Reply #85: Europeans are capitalists

[social_critic]

Don't get confused. The basic economic system in Europe is capitalism. They got stock exchanges, private property, income taxes, value added taxes, royalties, patent registers, copyright laws, and you do get to buy a building and rent the apartments (although right now I wouldn't recommend it, the real estate prices are too high).

I don't confuse anything. Socialism as applied by the Soviet Union (what we usually call communism) really sucks. Socialism such as applied in Cuba really sucks. The Socialism chavez is trying to implement in Venezuela really sucks (but it's more like fascism). I see "socialists" wiggle back and forth trying to make the point that "their socialism" is good because it won't be like the Soviets'. But I have yet to see a real socialist system work. And what you call socialist in Europe, to me is capitalism dressed up with a quality regulatory system.

I'm not a Fox News robot, I don't buy the idea that Obama is socialist, and I don't think public health care is socialist either. It's a good idea, it will help business prosper, and the state does have a role to play helping to set it up.

So let's drink to capitalism, with quality regulatory practices, taxes, and clean politicians who don't sell out.