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Oh, and if case you haven't guessed by now, I am a supporter of socialism. But I have been for the past 35 years, so I guess that was before the 99er times.
Oh man. That's depressing. I was hoping you were just so young that you couldn't remember all the mosterous things that have been done in the name of socialism over the last many decades. You are old enough that you should know better.
Whether its National Socialism like the Nazis or Class-based socialism like the communists, a socialist economy never works and always leads to a totalitarian government because the underlying priniciple of socialism is that the government knows how to spend your money better than you do.
What is wrong with socialism? I hear this word bandied about as if people live in fear of it and it's a bad thing.
So, what is wrong with socialism? I mean, it works for other countries who live peaceful and happy lives. I am not seeing the problem here. IMO, the US could do with some socialism injected.
This nation was built on the individual and what each individual could accomplish on his own merits, talents, skills and education.
It was not based on the collective majority.
Taken on a grand scale, the 2/3rds majority was established.
You made it work, not what everyone told you, you had to do to make it work every now and then.
The individual matters, not the collective majority.
Everyone is different. No one person is the exact same, as God wanted it to be.
And those economies have been built on the U.S. dime. First, we re-built western Europe after WWII. Without that they would all be at the level of the Soviet eastern satellites. Secondly, because we provided the security umbrella for the continent, they were able to spend their money on butter instead of guns. If they had been (and currently were) required to pay for their own defense their economies would look a lot different. Actually, they might all be speaking Russian now.
Sweden Norway and Denmark faced very little infrastructure damage during World War II and need little if any funding from the Marshall Plan after World War II. Second there are no U.S. military bases in any of these countries. The success of these countries is more to strong fiscal management, sound economic policy, and building strong educational and infrastructure systems.
Your arguments are perfectly valid for countries like France, Germany, Italy, and other countries in Europe. It's ironic that the countries got the most U.S. Aid and military protection after World War II are doing the worse now economically.
Wow, look at all those socialist countries happier than the US!
As to sustainability, you don't sort of see the crumbling of the US as world superpower, under capitalism? The countries in the mentioned list have been around a LOT longer than the US.
Happy is so subjective, whereas statistics and facts, like deficits, debt, UE, CoL, those kinds of things are evidence your premise is faulty, defective and wrong.
WHAT about ALL those quasi-socialist/socialist states that ARE FAILING?
I've never been to Sweden, Norway or Denmark - I'm sure they're all very nice places. I'm not 100% versed on their forms of government either .... BUT ....
They also have very very very low populations and geographic size. Sweeden has about 9 mil people. Norway has 4 mil people. Denmark, 5.5 mil people.
To put that in perspective, Los Angeles county has upwards of 10 million people.
These countries are also not very diverse.
Put small, like minded population together? I'm sure some form of socialism would work fine.
In a country like ours? With the population, land mass and diversity we have? Nope.
Look around you. The current state of our economy is a result of the social programs our government has been running for decades.
Here's you socialism at work. Enjoy.
What is wrong with socialism? I hear this word bandied about as if people live in fear of it and it's a bad thing.
So, what is wrong with socialism? I mean, it works for other countries who live peaceful and happy lives. I am not seeing the problem here. IMO, the US could do with some socialism injected.
We already have a huge amount of "socialism injected." And it grows every year.
As to sustainability, you don't sort of see the crumbling of the US as world superpower, under capitalism? The countries in the mentioned list have been around a LOT longer than the US.
We are much more socialist than capitalist. And that is why we are in decline.
Government spending as a percent of GDP has risen from about 7% to almost 45% in the past century.
So to call us a capitalist country and blame our problems on capitalism is totally wrong.
Well, maybe people should change and not be so driven to look out (only) for themselves.
If you don't want to be driven to look for yourself don't be.
You sound like a typical liberal person who's only generous with other people's money.
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