A recent poll of Americans under 30 revealed that one third expressed a preference for socialism. The educational and income characteristics of those polled was not detailed so like every poll, the results can be interpreted differently.
I suspect, however, that those polled construed the meaning of socialism to be “sharing the wealth, regardless of effort or abilities”. An income sharing arrangement of this type would, of course, be most strongly embraced by those who have the least wealth, for whatever reason.
Do the poll results imply that one third of Americans under 30 cannot envision themselves being able to achieve success that the free enterprise system allows? To resign oneself to failure at such a young age implies either a belief in a very bleak economic future or a total lack of faith and optimism in one’s own abilities.
Winston Churchill summed it up perfectly when he said,
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”
Yeah… the lazy would rather sit on their couches and live off taxpayers’ work. Why should they work? They can be lazy, contribute nothing, and still get by.
Capitalism is for winners and (otherwise) those who are responsible for themselves.
Socialism punishes success and rewards failure. Ergo, socialism is for losers.