SOCIALISM

[nero_bolt]

An open discussion of the merits and downsides of  SOCIALISMS comrades (and toss in capitalism) 

So who would like to see Australia turn into a Socialist country with the full socialist mantra?

Should people that work hard and make something of their lives simply share it with others who dont?  As is the socialist way.

Should companies and business share all their profit with their workers, again as is the socialist way... 

Should someone who starts a business and works long hours and works hard just hand over their efforts to their staff under the banner of socialism?

Does socialism work?  

So peoples thoughts and views... POLITE posts please on the socialist mantra 

[silverfaun]

Keating for all his self aggrandizement & lack of humanity knew that the socialist left in his party were to be scorned  & ignored as a dangerous element. The tolerated a full blown communist in the party for years but he didn't prosper under Keating.

[**meep**]

Monogamy may very well work for some people. 

Socialist ideology  has to work for everyone and that's where it fails.

[the_great_she_elephant]

So are you advocating that there should be no regulation of production, distribution and exchange, that the economy (including wages) should be based purely on supply and demand , and that if people can't afford the necessities of life that's just tough luck?

Or are you advocating some regulation in some areas and if do, at what point does this regulation become socialism?

[i-need-a-martini]

---

@nero_wulf wrote:

An open discussion of the merits and downsides of  SOCIALISMS comrades (and toss in capitalism) 

So who would like to see Australia turn into a Socialist country with the full socialist mantra?

Should people that work hard and make something of their lives simply share it with others who dont?  As is the socialist way.

Should companies and business share all their profit with their workers, again as is the socialist way... 

Should someone who starts a business and works long hours and works hard just hand over their efforts to their staff under the banner of socialism?

Does socialism work?  

So peoples thoughts and views... POLITE posts please on the socialist mantra 

---

Nero - you seemed to have missed what meaning of socialism. Perhaps you don't actually understand. Or perhaps you are simple being simplistic to prove some point. Not sure. On another thread I notice you confuse totalitarian governments with socialism. So not sure what your understanding is of, say, Lenins Russia. Either way your questions aren't answerable.

Asking if anyone would want to live in a socialist country or whether socialism actually works is as impossible as asking anyone if they would want to live in a country which is 100% capitalist or whether capitalism actually works. Neither do of course.

However those countries with capitalist economies and strong socialist leanings are the ideal we should all aspire to. Norway, Finland and Canada come to mind. 

On the other hand, we can see what a mess a country can be in when they embrace capitalism as their main form or economic and social governance (US). Not to mention what happens to those countries when capitalism fails their leaders.

[**meep**]

Socialism does not equal regulation so not sure how to answer that....

You can have a society full of regulations and it doesn't equal socialism

You can have a  commune  with no regulations, that would be communism - what one may consider as the purest form of socialism.

have to run now, be back later, if the thread is still open lol

[the_great_she_elephant]

It seems to me a bit pointless to argue for or against Socialism without having a very clear idea of what it is and what it isn not.

I think you hit the nail on the head, Martini. Those countries with capitalist economies and strong socialist leanings are the ideal we should all aspire to.

[freakiness]

---

@**meep** wrote:

Socialism does not equal regulation so not sure how to answer that....

You can have a society full of regulations and it doesn't equal socialism

You can have a  commune  with no regulations, that would be communism - what one may consider as the purest form of socialism.

have to run now, be back later, if the thread is still open lol

---

I don't think Margo said anything about extreme purist socialism either, quite sure she didn't.  She said socialist, from her perspective.

[the_great_she_elephant]

Should people that work hard and make something of their lives simply share it with others who dont?  As is the socialist way.

 Should those too young, too old or toos sick to work be left to starve by those who are able to work?

Should companies and business share all their profit with their workers, again as is the socialist way... 

should companies be entitled to make huge profits on the back of a poorly paid workforce, as is the Capitalist way?

Should someone who starts a business and works long hours and works hard just hand over their efforts to their staff under the banner of socialism?

Should workers toiling 12 hours a day in a sweatshop see almost all the fruit of their labours syphoned off into profits for the owner under the banner of Capitalism

Does socialism work?  

Does Capitalism work?

Both sets of answers allude to absurd extremes and have equal relevance - or lack thereof  - to the discussion.

[silverfaun]

Equating democracy with a little bit of socialism is like saying someone is just a little bit pregnant.

 But democracy with a strong ideal of social justice is my preference. Socialism without democracy is anathema to most thinking people and pure socialism is on the wrong side of history. 

[the_great_she_elephant]

Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.

It is the system under which the community agrees, by majority vote, on the way in which it wishes to be  regulated. Of itsef,l it has nothing to do with either economics or social justice.

A Democratic system, which embracesa a regulated form of Capitalism while at the same time espousing  the principles of social justice, would seem to me to be an ideal system and since the concept of social justice embraces several of the principles of Sociialism it would seem to be a workable compromise between the two extremes.