The Problem With Socialism

[Nakosis]

To which I say fiddle faddle.​

 

[Friend of Mara]

But if you run out of money just print more money!

 

[Secret Chief]

To which I say fiddle faddle.​

Unflattering quotes from two tories. Whatever next?

 

[The Hammer]

"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money"?

As opposed to running out of other people's money to borrow? (Debt/credit)

 

[SomeRandom]

The US is perhaps the only true capitalist country, if you think about it, right?
Everywhere else in the west has blended socialist ideals with capitalism

 

[exchemist]

To which I say fiddle faddle.​

There is more than a grain of truth in both of these, if one looks at those countries that tried to implement socialism. Britain tried a bit of it after the war. Some things were a success but others were not and got unwound.

 

[The Hammer]

The US is perhaps the only true capitalist country, if you think about it, right?
Everywhere else in the west has blended socialist ideals with capitalism

Well...

We are a blended system. Just not a very well blended one. Less like a solution and more like a colloidal solid.

 

[Viker]

But if you run out of money just print more money!

Hey, that's happened in America!

 

[sun rise]

There are so many different kinds of socialism that "the problem with socialism" ignores. Not all forms of socialism reduce to state capitalism. There are such odds beasts as left-libertarian socialsm.

 

[QuestioningMind]

The US is perhaps the only true capitalist country, if you think about it, right?
Everywhere else in the west has blended socialist ideals with capitalism

We have socialism here... but mostly it's corporate socialism. Socialism for citizens, like social security, is something the Republicans have been trying to get rid of for decades.

 

[QuestioningMind]

To which I say fiddle faddle.​

The problem with raw capitalism is that it's like the game of Monopoly. The end goal is for one person to have everything and everyone else to have nothing.

 

[joe1776]

The only problem with Socialism is that it requires competent governments to manage it... and we haven't gotten around to inventing one of those yet. But we will in time.

Meanwhile, we will have to deal with mixed economies: partly corrupt Capitalism and partly mismanaged Socialism.

 

[Nakosis]

So, I disagree with both of these folks.

The problem I see with socialism is that it always seems to take a left, er right? turn at feudalism.
Why? Maybe because socialism and government don't mix well.

Socialism works fine between consenting adults where everyone is equal. However when a select group are given the power of oversight, their first concern is going to be with their own sustainability. The government is going to decide what is best for the government. Any dissent with the government is not good for the government.

Capitalism of course runs into the same problem with government. Capitalism however was inherently developed to oppose feudalism. To keep assets and property out of the hands of government. Socialism hands all that control right back to the government. It is therefore easier for socialism to devolve into feudalism.

 

[Nakosis]

The problem with raw capitalism is that it's like the game of Monopoly. The end goal is for one person to have everything and everyone else to have nothing.

But then the game stops. no body gets to play any more. Not even the winner.

People who play capitalism like monopoly actually destroy the very foundation of capitalism. The winner ends up with a pile of worthless paper.

 

[SomeRandom]

We have socialism here... but mostly it's corporate socialism. Socialism for citizens, like social security, is something the Republicans have been trying to get rid of for decades.

What is corporate socialism, specifically?
I feel like I know it, it’s just been a while since my social studies class

Incidentally Corporate socialism always sounded like an oxymoron to me. I know it’s a thing. It just sounds like two random ideas smashed together.

 

[Stevicus]

 

[Revoltingest]

The US is perhaps the only true capitalist country, if you think about it, right?
Everywhere else in the west has blended socialist ideals with capitalism

We are less capitalist than many...even Canuckistan.
(As measured by those fans of capitalism, The Heritage
Foundation. You just know they'd love for us to be on top.
But we've been losing ground.)

 

[SomeRandom]

We are less capitalist than many...even Canuckistan.
(As measured by those fans of capitalism, The Heritage
Foundation. You just know they'd love for us to be on top.
But we've been losing ground.)

Ahh the commies are taking over, eh?

 

[Revoltingest]

Ahh the commies are taking over, eh?

Rumor has it that Soviet minions came over
here when they were no longer welcome in Russia.

 

[Friend of Mara]

Hey, that's happened in America!

I'm sure it worked out great. No need to check.