I Hate Socialism

[Nakosis]

Well, I've never lived under socialism.
Should one hate something they've never directly experienced?

How do you think your life would change under socialism?

Do you think your life would be better or worse.

The biggest complaint I've heard by people coming from socialist countries was a lack of choice.

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

The biggest complaint I've heard by people coming from socialist countries was a lack of choice.

Were they coming from a socialist country, or were they coming from a country that tried socialism at the forefront before the CIA installed a regime?

 

[Debater Slayer]

What form of socialism? Maoism, Stalinism, Marxism-Leninism, or Trotskyism? Or something else?

As with any economic system, the answer almost entirely depends on how it would be implemented. My life would be worse under Stalinism but better under a mixed economy where private ownership still existed but the market was properly regulated and social security was more robust.

 

[Estro Felino]

Honestly I have never heard anybody from Scandinavia complaining about Socialism.
Quite the opposite.
They are a model for me.

 

[exchemist]

Well, I've never lived under socialism.
Should one hate something they've never directly experienced?

How do you think your life would change under socialism?

Do you think your life would be better or worse.

The biggest complaint I've heard by people coming from socialist countries was a lack of choice.

Have you met anyone who has lived in a socialist country? Which ones, and when?

 

[ChristineM]

Honestly I have never heard anybody from Scandinavia complaining about Socialism.
Quite the opposite.
They are a model for me.

Not quite socialist though more centralist centrist with a free market economy

 

[Stevicus]

Well, I've never lived under socialism.
Should one hate something they've never directly experienced?

How do you think your life would change under socialism?

Do you think your life would be better or worse.

The biggest complaint I've heard by people coming from socialist countries was a lack of choice.

From what I've observed in my travels to socialist countries, it's that socialism is only really "bad" for the greedy and entitled types who think they deserve to have more than everyone else. If you're an ordinary worker bee, your job would be essentially the same as it would be under a capitalist system.

I've gotten mixed reviews from people who lived in socialist countries.

 

[Estro Felino]

Not quite socialist though more centralist with a free market economy

Socialism benefits from a free market economy. Which economists call liberism.

 

[Nakosis]

Were they coming from a socialist country, or were they coming from a country that tried socialism at the forefront before the CIA installed a regime?

China and Russia.

 

[Nakosis]

What form of socialism? Maoism, Stalinism, Marxism-Leninism, or Trotskyism? Or something else?

As with any economic system, the answer almost entirely depends on how it would be implemented. My life would be worse under Stalinism but better under a mixed economy where private ownership still existed but the market was properly regulated and social security was more robust.

One where manufacturing/business was predominately run by the state.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

China and Russia.

They're both capitalist.

Ooh, unless they lived there before the market reforms, I suppose.

 

[Revoltingest]

I've known people who lived under socialism in Poland & Russia.
I've relatives who lived under it in China.
Very very bad stuff, socialism.

Capitalism is the way to go.
Taxing income from private enterprise
funds the things people want, health
care, roads, schools, etc.

Definition of socialism | Dictionary.com
a theory or system of social organization that advocates the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, capital, land, etc., by the community as a whole, usually through a centralized government.

Notice how "socialism" doesn't require any
generous social programs at all.

 

[Nakosis]

Honestly I have never heard anybody from Scandinavia complaining about Socialism.
Quite the opposite.
They are a model for me.

Scandinavia, a capitalist country with expanded social programs. Not really much different from the US just with a different emphasis on social programs.

IOW, your are happy with capitalism but would perhaps advocate for more social programs?

 

[Revoltingest]

They're both capitalist.

China was socialist (communist?) back in the day.
(Oh, the stories I heard from relatives who escaped.
Those who remained suffered horribly.)
To lift itself out of poverty & famine, it employed capitalism.
Today, it's mixed. Companies may be privately owned,
but they've strict lines they must observe, ie, a high
level of political regulation.

 

[Nakosis]

They're both capitalist.

Ooh, unless they lived there before the market reforms, I suppose.

They are about as close to socialist as you can get. If you have experience under a more socialist country please tell us about it.

 

[Estro Felino]

Scandinavia, a capitalist country with expanded social programs. Not really much different from the US just with a different emphasis on social programs.

IOW, your are happy with capitalism but would perhaps advocate for more social programs?

I could also affirm that in the United States there is not such a thing as the State.

Anything is private in the United States.
Private healthcare, private insurances, private banks, private highways.
I have never heard of an administrative apparatus that is controlled by the State.

I think that in Europe, there is the State, to begin with.

 

[Nakosis]

From what I've observed in my travels to socialist countries, it's that socialism is only really "bad" for the greedy and entitled types who think they deserve to have more than everyone else. If you're an ordinary worker bee, your job would be essentially the same as it would be under a capitalist system.

I've gotten mixed reviews from people who lived in socialist countries.

Yes, I expect those I've talked to, who came to the US, came here for a reason. So no doubt a biased view.

 

[ImmortalFlame]

China was socialist (communist?) back in the day.
(Oh, the stories I heard from relatives who escaped.
Those who remained suffered horribly.)

Did they flee under Mao or Xiaoping?

To lift itself out of poverty & famine, it employed capitalism.

It is much easier to lift a country out of poverty by adopting a system that allows them closer ties with the global economic hegemon. Even Marx wrote about what a good job capitalism did raising the overall living standards of workers around the world.

Today, it's mixed. Companies may be privately owned,
but they've strict lines they must observe, ie, a high
level of political regulation.

Regulation exists in many capitalist countries.

 

[Revoltingest]

Did they flee under Mao or Xiaoping?

Mao

It is much easier to lift a country out of poverty by adopting a system that allows them closer ties with the global economic hegemon. Even Marx wrote about what a good job capitalism did raising the overall living standards of workers around the world.

That's called state capitalism.

It's odd that socialists would want to
call socialism "capitalism".
But it's more common nowadays for
socialists to call capitalism "socialism".

More people should use dictionaries.

 

[Nakosis]

I could also affirm that in the United States there is not such a thing as the State.

Anything is private in the United States.
Private healthcare, private insurances, private banks, private highways.
I have never heard of an administrative apparatus that is controlled by the State.

I think that in Europe, there is the State, to begin with.

We have state controlled programs like Medicare, the postal service, welfare. I lived for a while in a state run facility for troubled teens.

People can advocate for greater or fewer state run social programs without changing the economic system.