Is this Socialism

[Spiderman]

I am no reliable source about the details of what is true Socialism and false socialism and there isn't just one interpretation of what Socialism is, but I have been to Benedictine, Carmelite, and Franciscan communities as well as worked as a janitor at a Carmelite Convent. The Monks, nuns, or Friars don't own anything really, and everything belongs to a community. Almost no ownership is private, and almost all ownership is public.

No one is isolated, and everyone lives in cooperation with each other. When someone gets old with dementia, or becomes sick, the superior assigns people who take care of them free of charge.

Everyone who produces something does so for the community, and everyone shares in what is accomplished or produced. Almost everything is a social product that everyone to a certain extent is entitled to.

That is Socialism right? Would your nation be better if everyone lived like that (minus the celibacy of course)?

Everyone has a say in things, and a superior is elected by the community, and everyone takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; and everyone follows the same faith, the same goals, relatively the same path and vocation, and the same rule of life.

Now, if such was a nation that had a benevolent Dictator, or if America had a Congress, Supreme court, President, cabinet, and a government that was run by compassionate, wise, prudent, charitable, strong, altruistic, and humble people.... Socialism, social (public) ownership, and high taxes would be a good thing right?

 

[Nakosis]

I am no reliable source about the details of what is true Socialism and false socialism and there isn't just one interpretation of what Socialism is, but I have been to Benedictine, Carmelite, and Franciscan communities as well as worked as a janitor at a Carmelite Convent. The Monks, nuns, or Friars don't own anything really, and everything belongs to a community. Almost no ownership is private, and almost all ownership is public.

No one is isolated, and everyone lives in cooperation with each other. When someone gets old with dementia, or becomes sick, the superior assigns people who take care of them free of charge.

Everyone who produces something does so for the community, and everyone shares in what is accomplished or produced. Almost everything is a social product that everyone to a certain extent is entitled to.

That is Socialism right? Would your nation be better if everyone lived like that (minus the celibacy of course)?

Everyone has a say in things, and a superior is elected by the community, and everyone takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; and everyone follows the same faith, the same goals, relatively the same path and vocation, and the same rule of life.

Now, if such was a nation that had a benevolent Dictator, or if America had a Congress, Supreme court, President, cabinet, and a government that was run by compassionate, wise, prudent, charitable, strong, altruistic, and humble people.... Socialism, social (public) ownership, and high taxes would be a good thing right?

How do they go about generating money? How do they fund expenses?

 

[Spiderman]

How do they go about generating money? How do they fund expenses?

Some of them receive alms or weave rugs, make jam, honey, coffee, or some monasteries sell other products. The Carmelites I was with would travel to markets and sell such products. Some of them run schools or seminaries.

 

[Spiderman]

Some monasteries grow their own crops and have their own cattle and livestock

 

[Nakosis]

Some of them receive alms or weave rugs, make jam, honey, coffee, or some monasteries sell other products. The Carmelites I was with would travel to markets and sell such products. Some of them run schools or seminaries.

Sounds pretty cool. When I was about 17 I really wanted to join one. Couldn't figure out how to go about it.

I think it's pretty close to what socialism would be like.
I imagine it works because everyone sees themselves as a servant of everyone else.

 

[Salvador]

I am no reliable source about the details of what is true Socialism and false socialism and there isn't just one interpretation of what Socialism is, but I have been to Benedictine, Carmelite, and Franciscan communities as well as worked as a janitor at a Carmelite Convent. The Monks, nuns, or Friars don't own anything really, and everything belongs to a community. Almost no ownership is private, and almost all ownership is public.

No one is isolated, and everyone lives in cooperation with each other. When someone gets old with dementia, or becomes sick, the superior assigns people who take care of them free of charge.

Everyone who produces something does so for the community, and everyone shares in what is accomplished or produced. Almost everything is a social product that everyone to a certain extent is entitled to.

That is Socialism right? Would your nation be better if everyone lived like that (minus the celibacy of course)?

Everyone has a say in things, and a superior is elected by the community, and everyone takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; and everyone follows the same faith, the same goals, relatively the same path and vocation, and the same rule of life.

Now, if such was a nation that had a benevolent Dictator, or if America had a Congress, Supreme court, President, cabinet, and a government that was run by compassionate, wise, prudent, charitable, strong, altruistic, and humble people.... Socialism, social (public) ownership, and high taxes would be a good thing right?
View attachment 24469

Socialism might very well work on the small scale of a little communal society, but it has miserably failed on a grand scale...i.e. - Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and China before she reformed her economy to controlled capitalism.

 

[Axe Elf]

Sounds like an anarcho-syndicalist commune to me...

 

[Spiderman]

Sounds like an anarcho-syndicalist commune to me...

Thanks for making me laugh out loud in real life.

 

[Spiderman]

Sounds pretty cool. When I was about 17 I really wanted to join one. Couldn't figure out how to go about it.

I think it's pretty close to what socialism would be like.
I imagine it works because everyone sees themselves as a servant of everyone else.

If you still want to join one, all you have to do is start googling communities, send them an email or letter, and get a Catholic priest to be a spiritual director and put in a recommendation for you.

Then you have to see a vocations director, become a postulant, become a novitiate, and then take simple vows and Perpetual vows of poverty, Chastity, and obedience.

It can be a tedious martyrdom at times! Very few people can live that life.

 

[Stanyon]

Some monasteries grow their own crops and have their own cattle and livestock

Monks were also well known for making beer.

 

[Spiderman]

Monks were also well known for making beer.

And hard liquor.

I was hesitant to admit that.

 

[Sunstone]

No one is isolated, and everyone lives in cooperation with each other. When someone gets old with dementia, or becomes sick, the superior assigns people who take care of them free of charge.

Everyone who produces something does so for the community, and everyone shares in what is accomplished or produced. Almost everything is a social product that everyone to a certain extent is entitled to.

That is Socialism right?

You're describing communism and calling it "socialism". Pretty much like the communists do. Are you a commie?

 

[Spiderman]

You're describing communism and calling it "socialism". Pretty much like the communists do. Are you a commie?

Guilty!( under the right conditions). I hate what Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao did with it.

Communism as I have personally seen it practiced has always attracted me. When people have that kind of unity and if the person in charge of the community is wise in exercising authority, compassionate, altruistic, prudent, and has understanding regarding what is best for the community, it can be a very rich life in my experience and opinion.

I've learned so much in a short time in such environments. And watched people blossom and seen the joy on their faces and in their social interactions.

The community has very little worries. Very little stress. (When the superior knows what he's doing. ) Everybody contributes and everybody enjoys each other's contributions and learns from one another. Everyone knows somebody has their back if they suffer injury or debilitating disease.

Everyone usually has a different skill or trade to offer the community. Nobody is lonely or isolated. Everybody essentially supports each other. Everyone learns from the mistakes of everyone else, and everyone learns from the wisdom and gifts from everyone else.

But I'm hesitant to use the word utopia or communism.

 

[Spiderman]

You're describing communism and calling it "socialism". Pretty much like the communists do. Are you a commie?

like a communist Community, they remove the dead flesh and gangrene limbs from their community.

I happened to be the gangreen limb or decaying flesh ( as it were) that needed to be removed or amputated from their society, so they got rid of me.

But community life in those situations was extremely remarkable, disciplined, virtuous, joyful, meaningful, enriching, and interesting.

They just typically will not accept mentally ill people for very long.

 

[Stanyon]

And hard liquor.

I was hesitant to admit that.

They made some of the best, they originally made Franziskaner Weissbier, the dunkel is delicious. A few liquor store here in the Midwest will stock it but I generally have mine ordered in to have a regular supply.

 

[sun rise]

Socialism might very well work on the small scale of a little communal society, but it has miserably failed on a grand scale...i.e. - Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and China before she reformed her economy to controlled capitalism.

There's a difference in theory between a command economy which history shows fails and some forms of socialism. There is even a market economy form of socialism which includes the current Chinese system.

Types of socialism - Wikipedia

 

[PureX]

That is Socialism right?

What you are describing is more akin to communism, not socialism, as the community jointly owns and operates the mechanisms of production.

Would your nation be better if everyone lived like that (minus the celibacy of course)?

Communism doesn't work on a large scale because larger societies are just too complex for such localized decision-making.

Everyone has a say in things, and a superior is elected by the community, and everyone takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; and everyone follows the same faith, the same goals, relatively the same path and vocation, and the same rule of life.

Social democracies work well on smaller scale, but not as well on larger scales. On larger scales, they must employ various levels of representation that can often leave certain groups of people's needs and desires out.

Now, if such was a nation that had a benevolent Dictator, or if America had a Congress, Supreme court, President, cabinet, and a government that was run by compassionate, wise, prudent, charitable, strong, altruistic, and humble people.... Socialism, social (public) ownership, and high taxes would be a good thing right?

A wise population with wise leadership would be successful regardless of it's method of governance. Unfortunately, this is not the description of any human populations of any size.

 

[Kirran]

Socialism might very well work on the small scale of a little communal society, but it has miserably failed on a grand scale...i.e. - Venezuela, Cuba, North Korea, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, and China before she reformed her economy to controlled capitalism.

The trick is to keep it a small scale, but do that on a large scale One dude asked Benjamin Zephaniah how one could apply this idea of an egalitarian directly democratic society to a whole country like Britain. He said you don't, cos you don't think of it as a whole country you think of each individual local community organising themselves and freely associating with their neighbours.

 

[Regiomontanus]

I am no reliable source about the details of what is true Socialism and false socialism and there isn't just one interpretation of what Socialism is, but I have been to Benedictine, Carmelite, and Franciscan communities as well as worked as a janitor at a Carmelite Convent. The Monks, nuns, or Friars don't own anything really, and everything belongs to a community. Almost no ownership is private, and almost all ownership is public.

No one is isolated, and everyone lives in cooperation with each other. When someone gets old with dementia, or becomes sick, the superior assigns people who take care of them free of charge.

Everyone who produces something does so for the community, and everyone shares in what is accomplished or produced. Almost everything is a social product that everyone to a certain extent is entitled to.

That is Socialism right? Would your nation be better if everyone lived like that (minus the celibacy of course)?

Everyone has a say in things, and a superior is elected by the community, and everyone takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience; and everyone follows the same faith, the same goals, relatively the same path and vocation, and the same rule of life.

Now, if such was a nation that had a benevolent Dictator, or if America had a Congress, Supreme court, President, cabinet, and a government that was run by compassionate, wise, prudent, charitable, strong, altruistic, and humble people.... Socialism, social (public) ownership, and high taxes would be a good thing right?
View attachment 24469

Hello. Ever hear of these folks?

Home

 

[rocala]

What you are describing is more akin to communism, not socialism, as the community jointly owns and operates the mechanisms of production.

This is true IF the boss is appointed by the community.

Communism doesn't work on a large scale because larger societies are just too complex for such localized decision-making.

Perhaps this just proves that it is large societies that are the problem?