By Wallace Garneau – America Out Loud
Depending on the poll used, young Americans tend to favor socialism over capitalism by a ratio of approximately four to one. Interestingly, only about one in four young Americans actually know what socialism is. Is it possible that the one in four young Americans who are familiar with socialism are also the ones who don’t want it?
Instead of asking, “Do you prefer socialism or capitalism?”⏤ perhaps we should consider asking, “What percentage of your income should the government allow you to keep?” We could also present a list of decisions people make in their lives and ask them to choose whether they prefer to make those decisions themselves or have the government make them. Here are some sample questions:
Who should decide where you live: you or the government?
Who should decide what foods you eat: you or the government?
Who should decide which career field you pursue: you or the government?
Who should decide the temperature of your house: you or the government?
Who should decide whether or not you have children: you or the government? Should you be allowed to raise your own children, or should the government take them away and raise them for you?
Who should influence what your children believe: you (and them) or the government? Should it be illegal to hold beliefs that the government does not approve of?
Should you be allowed to own a car? If so, who should determine which car you can own: you or the government?
Should you be allowed to own a television? If so, who should decide what television shows you watch: you or the government?
Should you be imprisoned based on your answers to these questions?
Should the government be allowed to force women to have abortions against their will?
Should the government be allowed to relocate you to a new home, possibly in a different city or state, against your will?
Should the government be allowed to change your job against your will?
Who should receive payment for your work: you or the government?
Should you have the freedom to choose who you think should lead our country?
Should you need the government’s permission to get married? Should the government choose your spouse for you?
Should a government bureaucrat take your value to society into account when deciding whether or not you are allowed medical care?
Should the government have the power to put you to death if the government decides you consume more than you contribute to society?
Should the government be allowed to send lazy people to work camps?
Who should choose your clothing: you or the government?
Should hospitals be modeled after the Department of Motor Vehicles, in terms of efficiency and speed of service?
Should you need to get permission from a government bureaucrat to see a doctor?
Who should decide where you go to school and/or how much schooling you get: you (and your parents) or the government?
Should you be required to show a legitimate need before you are allowed to purchase something you want – say, a record player, for example?
Should things like your ability to buy things, to go to events, and to travel be determined by a social credit system that penalizes people who do or say things government bureaucrats do not like?
Should the Department of Justice crackdown on political opposition parties? Should opposing government leadership be illegal?
Should the government report to the people, or should the people report to the government?
Are you the property of the government? Should you be?
Are there any limits to the power the government should be allowed to exert over your life?
