Government ownership of the means of production, DSA’s defining program and actual textbook socialism, draws support from just 11 percent of voters, with 79 percent opposed and 63 percent strongly opposed. Even among Democrats favorable to the DSA, it nets out at 59 percent opposition.
The DSA’s defining program, public ownership of businesses, is underwater four to one even among those supporting the DSA. Nor is this the only sign of confused beliefs about socialism among today’s supporters. Other polls of voters under 25 showing 77 percent thought their paycheck should be based on merit, 70 percent wanted to own their own business, and 63 percent saw America as the land of opportunity led Mark Penn and Andrew Stein to remark earlier this month that “today’s young adults must be the most entrepreneurial socialists in history.”
Even socializing only utilities and railways — socialist bread and butter — failed to command majority support among any group polled by The Argument, even though those are exactly the two sectors DSA identifies as pivotal for socialists to nationalize. That proposition is only supported by 48 percent of Democrats who view the DSA favorably, with 38 percent actually opposed. In other words, while support for the socialist label is rising alongside the DSA’s success, apparent support for the key tenets of socialism remains fringe. (Do DSA Supporters Really Want Socialism? | Cato at Liberty Blog)
Of course, while the DSA actually calls for socialism and they accurately define it, most people don't really want socialism. They favor policies more aligned with Social Democracy policies. They want a regulated capitalist economy and strong social welfare programs to promote what they see as equality and social justice. They do not actually want to nationalize Amazon and Kroger. If you think your paycheck should be based on merit and you someday want to own your own business, you are not really a socialist.
It seems the only people in America who want socialism are Trump supporters. I haven't found any polling to confirm this, but Trump supporters still enthusiastically support Trump and his policies, and I hear no voices on the new right condemning Trump's policy of taking ownership interest in American companies.
If a Democrat administration had taken an ownership interest in over 30 companies, Republicans would have their hair on fire and be screaming bloody murder. Of course, Republicans have abandoned most of what they once believed and now believe whatever Trump is doing is correct. They blindly follow Trump wherever he leads, and he can lead them to accept socialism as long as he doesn't call it socialism. Federal corporate ownership is becoming routine under this Republican administration. Don't tell me that it is not the Republican Party that views socialist policies more favorably.
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