Professor Ralph Reiland reports on a Rasmussen survey of American adults in which only 53% of respondents agreed with the statement that capitalism is a better system than socialism.  Some 20% favored socialism, and 27% were unsure which was better.  Among young adults the results were even worse; only 37% of those under 30 favored capitalism versus 33% who favored socialism.  Support for capitalism and opposition to socialism was higher in the older age groups.

Reiland suggested, with good reason, that many of the young respondents may not have had even the slightest understanding of the two economic systems.  He reports on a survey he gave recently to 50 college-bound students, with several of the typical responses to the question “Define capitalism in 10 to 20 words”:

“Capitalism is making the most money for the government and having the government control the people.”

“Capitalism is the money that is in the government.  It is when the government controls all the money.”

“Capitalism is based on a money-hungry nation, seeking to establish power through money.”

“Capitalism is when the government takes a bigger role in the economy and controls more things.”

“I have no clue what capitalism is because I’ve never paid any attention to politics or the world around me until this year.”

“Capitalism is everything that makes our government run properly.”

“Capitalism is how the government is run.  It is the government system.”

“Capitalism is when the government has complete control over the decisions that the country makes.”

Reiland stated that these answers were from students primarily in the top half of their class.  He also indicated that there were some better responses, in which students correctly identified capitalism as a free market system based on private ownership and private control of resources.

Key points:

(1) Our political system does not adjust for voter ignorance.  The less-informed majority can cancel out the votes of the more-informed minority.

(2) This is another example of the quality of our education system.

(3) Educating students and the general public on the meaning and effects of capitalism and socialism may be a wise investment.

A three-year battle on the fate of the Junior Officers Reserve Training Corps in San Francisco schools ended last night when the Board of Education reversed its 2006 decision.  With three newly-elected board members, and following a city-wide vote last November in support of JROTC, the board voted 4-3 to restore the military leadership program less than a month before it was scheduled to end.

Hundreds of students and parents worked tirelessly over the past three years in the successful effort to restore the program.  Following the vote, students attending the board meeting celebrated.

Previously: San Francisco school board may overturn JROTC decision

I mean, if we hadn’t, things might suck…

Oh wait…

Color me unsurprised, but it would appear that the claim by TAO™ that only the stimulus bill could save use from the worst of unemployment was a tad bit off.  I shall show you what I mean…

The light blue line is where we were told we would be without stimulus, while the dark blue line is what we were promised should we accept Porkulus…

What?  Oh, you wanna know what those little red triangles mean?  Oh, they’re nothing, just what the last two months actually were.

As Glenn Reynolds likes to say, we’re in the very best of hands.

And because I like Dilbert, I would like to point out that somehow, I find the following to fit.  A gold star for the first to figure out why.

h/t to QandO, where I first saw this (the top part, not the Dilbert strip).

You know it’s bad when the Feds run a deficit during April.  Usually income tax payments make April a banner month.  Not this year.

(via Instapundit)

It’s always a bit dicey relying on Donald Trump doing the right thing.  Apparently Trump will hold a press conference Tuesday announcing his decision in the Miss California USA contest.

He should say “You’re fired!”

No, not Miss Prejean, whose only crime has been to agree with the majority of California voters regarding gay marriage, but he should fire Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler, pageant directors, for failing to keep all this controversy out of the pageant.  Their crimes:

• Failing to vet judges
• Failing to screen judge’s questions to contestants (or alternatively, very poor judgment regarding allowable questions)
• Failing to control the damage

It is entirely possible that the Miss USA pageant is beyond salvage.  Rescinding Miss Prejean’s state crown, based on her honest answer to an outrageous question, would pretty much guarantee the pageant’s demise.  They’d never live the BS down and would offend a large segment of their largely heterosexual viewership.

[And yes, I do disagree with Miss Prejean's opinion, but that's neither here nor there.  McCarthyism needs to be opposed regardless.]

UPDATE 7:25AM: She keeps her title.  Photos not an issue to Trump.  “This is the 21st Century.”

UPDATE 10:09AM PST (Patterico Server Time):  See the fair and balanced coverage at MSNBC.

UPDATE 12:30PM 5/13: Shanna Moakler quits.  Apparently she was upset that Prejean remained as Miss California.  Considering the lack of tolerance in The Industry on this issue, I’m not surprised.

I really cannot tell if this is tongue-in-cheek or if people really care about what mustard a politician puts on a burger.  But I feel the need to defend the President on this one:  French’s yellow mustard has more yellow than mustard in it and nearly anything else (including no mustard) is preferable.  Though I’d generally go for a decent deli mustard or even Gulden’s over Dijon.  Goes double for hot dogs.

But, to quote WIlliam Shatner: Get a Life!

UPDATE:  Legal Insurrections posts several followups, chronicling the crazed reaction of the left.  These folks have no sense of humor at all.

Manny Ramirez has been suspended for 50 games on a drug policy violation.  Apparently, it was not the normal steroid use, but an MLB-listed hormone that is often associated with steroid use.  The hormone, hCG, is also regularly prescribed for fertility and to treat sexual dysfunction in men.

However, it is on the MLB list and to use any listed drug therapeutically one is supposed to clear it with MLB, something Manny did not do.

Sigh.  21-8, 13-0 at home.  I knew it had to be too good to be true.

Ok, fine…  I’ll spill it.

Within the next week, I fully intend to head to MEPS (Military Enlistment Processing Station) and sign on for the Marines.  I also hope that, upon finishing up at MEPS, I’ll be headed directly to Parris Island.

Because, you know…  Fuck this place (where I live, not the blog).

I have to ask a few favors, though.  I’m going to be very much without internet access (or phone access, really) for the three months (3.5 or 4, since let’s be honest, my physical fitness is going to come up short the first little bit) of recruit training, so not only won’t I be posting or commenting around here, I won’t even be able to talk to you guys.

If Patterico is willing, I’m happy to have him take e-mails of well-wishing and the like, copy/paste them into a word document, shrink it down to 8 pt. font, and mail them once a week or so.  In return, I’ll do my best to mail back to him when I can (snail mail, natch), and I’m more than happy for him to scan the letter and post it.  I’m using this system with a couple of groups I’m in, and it seems the best way to avoid some wise-ass mailing me pot, porn, or crap like that…

Also, I’m going to need phone cards, an address book (my current address book is electronic, and thus won’t be allowed), and a pair of size 11 running shoes that are all white.

I have an amazon list for the first two, but really I can’t find on Amazon a decent pair that aren’t insanely expensive or multi-colored.  When I say expensive, I mean ones over 40 bucks.

So, anyone interested in helping out?

Update: gp asked (no, really, he did!!), so here it is…  My MCRD wishlist. Yes, I know that One item and it’s compliment are absolute dream items, and that no one is getting me either.  It’s a wishlist, so I wished.  It will keep me reminded for when I get out, and can order my own.

But if one of you is insane, I’m not gonna turn it down. 

But no, I don’t expect anyone to get them for me.  Calm down, people.

I have some big news coming in the next seven days or so…

Really big.

Stay tuned, kids.

I feel good about this…

“Buried in the Chrysler filings was the revelation that US government investments in Chrysler will not be paid back, though the government will probably take an 8% equity interest in Chrysler.

h/t to Glenn Reynolds

From NRO

This afternoon, more than 1,000 students, parents, and concerned citizens gathered across from city hall to rally in support of the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship program.

As you can imagine, it was nothing but your typical Right-Wing Extremists…

Pictured here… (more…)

Colin Powell is lecturing fellow Republicans on their drift to “the far right.”

He said the party lacks a “positive” spokesperson. “I think what Rush does as an entertainer diminishes the party and intrudes or inserts into our public life a kind of nastiness that we would be better to do without,” Powell said.

He also said that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, McCain’s running mate last year, is “a very accomplished person” but became “a very polarizing figure.” He said the polarization was created by Palin’s advisers. [say what?!?]

Powell said he does not want Republicans to turn into Democrats but rather to build a vibrant party.

The party must realize that the country has changed, he said. “Americans do want to pay taxes for services,” he said. “Americans are looking for more government in their life, not less.”

Only problem is, Secretary Powell, you had just such a candidate offered to you — a “dear friend” yet — and instead you endorsed the most extreme candidate to have ever headed a major party ticket.  For transparently racial reasons.  Don’t tell us that we didn’t try.  To then come back and call us extreme is beyond reasoning.

We went with the center and it didn’t work; did you think we ran Bush again or something?  I really don’t get it.  Hell, we might have run you in 2000 if you’d had the cohones to compete.  Wouldn’t that have changed the world?  But no.  You were afraid.  Now, when we needed your support — it might have turned the election — you came out for the other side.  Against your friend in the center.  Because the guy was black.

You left the party, General.  You are no Republican anymore.  Independent or Democrat, whatever.  But don’t pretend you still belong to the party of Lincoln and Reagan.  You turned your back on us, never the other way around.

This propaganda just beclowns you.