What's wrong with socialism?

[Lorentz]

Why is this a new four-letter word? Many of the countries with higher standard of living and life expectancy have socialist policies. We could learn many things from them.

The only reason I can think of is standard American ignorance: socialism = USSR = communism = fascism = Nazi = Hitler.

[Billy Burnett]

1. Why do you hate America?

:sarcasm:

:hi:

[glowing]

2. Well, it means everyone has to share, ultimately. AND some people,

as you might remember from your school days, don't play nicely in the sand box... But we do have forms of socialism.. Public schools, police, firefighters..etc. So, its not all bad. But really, if everyone in the world had to share its resources, then we would have a remarkably different lifestyle.

[skooooo]

3. The US Constitution prescribes that government...

...provide for the "common good."

You tell me. There's nothing wrong with socialism in itself.

[LynnTheDem]

4. And most rightwingnuts think Hitler & fascism = leftwing.

I find this interesting; "rightwing" comes from the right wing of the houses of parliament (Britain), which was the entrance to the House of LORDS.

The LEFT WING of the building was to the HOUSE OF COMMONS.

"Rightwing" by its very definition is ELITIST.

Rightwing IS ELITIST by the republic party's own platforms, words, and actions; "I call them my base; the have-mores"

[kwolf68]

5. We've always had a degree of socialism

The word is just red-baiting, McCarthyism.

Go back and research American economic history...the 'rising tide' lifted all boats only when monopolies were busted (government regulation), safety standards, labor standards, truth in advertising laws, etc., etc. were promoted.

I don't personally want to see government 'run the factors of production', but an active government responding to the needs of the society is the ONLY WAY we can achieve economic greatness. Our economic greatness was caused by a certain degree of capitalism with a certain degree of socialism.

Most everyone recognizes that and throughout history BOTH parties have recognized the need for 'some Socialism', but it's been generally about protecting people and preventing unbridled capitalism from doing to this nation what it did between 1886 and 1906.

Both parties 'are Socialist' to some degree, but the socialism the Republicans promote is socialism for the rich and powerful. It's really that only difference economically of the two parties, HUGE difference though.

[Kurt Remarque]

6. we haven't really seen actual socialism except in orders of nuns

[WA98070]

7. Christianity=Socialism... that couldn't be RIGHT. In Socialism we progress as a ....

society so I can't "Win" as an individual.

There is no "Me" in Socialism.

[vanderBeth]

8. Socialism isn't evil.

Even though some people don't agree with it in this country, it isn't an evil system. I think it all came from the Red Scare and some people still think Socialism/Communism=Fascism.

[chelsea0011]

9. We do live an a capitalist/socialist society. We have medicare, medicaid,

SS,schools, and everything thing else paid for with taxes for the good of society. Even McCain gets medical insurance paid for, via his salary, by taxpayers. He has socialized medicine. But republicans hate the word because for the most part they hate government, unless of course, you medical insurance is paid by tax dollars, or you need medicaid or medicare, etc., etc.

[LiberadorHugo]

10. Another thing to keep in mind...

Even some of the "bad" socialist governments can be defended: Afghan women would have been much better had Moscow's cronies been able to deal with the Mujahideen with American and Maoist intervention. Likewise, Cuba has a much higher literacy rate than any other Latin American nation. As for Chavez, Morales, and Correa, I should not need to defend them against the right here no matter what Pelosi and her ilk may say.

[Celebrandil]

11. Social democracy is good, socialism is not necessarily...

I think one has to be careful when one uses the word socialism. Here in northern Europe socialism is usually considered to be different from social democracy. About hundred years ago there was a fierce battle going on between socialists and social democrates, and luckily the latter group won.

[Matariki]

12. It's a cheap tactic to get poor and middle income people to vote against their interests.

The very people McCain is trying to scare with that word :eyes:

[dchill]

13. Nothing... why do you ask?

:hi:

[gizmo1979]

14. I guess liberal doesn't

work anymore.

[kenny blankenship]

15. Russkies inventid it!!

It come straight from the Debbil!

[Essene]

16. we are a mixed-economy, neither completely free markets nor socialism

that's the truth.

the rhetoric of our society, however, doesnt fit the reality.

[ericgtr]

17. It's much better than power hungry answer to nobody leaders that's for sure

Which is exactly what we've had for the last eight years. They can label us whatever they want but the people are simply not going to vote for an extension of that.

[HughMoran]

18. Nothing, other than socialists don't win elections

It's just an election time game that the right-wing trolls play.

[4themind]

19. I think the first question to be asked is what IS socialism

or what is it not? What are the sufficient conditions? Many people in this country can't even agree on a definition of the term, which depending upon discussion audiences, can be a liability in having a substantive debate on any question that depend upon a definition of the term.

[msallied]

20. A 60% tax rate. That's socialism.

I recently spoke with some people who were visiting here from Norway, and lemme tell you how "miserable" they thought America was. People there don't really want for much, apparently. But they also don't mind paying for it. America has one of the lowest tax rates in the developed world. And we also are among the least educated with some of the highest illiteracy rates and we also have an incredibly high infant mortality rate for a developed nation, compared to countries like Norway and Sweden. So we have to ask ourselves what kind of society we want to live in. Most people who hate paying higher taxes will usually, in the same breath, say that they wish they had better health care. Most people fall in the middle.

The idiots who think this country is socialist have not studied other nations very closely and have NO fucking clue how good they have it here, if their main concern is taxes. Now, I'm not a huge fan of giant taxes. I consider myself a fiscal moderate. I like Obama's healthcare plan because it's centrist. I believe that businesses should be rewarded for doing well by their employees, and I also believe in stimulating the economy via tax cuts for all. To balance that, however, the government needs to stop throwing money away and contributing to HUGE deficits. I don't mind paying my taxes if it means it benefits society as a whole. I do NOT, however, like the Republican brand of "socialism," which essentially takes from the poor and gives to the rich. That's not socialism. That's oligarchy.

[Abugface]

21. America is, in part a socialist country, in the sense that it is dominated by ...

corporate welfare.