In the August 8 poll commissioned by LASPAC, 1,000 likely voters were asked the following: “In political terms, do you consider yourself conservative, moderate, liberal, or libertarian?”
The responses were as follows:
Liberal 19%
Moderate 37%
Conservative 35%
Libertarian 5%
Not sure 4%
The poll was conducted by Pulse Opinion Research on behalf of LASPAC.
Paulie: “I don’t hate the 1%, I just side with the 99% due to the massive distortion of the economy by government which redistributes wealth upwards.”
Some of it does. Some is redistributed downwards. Both are wrong.
Roger: “Also, wealth and income disparities really don’t mean much in the big picture. Most Americans begin their working lives in the lowest quintile of income distribution and end their working lives in the highest two quintiles. The top 20 % of income earners tend to be age 50 and over.”
Great point, Roger. Many people don’t recognize that there’s a a lot of income mobility in the United States (despite onerous government taxes & mandates).
Roger: “As the economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out in many books, “the rich” and “the poor” are actually the same people at different stages of their lives.”
In many cases. Not in all cases. Some people who are poor are poor their whole lives; some who are born rich stay rich. Some go from rich or poor just to middle-class status. The point is that it’s not a static picture.
Moreover, there are many different reasons why some people are rich or poor. A great disparity in income doesn’t necessarily imply injustice, as most leftists believe.
I’m 99% sure I’m right about this, but there’s a 1% chance that I could be wrong.
If I compare myself with everyone on the planet, I know I’m well into the top half.
I don’t even know what side I agree with most because I’m too busy trying to become one of the 1 %.
@11: an infinitely recursive yin-yang…Nice!
P, actually, it looks black all the way ’round to this playa…. 😉
It would be misguided in a real free market.
In the system we have now, a small number of people – I don’t think it’s even nearly 1% – have used government power to steer a huge amount of wealth their way and kept other people from rising up. They are the ones “too big to fail” and the ones benefiting from the economic problems we have.
This whole 99%/1% thing is misguided. There has always been a 1 % and there will always be a 1%. We should hope to God that the 1% are business people and not government people. In socialist socieities that have turned politicians into the 1%, life is a living hell.
Also, wealth and income disparities really don’t mean much in the big picture. Most Americans begin their working lives in the lowest quintile of income distribution and end their working lives in the highest two quintiles. The top 20 % of income earners tend to be age 50 and over.
As the economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out in many books, “the rich” and “the poor” are actually the same people at different stages of their lives.
There’s a black side and a white side. But they both contain each other.
P, a circle only has one side. There are no “sides.”
Of course.
I don’t hate the 1%, I just side with the 99% due to the massive distortion of the economy by government which redistributes wealth upwards.
We Taoist Ls love everyone.
Being a hater seems self destructive.
I’m a libertarian and I agree with point made @5.
I wonder how the percentages would’ve gone had they said “progressive” instead of “liberal”?
Good point.
5% love the 1%.
Not so much. I am a libertarian and I side with the 99% because of the many ways, direct and indirect, in which government manipulates the economy, steering accumulation of wealth to those who have not justifiably earned it and preventing others from becoming successful.
There are many other libertarians who agree with me, too.
May the people consider themselves more than one of the above?
The way it adds up to a hundred, I guess not.
5% love the 1%.
I wonder how the percentages would’ve gone had they said “progressive” instead of “liberal”?
If you would like to contact the people in charge of the debates, please call 202-872-1020 or email [email protected] and let them know how you feel about Gary being shunned. I know I am gonna call early and often. maybe even a few times.