Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
umm, ok, guess I'm going by the actual definition of a socialized economy, where the government owns most utilities, maintains control of the health system and keeps artificial price controls on things, like they do in Mexico...
The government owning utilities and controlling the health system has only a small impact on the economy (and actually, socialized medicine or insurance helps eleviate medical costs for corporations, but that's a different story).
The United States ALSO has price controls... on food through crop subsidies, on utilities.... doesn't make the US "socialist"!
Quote:
Originally Posted by rd2007
you guys are confusing the corruption and drug trafficking (which BTW is the epitomy of capitalism) with something the actual government, which isn't hard to do in a corrupt, drug infested place like Mexico...
Then it's obvious that Mexico's problems have less to do with its "socialism" than with its corruption and drug trafficking.
What did the original post have to do with socialism? The philosophy of the kindergarten teacher described therein was--at first glance--ignorant and would occur regardless of the economy outside.
The kindergarten teacher is the first teacher a child will encounter. Naturally, she'd want to establish some kind of consensus so her job isn't so difficult. It makes it easier for children to then climb the ladder into subsequent grades. A child reading at 3 has no need for kindergarten and should enter at a higher grade level. But for the vast majority of children entering school, it probably makes sense to establish a consensus level and work from there with superior learners being placed higher. This thread should be about our educational system and how it forces the gifted towards mediocrity, an attribute that I don't associate with any economic philosophy.
This carte blanch rejection of socialism is based on simplistic thinking. Some corners of our economy fit the label while others are quite the opposite. Rejecting a philosophy that believes that wealth and opportunity should be shared is precisely why we live in our dog-eat-dog world. A hybrid economy incorporating meaningful incentives and community property is an ideal worth striving for...and it wouldn't have multi-generational welfare mothers OR fat cat corporate welfare (you can't complain about one and forget about the other).
Don't conflate gulag enforced, totalitarian Communism of North Korea and the USSR with Democratic socialism as it exists in Europe, etc.
"Mexico" is hardly an example of a "socialist" country, and indeed, much of Central and South America is an example of what you get in radical CAPITALISM: where pockets of prosperity and gated estates rule over masses and hordes of poor, dying, and diseased.
You want to make a better comparison? Compare the conditions overall in terms of standard of living in Canada, Sweden, etc. I have news for you, the United States hasn't ruled the "standard of living" chart for quite some time now!
There's one problem:
Sweden does not have large urban ghettos of African-Americans suffering under the effects of centuries of poverty and racism, and the severe pathologies suffered as such.
Sweden does not gain 1 million impoverished new third-world citizens every year who often join native poor in those same festering ghettos. Nevermind the birth rate from said inhabiatants.
Sweden does not border a drug smuggling country where millions of kilos of hard drugs smuggle across, only to be sold on the streets and add to the violence that mars poor communites.
Sweden does not have the rampant access to firearms, and idiots like the NRA who block even the most reasonable of background checks.
Sweden simply does not have 50 states, 3,000 counites and millions of towns that add up to the overwhelming and mismanaged beurocracy that is the US Government
Sweden does not have the land mass and infastucture to maintain. Also, most of "Europe" was turned into a smoldering crater by Mr Hitler, and as a result, America basically built Western Europe for them, so their stuff is newer.
Sweden does not have the military obligations that being a major economic/political power has. Even if you take Bush's horrific foriegn policy out of the equation, we still have many allies to protect and interest to defend. Nevermind how we we're attacked on 9/11.
That's only a start
Comparaing Sweden and the US is like comparing the needs of Huckabee, Kansas to New York City. What works in a country of 8 million almost exclusilvley Blonde-hair blue eyed middle class and what works in a nation of 300 million people who hail from every country on earth and often range from destitue to Billionaries will obviosly be dramatically different.
/\ However, that isn't to say socialism isn't a good idea. I just don't think we can blindly take Swedish models and simply slap them on America. It takes more thinking than that.
/\ However, that isn't to say socialism isn't a good idea. I just don't think we can blindly take Swedish models and simply slap them on America. It takes more thinking than that.
Of course not. I was just trying to clarify that the best example of "socialism" isn't "Mexico!" I am always cognizant of the fact that US has waaay more problems than any European nation because of its size, history, and demographics.
But we must remember, the US at one point DID rule the overall standard of living game, back when African Americans were a LOT MORE impoverished and marginalized than today.
The stock market isn't a federally mandated program. I can choose whether or not I want to participate in it. I can't tell the government, "Don't tax my paycheck and give the money to people on welfare, I'd like to keep it for myself," can I? I guess I could, but we both know it wouldn't do any good.
Just come back to this thread and thought how much has happened on the stock market recently.
The government(US) has baled out the market to save confidence, with what have they done this?
Did we have a choice?
Whoa, rd2007, there is still a university in this country which sings the praises of capitalism??!! Where dat? In Texas? What a great state, now if we can just get rid of the sanctuary cities here....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
