Per the US Defense Dept, ISIS still holds area in Anbar Province today.) Presstitutes acted as though the loss of Mosul, for example, meant ISIS was over. No, that was not their primary goal.
All sorts of 'new math' were used to pimp the lie that Hayder al-Abadi had defeated the Islamic State. He did no such thing.
The Iraqi people were not fooled. They knew he failed at everything -- including safety. That he came in third in the recent election is a testament to just how ineffectual he is seen to be by the Iraqi people.
SRSG Kubiš to #UNSC: The historic low voter turnout witnessed during the 12 May parliamentary elections (some 60% of eligible voters did not participate) had already delivered a strong message of dissatisfaction with the current state of management of public affairs.
There was no reason for them to be satisfied. For four years, Hayder al-Abadi held the post of prime minister and he did nothing. He did not eliminate corruption. In fact, he didn't even offer for show measures until after -- after -- the May 12 elections. He did not defeat ISIS despite claiming (December 2017) that he had. He did not even attempt to liberate Mosul for years after he'd become prime minister -- this despite the fact that ISIS had seized Mosul mere months before he became prime minister. He felt no obligation to the citizens of Mosul to rescue them. He did nothing to create jobs. He did nothing.
The surprise is not that protests are ongoing -- the surprise is that they took so long to build.
On the left: “I protest for my childhood’s future, the Govt left it [future] without water, electricity, healthcare, education..etc. Save Us”
(2/2)
#IraqProtests
There are various attempts to make sense of what is taking place in Iraq. Here are two examples.
First:
Second:
FRB latest article - As #protests take place in #Iraq against a failed political system, how did the country get here. A look at how #Iran infiltrated Iraq in a decades long intervention. #failedstate
frbiu.com/articles/the-s… pic.twitter.com/SBGEIUNzkz
Meanwhile, the world watches for news on Aretha Franklin. She's rallied many times before and may do so again but the legend is ill. She's entertained millions and provided so much joy and love in a world that too frequently traffics in hate and war.
I don't know what else to say.
The following community sites -- plus Cindy Sheehan, BLACK AGENDA REPORT and Jody Watley -- updated:
