That title should scare every American to near death! 49%! Are they aware of what's happening in Venezuela? Apparently the USA's Millennial's don't care or are ignorant of the world's newest but failing socialist nation. I think the latter is to blame, ie ignorance. Well, ignorance and not having enough life experience. At least the young can claim ignorance and naivety which is far better than the college professors and other wealthy or rich minions who indoctrinated our young people to Socialism can claim. Using history as a means test Socialism/Communism fails as the best form of government! Its not just millennials who are out to lunch in regard to having a rudimentary knowledge of socialism. Six out of every ten Americans surveyed could not accurately explain 'what is socialism' ? It's pastime for the lazy conservatives like er'...myself to become far more motivated and donate time and money to the cause. Trump was just the beginning. The big guy is trying and we need to support him. So the cause is now the fight to keep America free by supporting our conservative leaders who will in turn defend the kind of world the authors of the constitution and the bill of rights envisioned. at every opportunity! USA a constitutional Democratic republic, its the very least we can do to save freedom and our nation from the progressive liberals.
I think a large part of the problem is too many people see it as an "either/or" question. "Either we will be capitalist or we will be socialist" with no in-between, no middle ground.
Fact is, we've had a mixed economy all along - some of it socialist, some of it capitalist. The main argument is over which parts of the economy should be socialist and which parts should be capitalist. Few people from either side appear to be arguing for
total socialism or
total capitalism. There will always be the State and the private sector, in one form or another.
These are political decisions often made for reasons of political expediency, sometimes without regard to economic philosophies. As you say, the US is a constitutional democratic republic, and as such, the people have the right to decide these things.
If the people choose socialism, then by the very rules of our republic, that's what they will get. If you don't want them to choose socialism, then the solution might be...offer them something else.
Should we be scared that 49% want socialism over capitalism? Why don't capitalists look at this from a different standpoint? If they were running a business and found that a sizable percentage of the populace hated their product, they might consider that, either they have a crappy product, or they have a PR problem.
Since capitalists believe that their product is just wonderful and that there's nothing wrong with it whatsoever, then they might approach this as a PR problem.