What is Socialism?

4/13/2009 5:52:44 PM	What is Socialism?
blonde01 Omaha, NE 55, joined Jul. 2008	I don't want opinions. I want to pick other's brains to see what they think it is. Are there any political analysts out there? Meet singles at DateHookup.dating, we're 100% free! Join now!
4/14/2009 9:18:51 PM	What is Socialism?
newtoroswell Roswell, NM 35, joined Jan. 2009	Socialism is control of the means of production and distribution by the working class.
4/17/2009 9:42:59 PM	What is Socialism?
coolchick Woodway, TX 64, joined Nov. 2006	blonde and new My understanding is that there are various forms of Socialism, and various ideas of which form is the best - for those who favor a Socialist society. Seems the first Socialists favored meritocracy, which is the idea that the most talented people should be elevated to positions of leadership over the general population. Then, more Socialists moved towards egalitarianism, which is the idea that all people should be treated equally. Many modern Socialists favor a combination of private and government control over production & distribution of goods. Socialism came about as a response to unregulated Capitalism, which concentrates the majority of the wealth and power into the hands of a few. When Marx and Lenin lead their revolutions, the Russian working class was in pitiful shape. Their Socialist movement morphed into Communism, which turned out to be as bad (if not worse than) unregulated Capitalism. I'm not a Socialist, but I do feel that Capitalism should be regulated to a degree. We are now feeling the negative effects of lack of regulation. Unchecked and unfettered financial speculation, shady loan practices, and fraudulent "get rich quick" schemes have contributed greatly to the current recession. We've just been through eight years where unregulated coporate control over goods and services was encouraged and facilitated at every turn. Corporations have been unchecked in outsourcing jobs overseas. What jobs they have been unable to outsource, they have been "insourcing" by hiring cheap, illegal labor that flows across our borders. The use of a large illegal labor force serves to keep wages and benefits depressed for the legal labor force. I'm sorry if I've gone off-topic. I'm a union activist, and I do get stirred up sometimes.
4/19/2009 4:51:06 PM	What is Socialism?
pamela0324 Pasadena, MD 63, joined Nov. 2007	Everything that coolchick said...ditto. Well stated,my friend! And those who rant about socialism today have no flipping idea what they are talking about. But I expect nothing less from them. I'm guessing most haven't opened a book or a newspaper in many years. And I suspect they only talk to people who agree with them and their narrow opinions and world views. The people who get all of their information from FAUX News should be muzzled because they have no idea what they are spouting off. Propaganda! Peace, Pam
4/21/2009 3:59:54 PM	What is Socialism?
blonde01 Omaha, NE 55, joined Jul. 2008	That's why I'm asking for more info. Seems like people think "McCarthy" whenever the word socialism is brought up. Thanks very much for your input, people.
4/22/2009 4:13:43 PM	What is Socialism?
billzbub1 San Pedro, CA 59, joined Mar. 2009	Thanks, coolchick,,,,,I think Ani DiFranco called it, "capitalism turned to corporatism, and gunned down democracy"
4/22/2009 9:22:56 PM	What is Socialism?
coolchick Woodway, TX 64, joined Nov. 2006	Pam. I like your line about "Faux news". So true. Blonde. You're right, many on the far-right think a Socialist is the same as a Communist. They don't have a clue, but they have a lot in common with McCarthy. They, like he, are on a "witch-hunt". They see "Socialists", "Muslims", and "Aliens" behind every tree. They rant and rave about "FEMA concentration camps", but I think they could easily cross the line to wanting to lock up innocent people just for thinking or looking differently than they do. Bill. That's a good quote from you, concerning Corporatism. The other day, the History Channel had a segment on George W. Bush joining the Skull & Bones Society his senior year of college. I get the impression that secret society is all about pushing Corporatism on the masses.
8/16/2009 8:28:03 AM	What is Socialism?
r2d21 Suttons Bay, MI 68, joined Jul. 2009	The best way I can describe it is by comparison. Simply put; socialism is the opposite of fascism. Socialism tends to be a left wing ideology while fascism is an extreme right wing ideology. A classic definition of fascism is a system where private corporations control the government; although, there are many variations of the definitions. The goals are different. Under socialism, its goal would be "to each in accord to their need" or something similar. Under capitalism, its goal would be "to each in accord to their ability" or something similar. Although, in the United States, it seems to be "to each in accord to their social group" so "ability" has nothing to do with anything in the United State's system. Most of these self proclaimed capitalists belong in jail. The United States has many elements of fascism in its economic system. These elements usually show themselves more when a right wing ideology is in control of the congress and executive branch as was demonstrated oh so clearly over the eight years of the Bush Administration. The United States has a mixed economy. It it capitalism and socialism. The mix works well so long as it stays balanced. Capitalism doesn't work without social controls. Socialism doesn't work without capitalist incentives. We all seen what happens when the extreme right wing in the Bush Administration deregulated the capitalist markets. Chaos erupts in the system. Neither works without the other. Someone really needs to explain to these right wingers that Nazi symbols don't describe left wingers. The left wingers (Russia) kicked the right wingers (Nazi's) butt in WWII. That war was a battle over ideology. They usually are.
8/30/2009 10:18:53 AM	What is Socialism?
idlehour Montgomery, AL 61, joined May. 2009	Quote from coolchick: blonde and new My understanding is that there are various forms of Socialism, and various ideas of which form is the best - for those who favor a Socialist society. Seems the first Socialists favored meritocracy, which is the idea that the most talented people should be elevated to positions of leadership over the general population. Then, more Socialists moved towards egalitarianism, which is the idea that all people should be treated equally. Many modern Socialists favor a combination of private and government control over production & distribution of goods. Socialism came about as a response to unregulated Capitalism, which concentrates the majority of the wealth and power into the hands of a few. When Marx and Lenin lead their revolutions, the Russian working class was in pitiful shape. Their Socialist movement morphed into Communism, which turned out to be as bad (if not worse than) unregulated Capitalism. I'm not a Socialist, but I do feel that Capitalism should be regulated to a degree. We are now feeling the negative effects of lack of regulation. Unchecked and unfettered financial speculation, shady loan practices, and fraudulent "get rich quick" schemes have contributed greatly to the current recession. We've just been through eight years where unregulated coporate control over goods and services was encouraged and facilitated at every turn. Corporations have been unchecked in outsourcing jobs overseas. What jobs they have been unable to outsource, they have been "insourcing" by hiring cheap, illegal labor that flows across our borders. The use of a large illegal labor force serves to keep wages and benefits depressed for the legal labor force. I'm sorry if I've gone off-topic. I'm a union activist, and I do get stirred up sometimes. Good stuff, and correct on all accoounts.....its sad socialism has gotten such a bad rap, cause in so many ways it rewards economic gains more fairly than capitalism ever can...but americans are so ignorant about socialism. The powers to be have framed socialism in a way where americans don't understand it and fear it....
8/31/2009 11:15:15 PM	What is Socialism?
coolchick Woodway, TX 64, joined Nov. 2006	1bit2spurs Point of clarification: The Chinese are not Socialists, they are Communists. Big difference. Europe, Canada, and Britain have a system where the government and private sector share in control over distribution of certain goods and services. That is a form of Socialism. The citizens of these countries have many freedoms. I have not heard any reports of Europeans, Canadians, or Brits being run over by military tanks.
9/3/2009 2:00:29 PM	What is Socialism?
r2d21 Suttons Bay, MI 68, joined Jul. 2009	I rather like our socialized highway system. Same with our socialized police departments and fire departments. Imagine driving down the highway having to stop every couple miles and pay a toll to some private owner of that particular stretch of highway. How would we ever figure out our mileage? I also like our socialized military. Private military doesn't work so good as has been demonstrated by "Black Water". Our socialized school system gives all an opportunity to become educated regardless of social status. Now, if we could just get our health care system socialized, people wouldn't have to die so some private corporation can make a buck. All of our socialized systems work under the constraints of our laws. More socialism in the good ole USA doesn't mean less freedom. Our Constitution would still be there. It would be the christian thing to do. A great country is judged by how well they look after all of their people. The ole USA gets a big fat "F" in that regard.
9/6/2009 11:24:45 AM	What is Socialism?
coolchick Woodway, TX 64, joined Nov. 2006	Dear 1bit2spurs, I would never call you an idiot. Were you really a European, or was that a typo? I lived in Germany for one year. And Germany has a democratic form of government. I saw no one fighting over a loaf of bread. I did see people with extreme pride in themselves and their country, and litter was not tolerated. Everyone in Germany has access to health care, and all workers get paid vacations. They take care of their young, old, and in-between. The reason American jobs are being shipped overseas has nothing to do with Socialism. It is the result of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The "free" part applies to foreign countries, not to America. Presidents Clinton and especially Bush were big supporters of NAFTA. President Clinton now sees the folly of much of what NAFTA set into motion. President Obama is calling for reform to NAFTA, to stop the hemorrage of jobs going out of this country. If you are upset about your bad job conditions, then I suggest you look for a job where you can join a union. Unions ended child labor, gave us the 40-hour work week, weekends off, vacation leave, sick leave, etc., etc. Organize, organize, organize. Workers getting together to form unions is how you get a say in your working conditions and employment benefits. That's not Socialism - that's organization to give all members bargaining power. Big Corporations have their organizations to get them their power, so why shouldn't working stiffs get together to represent themselves?
9/6/2009 1:09:42 PM	What is Socialism?
zorro932 Middle River, MD 57, joined Jun. 2009	One of the problems in our politics is socialism is considered as synonymous with communism as was pointed out above. Cuba, China, and North Korea are examples of communist countries, where all freedom of expression is cut off and there is no right of redress to the government. Countries like Sweden and Norway have a socialist form of government, with more in the way of health coverage and day care provided to the citizens. These countries have their problems--taxes are very high there-- but the people do have more of a safety net and the government also tends to do a better job of keeping the infastructure (roads, bridges, mass transportation) up and running. Also, these countries also have multi party systems, so if the socialists go too far in the direction of big government they can be thrown out on election day.
9/7/2009 9:40:12 PM	What is Socialism?
coolchick Woodway, TX 64, joined Nov. 2006	Well said, Zorro. Communist is not synonymous with Socialist. But, the right wing-nuts are now pairing the two in attacks upon our President. He is neither, but that matters not to these instigators.
9/8/2009 4:52:32 AM	What is Socialism?
zorro932 Middle River, MD 57, joined Jun. 2009	Thanks coolchick. When the rightists have no position they start name calling which is what they are doing now. There is no real Republican alternative to what Obama is offering for health care, so the only way they can counterpoint is to call names. [Edited 9/8/2009 4:53:01 AM ]
9/9/2009 7:36:50 PM	What is Socialism?
liberallady Sacramento, CA 57, joined Aug. 2009	Okay before I look it up on Wikemedia and find the actual definition. Here is what I THINK it is. Socialism is when everything is controlled by the gov't and distributed evenly? Off to wikimedia to check.
9/9/2009 7:41:33 PM	What is Socialism?
liberallady Sacramento, CA 57, joined Aug. 2009	I looked it up on wikimedia and I was only partially right, big long definition, don't time to read whole thing.
9/9/2009 10:38:31 PM	What is Socialism?
coolchick Woodway, TX 64, joined Nov. 2006	Dear 1bit2spurs, I hear what you're saying about the global economic downturn. I know Germany has it's own immigration problems. They were having those problems when I was there back in 1979. They happily let the Turks come over to do the grunt jobs the average German didn't want to do. Then, there got to be so many Turks, and many started going on welfare - that it became a crisis. Sound familiar? I agree there is some corruption in politics, but that doesn't mean you throw the baby out with the bath water. We must maintain a strong central government to keep the nation united and to carry much sway in world politics. Otherwise, all the states would split off doing their own things - no more United States - no longer a world player. Wouldn't be long before China or Russia would sweep in and take us over. There is not just corruption in government, it's rampant in the private sector. You haven't forgotten Enron or Bernie Madoff, have you? Your government is not the enemy. We just need to all become engaged to talk to our Congress men (and women) and or Senators, and our President. Stay after them, keep telling them what your issues are, and demand accountability. Finally, listen to them when they speak- even the politicians you don't like. If enough of us are calling, faxing, or emailing - they will take notice. I go with my union once a year to visit our Congressmen and Senators on Capitol Hill. My Congressman said to me that our calls & emails do get his attention - especially when there are a ton coming in on one issue. You're right, the unions can't save all the jobs - but we do save more than you might realize. We have lobbyists and attorneys working every day on Capitol Hill. We're working hard to get changes to NAFTA. liberal lady. Yes, there's different kinds of Socialism, aren't there? Not so easy to give a quick definition.
9/11/2009 7:46:49 PM	What is Socialism?
danguitarman Redding, CA 63, joined Aug. 2007	Marx and Engels used the words socialism and communism interchageably. Those words were and are used interchangeably by the former Soviet Union and in present day China. I think that the important distinction is not economic or social, but in the violent overthrow of capitalism which is essential to communist revolutions. Communist ideology does not allow for a gradual evolution into a socialist society. The Communist Manifesto, written by Marx and Engels, was clear on this point and I believe that it was reaffirmed in the writings of Lenin and Mao. A seizure of power followed by a "dictatorship of the proletariate" is the prescribed formula, in communist ideology, for the transition to a socialist society. Now to answer the question at hand. Socialism is an economic model in which the government is the sole employer and the sole land owner. All businesses are owned by the government and all of the land and buildings are owned by the government. What exists today in many countries is a blend of socialism and capitalism. We have both public and private schools and universities, public and private mail and freight carriers, public and private health insurance and health services: and public employment is something like one third of all employment. We even have public and private lands. The governments (federal, state and local) own over one third of all land in the USA. Most of this is for the sake of preserving wilderness and recreation areas. Life was very hard for people in 1848 when Marx and Engels wrote the Communist Manifesto. Many of their socialist ideas have been adopted by almost every country on earth. The income tax was their idea. Mandatory public education was their idea. And we have adopted many other socialist ideas into our society that we take for granted today like 1) minimum wage laws, 2) child labor laws 3) right to organize and right to strike laws (the National Labor Relations Act) 4) 40 hour work week (used to be no limit and no overtime) 5) public pensions (social security) 6) public disability insurance (workers compensation) and of course public libraries, public schools and public universities. Believe it or not, at one time none of these things existed! Today our society is somewhere like halfway between pure capitalism and pure socialism. I want to finish by saying that all of the european countries are a little bit closer to socialism than we are in the US and that is why their people live longer and healthier lives than we do here. The europeans all have socialized medicine. They all have a 30 hour work week with much more paid time off for vacations. And they all have a far better social safety net so that their people do not end up homeless and destitute. The USA does not treat its poor, elderly and disabled people as well as the europeans do. Maybe that's because we keep American troops in about 100 countries around the world. Who remembers what Hitler said: "Guns, not butter!" (Was he a republican?)
9/13/2009 3:05:15 PM	What is Socialism?
danguitarman Redding, CA 63, joined Aug. 2007	Blonde01, its really a great question and started a great thread. Do you think you understand what socialism is now or has everybody just confused you? The opposite of socialism is capitalism. That is when everything is owned by private capital. Capital means money. Money is owned by individuals and corporations. In a purely capitalist society, everything is owned privately and there would be no "public" ownership. "Public" ownership is another way of saying either government ownership or "the people's" ownership. Thank you for starting an excellent thread.
9/13/2009 8:52:40 PM	What is Socialism?
coolchick Woodway, TX 64, joined Nov. 2006	Dan. Your post of September 11th was excellent. Blonde, I also thank you for a good thread. I'll never understand why the right-wing believe that Socialists are monsters, or that our President is a Socialist. Very strange.
9/16/2009 10:22:12 AM	What is Socialism?
gentlemaninfp Indianapolis, IN 68, joined May. 2008	WOW! Boy, I am relieved to find some intelligent life on DH! I've been on the site for months, but only recently started looking at some of the forums. One of the first threads I looked at was posted by a guy some of you have mentioned. It was nothing but hateful bigotry and lies...repeating the same old lies and myths the cons like to perpetuate while professing their patriotism and respect for our Constitution...you all know the routine. I was, quite honestly, shocked to find such crap on a site like this. Anyway, I put up a post expressing my disgust with the poisonous vile they were spreading and pointed out that not all terrorist attacks are carried out by Muslims. I even went so far as to remind them that the Oklahoma City bombing and the recent murder of the abortion doc, both terrorist attacks, were committed by white, self-professed patriot wackos that think and talk just like them. To paraphrase a movie line: They couldn't handle the truth! The really fascinating thing was that there was no discussion, no tolerance. I was simply blocked/excluded! The guy that was pounding his chest the hardest about how much he values the Constitution and the "American" way (I think his name begins with a "G" :~) ), first called me names and then, quite proudly, kicked me out of his party. It was classic! There was nothing he could say, so he simply ELIMINATED the voice of dissent...much like any other tyranical dictator...an irony I'm sure his small, polluted mind doesn't seem to grasp. Anyway, it's good to see there are at least a few people on this site that can and do think for themselves! Nice to meet you!
9/16/2009 9:27:29 PM	What is Socialism?
coolchick Woodway, TX 64, joined Nov. 2006	Welcome, gentleman. Nice to have you here.
9/16/2009 9:43:25 PM	What is Socialism?
gentlemaninfp Indianapolis, IN 68, joined May. 2008	Thank you, Coolchick. I appreciate the friendly welcome.
9/17/2009 2:49:48 PM	What is Socialism?
blonde01 Omaha, NE 55, joined Jul. 2008	Yes, it has been educational for me. I wanted to be able to reply intelligently when the subject came up in public, and this thread has been a help. Thanks everyone for your input. Americans need to stop getting all worked up about things they know nothing about. Just the facts, maam.
9/17/2009 5:31:14 PM	What is Socialism?
zorro932 Middle River, MD 57, joined Jun. 2009	I think there is a segment of the hard right that thinks everyone who's a Democrat is really a communist. I had Coast To Coast AM on a few nights ago and there were people going on about the "Liberal Plot" to destroy America; one lady called Obama the Anti-Christ...spooky.
9/17/2009 9:19:18 PM	What is Socialism?
coolchick Woodway, TX 64, joined Nov. 2006	Hey, Zorro Over on the Current Events forum, they are gearing up for the "Swine Flu shot Armageddon". Yes, good citizens, dust off the old shotguns and deer rifles, 'cause "they" are comin' after us with flu shot syringes full of tiny tracking devices to inject into us. And if we refuse the shots, we get shackled and trucked out to the FEMA concentration camps. Man, oh man, it's gonna be a hoe-down. Doom and Gloom dates to mark on your calendar: October 15th and November 15th. Well, that's according to a video that came out before our scientists managed to get the H1N1 flu shot down to just one shot. So, the November 15th "be very afraid" date will have to be chit-canned. Only in America...
11/5/2009 8:22:15 PM	What is Socialism?
bankbear58 Cushing, OK 69, joined Nov. 2009	Socialism is indeed misunderstood, mostly because the Republican party puts fear into the masses , that social programs some how equates to a socalistic goverenment. They are a party of fear and disinformation, aka, lies. Does this remind you of something? Marxism! The Republican party is as close at it gets to Marxism in this country
11/6/2009 4:59:09 PM	What is Socialism?
zenlite San Leandro, CA 32, joined Aug. 2009	There is something a friend of mine pointed out recently, that bears repeating. First, Socialism is a family of related governmental strategies. Communism is a socialist governmental form. However, just because a government calls itself or is called by others 'Communist' does not make it so. A totalitarian regime is just that regardless of what one chooses to call it, and by necessity such a regime is incapable of being a legitimate Communism. What my friend pointed out, though, is that we don't actually have any information to suggest that any of these so-called Communisms are truly Communistic nor do we have anywhere near sufficient information to suggest that these regimes (North Korea, China, etc.) are actually failing or anything like what the news suggests. The majority of our nationalistic hatred of Communism, and our belief that it is a system that cannot function, is based on McCarthy Era rhetoric that claims a level of legitimate knowledge regarding the functioning of these other states that we can't possibly possess. This is all to say, that it is not legitimate to say, for example, that North Korea is an 'evil totalitarian socialistic regime' as we have virtually no knowledge on which to base such a statement. One cannot know the contents of a box without opening it up and looking inside. A box that remains sealed must also remain a mystery. Food for thought. [Edited 11/6/2009 4:59:37 PM ]
11/8/2009 6:44:44 AM	What is Socialism?
danguitarman Redding, CA 63, joined Aug. 2007	Zenlite, I must disagree with you. There is lots of evidence that North Korea is a repressive regime which cannot feed its own people. It has a very poor economy but puts massive resources into its military including the development of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles which it fires into the Pacific ocean just to prove to the world that it can do so. The regime seems indifferent to the poverty and starvation of its people. It is one of the worst places to live in the world. North Korea is a communist country. The words "communism" and "socialism" are not equivalent today, even though they were used interchangeably by Marx and Engels and Lenin and Mao and Ho. Western democracies have incorporated many aspects of socialism into the fabric of their societies without having a "revolution" and a "dictatorship of the proletariate" as called for in communist theology.
11/8/2009 6:49:17 AM	What is Socialism?
danguitarman Redding, CA 63, joined Aug. 2007	Zenlite, Do you know about what happened in the Soviet Union in the 1930's under Joseph Stalin?
11/8/2009 2:45:05 PM	What is Socialism?
idlehour Montgomery, AL 61, joined May. 2009	I wrote a term paper about socialism in my 12th grade civics class, and I remember thinking at the time that it was a very nice form of government. But I realized then, that there were so many powerful corporate and special interests in the USA that would kill any attempt to implement the simplest of socialistic principles, that it was pie in the sky. Corporate America and Conservative America likes the idea that someone like Bill Gates can purchase the Windows (Graphical User Interface) operating system from companies like Xerox for $50,000, and sell and market it to the tune of a 100 billion dollar fortune. No consideration for the visionaries, managers and designers of Xerox that made Windows should share in the spoils. Capitalism is a good thing when tempered, driving innovation and giving people the sense that they can rise up and pull themselves up by the boot straps. but if you don't have any boot straps you're kinda SOL. IMO, Capitalism has retarded progress and innovation as much as it has fostered it.
11/8/2009 3:29:18 PM	What is Socialism?
zenlite San Leandro, CA 32, joined Aug. 2009	Quote from danguitarman: Zenlite, Do you know about what happened in the Soviet Union in the 1930's under Joseph Stalin? The better question, perhaps, is do you? The relatively unknown state of the matter, is that we know very little about the Stalinist regime including whether Stalin was even actually in charge of the Soviet Union at the time (as opposed to simply being vastly influential) as a great deal of so called "Stalinist" policies seemed to have actually emerged prior to Stalin stating his position on the matter. Our intelligence gathering operations there were begun because Stalin had died leaving us with the realization that we didn't actually know what was going on behind the iron curtain. A great deal of what is publicly known about the Soviet Union is little more than speculation and McCarthian rhetoric. The same can be said of North Korea. All of the things you have said are true are speculation with very little informative basis (which is not to say you lack information, but rather that your derivative sources do). Example: Based on an article I read recently, we may not actually know what Kim Jong (Sp?) looks like. He may have been using stand ins at public functions for decades. This combined with the way in which foreign reporters are routinely kept away from sensitive areas (when they aren't simply executed) places extreme limits on what we can know about the country. The bulk of our information about North Korea comes from exiled dissidents and refugees. This is to say that virtually the entire basis for our perception of North Korea comes from those who were kicked out or didn't like it there to begin with. Consider what kind of a bias that places on our knowledge base and therefore our perceptions derived thereof? Understand, I'm not saying the 'Stalinist Regime' or North Korea's 'Authoritarian Ruler' aren't "Evil". I'm saying that we can't rightly say much of anything about the latter or whether the former even existed. Relatedly, I wasn't trying to say that Communism = Socialism. The two were never interchangeable outside of Right Wing rhetoric (in which case "Socialism=Communism=Fascism=The Devil). What I had meant to say was that Socialism is a family of related governmental types of which Communism is just one. [Edited 11/8/2009 3:30:18 PM ]
11/8/2009 5:48:12 PM	What is Socialism?
danguitarman Redding, CA 63, joined Aug. 2007	Twenty million Russians were starved to death by the deliberate actions of Stalin in the 1930s. Stalin executed all of his political opponents. He even assasinated Trotsky who had fled to Mexico. These are all facts which are historically accurate. I am afraid that you have not studied history in a formal way, as I have. If you really have a passion for the study of history, and it sounds like you do, I would suggest that you study history in a university, if that is possible.
11/8/2009 6:13:20 PM	What is Socialism?
zorro932 Middle River, MD 57, joined Jun. 2009	The forced famine in the Ukraine, the show trials of the 1930's, the massive purge and bloodletting of 1936-8, the take over of Eastern Europe which lasted for 40 years...I'd say Stalin was VERY much in control of the USSR. Read Krushchev's 1956 speech to the Comintern. If your interested in genuine Socialism, read up on countries like Sweeden and Finland. They are very much democracies and when the Socialists go too far they can be thrown out for awhile. [Edited 11/8/2009 6:16:17 PM ]
11/8/2009 7:30:44 PM	What is Socialism?
zenlite San Leandro, CA 32, joined Aug. 2009	/points up at his previous post
11/11/2009 9:55:08 PM	What is Socialism?
d_voted Winnipeg, MB 64, joined Sep. 2008	Quote from blonde01: I don't want opinions. I want to pick other's brains to see what they think it is. Are there any political analysts out there? Dear blonde01, I looked at your profile and saw that you are not religious. If that means you have no interest in the opinions from that domain then you may not find this helpful. However, I also noted that Coolchick is Catholic so I will post a number of Vatican Encyclicals for your review. Do not ignore them because of the source. There are many bright scholars who have worked on these and it may be surprising what they come up with. The church has always had an interest in the means of organizing a society so as to the best mechanisms to enhance the basic dignity and worth of the human person. It has therefore, since the late 1800s been engaged in setting out documents that illustrate the downfalls of certain political systems (Communism, unbridled Capitalism, Socialism etc). Here are some of the documents: The year they were published, under which Pope's authority, the English topic and the Latin Name of the document. 1878 – Leo XIII – On Socialism - (Dec. 28th ) QUOD APOSTOLICI MUNERIS The Catholic church denounced communism, socialism and unbridled capitalism in the foundational social justice document, under the supervision of Leo XIII. In 1891 "Rerum Novarum" was published as an Encyclical. Most social justice documents that followed refer to this as fundamental to social relations. To suggest that the Catholic church is backward one might note that the reasons given for the failure of Communism were proposed MANY years before the Russian revolution gained control in Russia or the Maoist revolution in China. These political systems (both capitalism and communism and their offshoots) are based in materialism. The distribution of resources and the reactions to the industrial revolution which caused human beings to be treated as a commodity. 1901 – Leo XIII – On Christian Democracy GRAVES DE COMMUNI RE 1937 – Pius XI – On Atheistic Communism DIVINI REDEMPTORIS 1967 – Paul VI – On the Development of Peoples POPULORUM PROGRESSIO 1981 – John Paul II – On Human Work Laborem exercens 1987 - John Paul II - Sollicitudo rei socialis Please try to get by the obvious 'Christian bias' and read for content. The following document helps to bridge the gap for those who believe faith and reason to be incompatible with each other. 1998 – John Paul II - Faith and Reason FIDES ET RATIO <<<< this is a really trippy document (good reading for Philosophers) Keep groovin' D
11/15/2009 2:43:06 AM	What is Socialism?
danguitarman Redding, CA 63, joined Aug. 2007	Marx was certainly correct when he said (in the Communist Manifesto) that RELIGION IS THE OPIATE OF THE MASSES.
1/4/2010 12:05:47 PM	What is Socialism?
d_voted Winnipeg, MB 64, joined Sep. 2008	Quote from danguitarman: Marx was certainly correct when he said (in the Communist Manifesto) that RELIGION IS THE OPIATE OF THE MASSES. Marx was wrong. Opium is the opiate of the masses. To throw out any ideas because you don't care for the source is foolish. In fact the churches have done more to further justice in the world than all political movements combined. In fact Hurricane Katrina in the USA was helped by the churches more than by the richest country in the world. It was the Church of the Latter Day Saints that sent in a cargo plane IMMEDIATELY with all kinds of emergency provisions. Many in the Christian churches think that the Mormons are a cult - but inspite of the divisions within the ranks of Christians themselves it is THEY who provide the soup kitchens and the food banks across all borders. Bloody Sunday in Russia in 1905 was led by the clergy from the Russian Orthodox Catholic Church. In El Salvador, Archbishop Romero was murdered by the progovernment troops to keep the wealth of the country in the hands of 13 families. They were and are still supported by the CIA and the American multinationals. Your personal bias against religions is misplaced and unwarranted. In fact the political right wing of the USA has tried to engage the religious right by fearmongering about the private ownership of property which they say will be taken away by the 'socialists' or 'communists'. The Roman Catholic church has always held that private ownership of property is a right but it must be held in perpetuity for generations as it is a matter of good stewardship. It also contends that Man is the Subject of work not the object of work (which is a communist idea as well as unbridled capitalism - workers are a commodity to be factored into an equasion as far as production is concerned). The social safety net, health care, education for all have their roots in Christian thought. The 'Greatest Canadian' as voted on by Canadians just two years ago was a man called Tommy Douglas, who championed universal health care in Canada. He was originally a Protestant preacher. His vision was that one could not pay if they were sick and we who are well should (because he/she is our brother or sister) be able to help them if they are in need. The collapse of the American banking system was a consequence of unbridled and unfettered capitalism with no regard for anything but the profit motive. "Love of money is the root of all evil." Is a Biblical maxim. Just because some TV evangelists are greed mongers and thieves does not warrant putting all churches in that same category. This dog is black therefore all dogs are black. Irrational thinking. Read the documents I posted. If you can see through the obvious unpleasant rhetoric of a church there may be some elements of truth in their analysis of the philosophical ideology which they say is at the foundation of the thinking of certain political ideologies. These are not stupid persons who research this stuff and comment upon it. Keep groovin' D
1/12/2010 7:56:14 PM	What is Socialism?
d_voted Winnipeg, MB 64, joined Sep. 2008	Hmmm - Did I kill this thread? Ha ha ha Keep groovin' D
1/14/2010 5:32:14 AM	What is Socialism?
rycherr Anchorage, AK 44, joined Jan. 2010	Socialism is the idea that the working class should own the means of production, as opposed to capitalism, which is the idea that those who have the capital own the means of production. People confuse socialism with egalitarianism, which is the idea that everyone is inherently equal.
1/14/2010 12:14:58 PM	What is Socialism?
jamiya31 Burr Hill, VA 39, joined Nov. 2009	Socialism refers to the various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources for all individuals with a method of compensation based on the amount of labor expended.[1][2][3] Most socialists share the view that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital and derives its wealth through exploitation, creates an unequal society, does not provide equal opportunities for everyone to maximise their potential[4] and does not utilise technology and resources to their maximum potential nor in the interests of the public.[5] Friedrich Engels, one of the founders of modern socialist theory, and Henri de Saint-Simon, a French Utopian Socialism theorist, advocated the creation of a society that allows for the widespread application of modern technology to rationalise economic activity by eliminating the anarchy of capitalist production.[6][7] This would allow for wealth and power to be distributed based on the amount of work expended in production, although there is disagreement among socialists over how and to what extent this could be achieved. Socialism is not a concrete philosophy of fixed doctrine and programme; its branches advocate a degree of social interventionism and economic rationalisation (usually in the form of economic planning), but sometimes oppose each other. A dividing feature of the socialist movement is the split between reformists and revolutionaries on how a socialist economy should be established. Some socialists advocate complete nationalisation of the means of production, distribution, and exchange; others advocate state control of capital within the framework of a market economy. Socialists inspired by the Soviet model of economic development have advocated the creation of centrally planned economies directed by a state that owns all the means of production. Others, including Yugoslavian, Hungarian, German and Chinese communist governments in the 1970s and 1980s, instituted various forms of market socialism, combining co-operative and state ownership models with the free market exchange and free price system (but not free prices for the means of production).[8] Modern social democrats propose selective nationalisation of key national industries in mixed economies, while maintaining private ownership of capital and private business enterprise. (In the 19th and early 20th century the term was used to refer to those who wanted to completely replace capitalism with socialism through reform.) Modern social democrats also promote tax-funded welfare programs and regulation of markets; many, particularly in European welfare states, refer to themselves as socialists, despite holding pro-capitalist viewpoints, thus adding ambiguity to the meaning of the term "socialist". Libertarian socialism (including social anarchism and libertarian Marxism) rejects state control and ownership of the economy altogether and advocates direct collective ownership of the means of production via co-operative workers' councils and workplace democracy. Modern socialism originated in the late 18th-century intellectual and working class political movement that criticised the effects of industrialisation and private ownership on society. The utopian socialists, including Robert Owen (1771–1858), tried to found self-sustaining communes by secession from a capitalist society. Henri de Saint Simon (1760–1825), the first individual to coin the term socialisme, was the original thinker who advocated technocracy and industrial planning.[9] The first socialists predicted a world improved by harnessing technology and combining it with better social organisation, and many contemporary socialists share this belief. Early socialist thinkers tended to favour an authentic meritocracy combined with rational social planning, while many modern socialists have a more egalitarian approach. Vladimir Lenin, drawing on Karl Marx's ideas of "lower" and "upper" stages of socialism[10] defined socialism as a transitional stage between capitalism and communism
1/20/2010 9:25:38 PM	What is Socialism?
steviation Seattle, WA 53, joined Jan. 2010	In my mind, socialism is government that has as its priority the general welfare of its citizens--adequate protection, sufficient food and housing, access to health care and education and the freedom to pursue their ultimate contribution to the whole.
1/20/2010 9:28:14 PM	What is Socialism?
steviation Seattle, WA 53, joined Jan. 2010	Good answer AK.
1/20/2010 9:46:42 PM	What is Socialism?
ryanw29 Stanwood, WA 36, joined Jan. 2010	I hope noone minds a question other then all responses. My view has that socialism was the government overseeing public matters, such as healthcare, public houseing, walfare ect. I'm sorry i'm not well versed but i do watch to news an the republican party calls single payer (health care for all) socialism. After reading everyones posts this seems like a stretch am i wrong? By the way noone should make billons off sick and dieing people i think health industry should have a set profit margin. Thanks
1/20/2010 9:55:09 PM	What is Socialism?
ryanw29 Stanwood, WA 36, joined Jan. 2010	A man from North Korea was thrown in prision for 7 years from getting caught playing a old song that was for all korea. They also tell there people that eating greass an tree bark is nutritous. While lil kim plays movie starr.

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