What percent of the population do you think are socialists/communists?

[gendoikari]

I mean purely in the belief that the means of production should be owned in common.

[Ocean Seal]

5-6% approximately are genuine Marxists/Anarchists. I assume that about 70% of people are at least open to the idea or have some sympathies.

[jake williams]

I mean purely in the belief that the means of production should be owned in common.
Where? The US? The world? Workers? Everyone?

[gendoikari]

Where? The US? The world? Workers? Everyone?

of everyone that is a homo sapien.

[Tommy4ever]

of everyone that is a homo sapien.

In that case the number is probably significantly larger than if you went in the countries where we live.

I've heard the number of 1/6 of the world's population having socialist sympathies before, but I don't know what that is based on.

[Luc]

If you count Social Dems, Socialists and the boundary Canada then maybe >50% :lol:

edit: oh I see it was international... <10% ready to pick up a gun for the social revolution

[The Man]

Around 5%, HOWEVER, If the world actually knew what Communism REALLY was, I'd say we would be around 40%.

[Tim Cornelis]

In Europe it's about 3% I think. In the US it's 1% maybe. In the world is the 5% maybe.

[piet11111]

Self identified socialists/communists less then 5%
Actually open to socialist/communist ideology probably over 60% if they managed to objectively value it.

[Tommy4ever]

Looking at election results from a few countries I'd say we would be looking at 2-4% self identifed communists (even that's a generous estimate).

Self identified 'socialists' would likely take in at the very least 1/3 of the world's population. But that would obviously include social democrats and supporters of parties like Labour in Britain, the CPRF in Russia or the Worker's Party in Brazil.

[Kamos]

Self identified? Less than 10%, I'm sure of that.

[Agent Equality]

like 0.001% of the population. Socialism's gone outta style boys. :rolleyes:

[Nox]

Everyone. They just don't know about it yet.

[Azula]

Depends on the national condition and on the strength of the national communist party.

If the party has the right strategy, leadership and is self-confident in the correctness of it's doctrines, it will gain support during a national crisis.

The party needs faith, and needs to be ready to smash it's opponents into oblivion.

[Lenina Rosenweg]

If you asked people in the US if they are a communist, very few people would answer yes, probably less than 2 %, if that. If you ask people if they are a socialist depending on how the question is phrased, you may get between 2% to 40%. If you ask peoople if thyey trhink the means of production, u.e. their workplaces should be more democratic you would get over 90%. If you ask if the means of production should be socially owned, you would probably get around 80%.

"Communism" is the anti-Christ. Socialism as such is not popular and is little known. The ideals of socialism though speak to the heart and are the best expression of humanistic values in the world.

Cold war propaganda has gone very deep in the US. It may take several generations before the effects of it are fully erased.

[gendoikari]

Cold war propaganda has gone very deep in the US. It may take several generations before the effects of it are fully erased.did you see how the stocks dropped today? I doubt it. capitalism is circling the drain.

[Comrade1]

Everyone. They just don't know about it yet.
I like this answer. :thumbup1:

[Reznov]

Self identified socialists/communists less then 5%
Actually open to socialist/communist ideology probably over 60% if they managed to objectively value it.

That's about right.

[gendoikari]

I like this answer. :thumbup1:

I do too, and to some extent excluding the fat cats I think it's true.

[socialistjustin]

There was a study a year or so ago asking people if they didnt believe in capitalism or something like that. Something like 20% in the US said they didnt, while other western countries were near the 40% mark. So I would say about 20% of the world, maybe nearer 30%, have socialist sympathies. At least in the western world.

[Tommy4ever]

There was a study a year or so ago asking people if they didnt believe in capitalism or something like that. Something like 20% in the US said they didnt, while other western countries were near the 40% mark. So I would say about 20% of the world, maybe nearer 30%, have socialist sympathies. At least in the western world.

Wasn't the question something like ''do you have confidence in capitalism''. Or something like that?

[socialistjustin]

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8347409.stm



Thats the poll. The question about capitalism couldnt be any clearer so nobody can say anything about people not understanding the question or whatever.

[Magón]

Everyone. They just don't know about it yet.

Is this just a sockpuppet for The Man? Sounds like The Man.

[gendoikari]

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8347409.stm



Thats the poll. The question about capitalism couldnt be any clearer so nobody can say anything about people not understanding the question or whatever.

okay 20% in the US alone saying capitalism is flawed, is a major deal. that's 1 in 5.

Edit: notice what the russians say about the demise of the soviet union.... any explanation for this?

[Tim Cornelis]

okay 20% in the US alone saying capitalism is flawed, is a major deal. that's 1 in 5.

Edit: notice what the russians say about the demise of the soviet union.... any explanation for this?

Nostalgia. There are a lot of statistics of why people would want it back, among other things nostalgia but another main reason was that the USSR was a superpower and Russia is not. So it doesn't really have to do with the notion of socialism.

EDIT: source: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2009/1223/Why-nearly-60-percent-of-Russians-deeply-regret-the-USSR-s-demise

---------------
France, Spain, Brazil and Mexico seem ripe for revolution. Too bad they didn't have more statistics on more countries.

[CAleftist]

Ask this question in a few more years, when conditions deteriorate further.

[Dogs On Acid]

Deep down all workers can become communists if they are educated on the subject and understand what it truly is. The problem stems from the anti-communist propaganda and constant brainwashing from the Bourgeoisie.

What isn't there to like? It works in their interest.

It's arguments hold much more value than any Racist, Nationalist or Exploitative mindset.

Educate, Agitate, Revolt.

[thesadmafioso]

The actual percentage of proper communists in any society in a state of capitalist development is bound to be quite small, that is simply how these statistics are in this stage of historical progression. The bourgeoisie have a hold over cultural hegemony that really can't be challenged en mass by any sort of vanguard and the material conditions across the development world have yet to deteriorate in large to a point where they would be able to supersede the influence of the civil institutions which disseminate capitalist thought.

Though as Trotsky said, a revolution is made by a minority, and these numbers can be quite misleading. It should not really be suggested to judge the political promise of revolution upon the orthodox methods of bourgeois political science, as such methods are bound to net results which do not properly convey the material conditions of a society.

[Zav]

Currently about 10% if you include supporters of State Capitalism, and maybe 0.5% if you don't. I'd say 99% of people would be Communists if they knew what Communism actually was and that it can be achieved.

[Nox]

Is this just a sockpuppet for The Man? Sounds like The Man.

That's a first - why do I sound like The Man? ;)

[DarkPast]

Currently about 10% if you include supporters of State Capitalism, and maybe 0.5% if you don't. I'd say 99% of people would be Communists if they knew what Communism actually was and that it can be achieved.

Yeah, I agree fully with this. It's mind-numbing how many people think that "communism" is a synonym for "government control of the economy".