Gallup: Americans Oppose Income Redistribution to Fix Economy »
Posted by: Mdiar 2 months agoWhen given a choice about how government should address the numerous economic difficulties facing today's consumer, Americans overwhelmingly -- by 84% to 13% -- prefer that the government focus on improving overall economic conditions and the jobs situation in the United States as opposed to taking steps to distribute wealth more evenly among Ameri
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Mdiar2 months ago
Hmmm... not much of a surprise here, but one must wonder, what would the outcome of several national polls be if specific issues, like health care, were the topic? Still, I think most Americans are on the right economically (I think most people in general in the west are, actually) and a little libertarian in ideology. Small government in general, in other words.
How will this effect the election, I wonder?
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Mdiar2 months ago
One poll that seems slightly at odds with this, is this one:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/106813/Many-American...
Of course, the options listed in the poll don't seem to include a "both" option, a redistribution (though perhaps not done by the government but done by market forces or other things) as well as an economic boom.
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antibrainwasher2 months ago
This is a partisan owned and operated poll, the same one and only one which magaged to massage the data to show McCain leading or tied with Obama in a national survey. (False information, as shown by every other objective poll.)
Its how you ask the questions, and who you call.
I smell republican partisanship, ownership and data massaging in this gallup organization.
If you phrase the question, do you think its right that 0.1% of the population owns more wealth than the bottom 3 billion on the planet? you'd get a different responce. If you asked is it right to give the rich a tax cut and eliminate inheritance tax for the super billionaire rich during a time of war, that is inriching the super rich, while the poor pay for it and die for it, you'd get another responce.
Gallup is being run by Murdock, or Fox or some other right wing partisan anti-science group.
The super rich are leaving the rich behind at an exponential rate. The average exec makes 350 times more than
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Spadecaller2 months ago
Thanks Mdiar.
Polls like this are skewed. The questions lead respondents to the results that are being sought. The article, while having the appearance of objectivity, is bias towards John McCain and the GOP.
If the question were also posed,"Do Americans support Bush's tax breaks for the rich only?" a different outcome would be produced.
Like statistics, polls have become tools to spin and manipulate voters.
The one advantage that Roosevelt had during the Great Depression was that there were no pollsters and spin doctors flooding the media with propganda around the clock.
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Mdiar2 months ago
Which is why I was wondering what the outcome would be on specifics. I personally believe most Americans are moderate right economically, much like most of Europe. In fact a separate poll on that very question you posed is here:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/106813/Many-American...
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Spadecaller2 months ago
In the real world, when you add the names to the economic proposals, the answers change. Remember, Bush is by far the most unpopular president in our nation's history. Do you think the question elicits a different answer when it is presented this way: "Do you support Bush's tax breaks for the richest segment of our nation only?"
In the real world, the question comes in the context of campaigns, campaign lies, and candidate's promises. The voters answer at the polls -- not to Gallup.
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libsRfunny2 months ago
"Polls like this are skewed. The questions lead respondents to the results that are being sought."
There are no examples of questions provided. Your comment is not rooted in reality.
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cptnkrk2 months ago
I agree most polls use slanted wording to get the results desired by the pollster.
"Do Americans support Bush's tax breaks for the rich only?" would be a good example of that.
these responses couldn't be more neutral
Which approach should government focus on to fix economy Either a> take steps to distribute wealth more evenly among americans --or-- take steps to improve overall economic conditions and the jobs situation.
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miklkit2 months ago
Which approach should government focus on to fix economy Either a> take steps to distribute wealth more evenly among americans --or-- take steps to improve overall economic conditions and the jobs situation.
I see that as saying the same thing two different ways. The only question is how to do it.
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gamahuche2 months ago
I think that US citizens have been by-and-large programmed that they would have this attitude.
But I also think that the expression "income redistribution" is a bit of a termus technicus that also plays to innate dislike of most Americans for what they perceive as government interference - and the "if it ain't broke don't fix it" mentality.
What this way of thinking doesn't really deal with is the colossal levels of difference of pay-scales which exist, that simply cannot be justified by the value of the work that is being done for society. the degree of knowledge and skill required to perform it and the benefit/deficit to society that the work provides.
That such factors should justify a precise correlation between work and rewards would be very far-fetched; that it should not even be a factor in the equation seems to this observer to be on the verge of insane.
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Mdiar2 months ago
I believe that when you look at past polling data and history of the United States with regards to a more leftist economic philosophy in general, you will find that it is probably not due to programming. Taxes and dislike of them date back to before the country's founding... it is very much a cultural dislike. However, if you look at the individual issues, I think you will find a surprising amount of willingness to redistribute wealth. To the point you posed, about pay differences, you actually find that most Americans favor higher taxes for the wealthy. The amount favoring this has actually grown since the 90s and since the height of the Depression. So I would consider it cultural as opposed to programming.
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cptnkrk2 months ago
Very good reply.
Seems we think that taking money by force from one person to give to another isn't proper.
We don't like to think of it in quite so stark terms but that is what these distribution plans boil down to.
I prefer to look at those who make more and aspire to do the same through my own efforts rather than vilify them.
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gamahuche2 months ago
Sorry! Accidental neg! I'm up late with a sick dog who's needing to go out every half-hour..
To the point:
Your last 3 sentences do make perfect sense theoretically; what I don't know so much about is what that looks like on the ground on the US, sonce I've only spent about 2 weeks there during the last 15 years - about half that time very recently, in NYC, which is not necessarily the most representative of US cities..
No question that the US has a fantastic capacity to change! In any and every direction, But there's always a catalyst needed..
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Klarissa2 months ago
This is one of the tenets of Obama's ex-church. It appears that he chooses to believe in this.
"The fortunate who are among us combine forces with the less fortunate to become agents of change for God who is not pleased with America's economic mal-distribution!"
If you work at leveling the income, it will be like East Germany was. It didn't matter how hard you worked, how much you scrimped and saved, everyone was paid the same. Their economy failed because no one put out more than the minimum effort.
Capitalism isn't a straight line, but generally speaking, it is the land of opportunity. You didn't see people illegally immigrating into East Germany.
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cptnkrk2 months ago
More interesting to me is the later question regarding the role of government in our lives.
50% government is doing too much, 43% it is doing too little.
Reps lean towards too much, dems lean towards too little inds in a statistical tie with slight edge towards too much.
So some think government is too intrusive while others wish it was more? That is the real debate i think.
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chuck-the-canuck2 months ago
You are always going to have government. You are always going to have taxes. Much better your tax dollars are spent on treating you citizens like family rather than on weapons to kill poor people on the other side of the world.
Learn to share. If you don't one day the poor will just get fed up and take it.
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icono12 months ago
FTA...."Americans overwhelmingly -- by 84% to 13% -- prefer that the government focus on improving overall economic conditions and the jobs situation in the United States as opposed to taking steps to distribute wealth more evenly among Americans."
Wealth redistribution will not solve the problems of job/income losses and higher food/increasing energy costs just soften the blow.
So what happens if the economy does not recover? Then does the govt 'redistribute' more from the upper income levels to the lower income levels? And who decides what is 'upper' and 'lower'; we the people, the IRS, politicians? Soon everyone has the same 'income' irregardless of individual effort. So why would anyone want to try to improve their situation economically.
Several countries tried that, and if I remember correctly, they finally collapsed socially, economically and politically.
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antibrainwasher2 months ago
"There is a question no one here wants to address".....pantload.
If we nationalized health care, we could become more competative with nations whose industries don't have to pay health care to employees. Car industry for instance. And boo hoo for the insurance industry, who takes 50% of the profit from health care.
If we nationalized oil, we could take control national security, preventing trillions of dollars spend on war to protect exon. We could have a national high speed rail system. And boo hoo for the ceo of Exon, recieving a 350 million dollar retirement "gift" in 2006.
YOu think it's wise for the exectuives at Home Depot to recieve 20 million dollar bonus golden parachute while the company lost 20% market share and fired 20,000 employees?
Do you thinks its fine and dandy for the top 0.1% to own more than the bottom half of the planet, 3 billion?
In america, 1% of the population owns 85% of all stock. Wise? Is jesus republican?
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1-2-Oscar2 months ago
You voice your complaints quite well, but you do not address the central question that I asked. I understand that "the economy is broken," and I believe that it needs some fundamental restructuring before it can again become the engine of productive prosperity. You seem to think that the way to make things all better is to put lipstick on the pig.
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willottica2 months ago
No one wants to address your question, because it's completely moot to the discussion at hand.
But, let me address it anyway: If the poor had more money to spend, they would spend it; as opposed to the rich who have so much they can't possibly figure out what to do with it other than investing it and letting it grow until they die and give it to their kids who still won't know what to do with it all despite never having to work a day in their lives.
In short: Poor people with more money spend it to improve their lives, thus stimulating the economy by buying stuff. Rich people with more money collect more money.
Henry Ford recognized this. If your workers have enough money to buy the products they're making, you'll sell more products.
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alicante-carrental1 month, 4 weeks ago
Americans' lack of support for redistributing wealth to fix the economy spans political parties: Republicans (by 90% to 9%) prefer that the government focus on improving the economy, as do independents (by 85% to 13%) and Democrats (by 77% to 19%). This sentiment also extends across income groups: upper-income Americans prefer that the government focus on improving the economy and jobs by 88% to 10%, concurring with middle-income (83% to 16%) and lower-income (78% to 17%) Americans.
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antibrainwasher1 month, 4 weeks ago
Over half of americans believe that a god created the earth 4000 years ago.
Half of americans couldn't name who the vice president is. Shotgun Dick.
99% of americans don't realize Exon is bigger than all of saudi arabia. Walmart is bigger than all but 20 countries on the earth. Most americans think they are living in a democracy, but don't realize that when the average CEO makes 350 times what the average employee makes, the consitiution is meaningless, democracy is meaningless, and wars are just mercinary projections of the power of the super rich .001% of billinaires on the planet.
When george soros can make 2 billion dollars betting stocks in a year that saw the economy collapse, democracy is dead. RIP america.
The only thing a middle class person can hope for is regulation with teeth, and another New Deal, with 99% tax rates for billionaires, and 99% inheritance tax rate.
Please raise your hand if you think anyone should inherit over 15 billion dollars.
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Mdiar1 month, 4 weeks ago
Weird. I just tried reporting the above spammer and instead it made it a reply to them.
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