Fmr. Gov. NickG
NickG
Junior Chimp
Posts: 8,255
Political Matrix
E: -8.00, S: -3.49
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« on: May 01, 2004, 11:22:13 PM » |
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« edited: May 01, 2004, 11:23:58 PM by NickG »
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The problem is that "socialism" means such different things to different people. It's different in Cuba, China, the former Soviet Union, Scandinavia, France, England, and America. Even the Nazis called themselves "socialist"!
People who call themselves socialists actually take a range of positions, such as:
- Government should establish a broad array of social welfare programs funded by progressive taxation.
- Government should manage those industries that are "natural monopolies" (usually utilties, transportation infrastructure, health care)
- Government should own and operate "the means of production" (big industries)
- Government should own all businesses, employ all citizens, produce all goods and distribute income.
- Private property should be eliminated. People should work according to their ability, and be granted use of goods according to their need.
In the US it gets an especially bad rap because of our cold war history. Also, our "socialist" parties are generally Stalinist or Trotskyist as opposed to social democrats or Fabian/utopian socialist types.
In most countries, "socialism" is not a dirty word, even though "Marxism" has been discredited. Then again, we do have one "socialist" Congressman, who most in the US Socialist Party would say is not a socialist at all.
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