Democratic National Convention **live commentary thread**

[Oak Hills]

SOCIALISM IS NOT THE ANSWER BERNIE! SOCIALISM IS NOT THE ANSWER

Please stop.

[Oak Hills]

That isn't typically considered to fall under the umbrella of Socialism. Free education and health care does.

None of these things are socialism.

[Oak Hills]

I am ashamed of the 43% of the democratic party that literally voted for a movement that is the beginning of America becoming China or Russia.

Bernie's proposed policies = China = Russia?

China and Russia are vastly different, and both are different than what he proposed.

Both are communist nations, Socialism is merely a step on the way to communism.

SOCIALISM IS NOT THE ANSWER BERNIE! SOCIALISM IS NOT THE ANSWER

Okay, I guess you're against the fire department, the police, national parks, public libraries, etc.

That isn't typically considered to fall under the umbrella of Socialism. Free education and health care does.

You can't pick and choose like that, economics isn't al a carte. If you pay tax dollars that are in turn used for services, that is socialism. When everyone pays a share, then it's socialism.

That is a definition you yourself invented. In the same spirit of individual definitional innovation I suggest another defintion: urinating is socialism. If you ever urinated in your life, you are a socialist.  You cannot pick and choose here: this is not a la carte.

BTW, what is a carte?

That definition has become more and more prevalent in the vocabulary of the general population in recent years. He didn't invent it, even if it is wrong.

[Oak Hills]

It excludes no form of government empirically known to mankind. Hence, it is meaningless. In fact, it is observationally equivalent to my "urinating" definition.

I agree with the above; I was just pointing out that Invisible Obama didn't make up that definition, and it's been floating around and gaining popularity for years.

[Oak Hills]

Here's a definition no one here has probably ever seen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mixed_economy

A mixed economy is not socialism. Socialism is not communism. Capitalism is not corporatism.

Look, this is a pretty minor issue. Aspects of the State are funded by all in a system that has similarities to socialism. That does not make the State socialist if it has a publicly funded police force or educational system, to name a couple of examples. Socialism is the State controlling the means of production. Capitalism is private individuals controlling the means of production. A mixed economy has elements of both. End of discussion.

But even that's not correct.  Socialism is defined by democratic control of the economy or decision-making powers of industry belonging to workers.  Capitalism is defined by decisions being made by the owners of capital and factors of production.

Not all socialism advocates democratic workplaces, though. All the catch all phrase advocates is the State and the community managing the means of production, which has multiple interpretations. This has lead to different socialist philosophies.

All socialists have claimed to support democratic workplaces, however. Even the Soviet Communists claimed that the state of affairs they created was not their end goal.

[Oak Hills]

How long until Bill speaks?

He should be on at a little after 10,  I think.

[Oak Hills]

Eric Holder? Why?

Why not?