88 Percent of Germans are Against Capitalism

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88 percent of Germans favour the establishment of a new economic order different from capitalism. The results of a poll conducted by the Emnid Institute for Public Opinion Research commissioned by the Bertelsmann Fund, show that respondents believed that capitalism does not promote any social justice, environmental protection, or conservation of natural resources. Nevertheless, despite their rejection of capitalism, Germans aren’t inclined to change the present economic system by revolutionary means.

According to the survey, Germans didn’t think that politicians and big business should be responsible for affairs; we should look to ourselves, four out of five respondents said that everyone should think about their priorities, they should ask themselves whether economic growth is a priority for them. According to most respondents, social networks, health, and environmental sustainability are more important than the constant multiplication of capital. One should note that this attitude is equally distributed amongst the different social groups. The majority of respondents also believe that the existing economic order can be reformed in the right direction if there’s the political will to do it, we can safely combine economic growth and environmental protection. Meanwhile, 82 percent of respondents believe that further economic growth is necessary to maintain political stability. Two-thirds, however, do not expect economic growth to raise their own standard of living as a matter of course. Only a third of respondents believe in the creative self-healing power of market mechanisms. Scepticism is especially high among young people, Lenta.Ru reported, with reference to the German media.

19 August 2010

Voice of Russia World Service

http://rus.ruvr.ru/2010/08/19/16380104.html

Editor’s Note:

This is BAD NEWS for the neocons/”conservatives”/teabaggers. “Only a third of respondents believe in the creative self-healing power of market mechanisms. Scepticism is especially high among young people…” Note well that the one of the mantras of the Tea Party is that capitalism will be beneficent only if we leave it alone and unbridled. Of course… it has led to such “benefits” as downsizing, the present depression, “private” prisons, outsourcing, permanent “temporary” employment, the shredding of the safety net, and obscene profiteering by the HMOs. THAT is what the Tea Party wants… pass the word… don’t be quiet… they’re not.

This is GOOD NEWS for the rest of us. I have the funny feeling that Americans feel much like the Germans do…

BMD