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Exactly, because socialism creates nothing (wholly lacking in any incentive to be productive), it can only step in post-wealth-creation and divy up the wealth - usually heavily leaning towards those who stood by and thumb-twidled and away from the those who actually created the wealth.
It is as toxic as cyanide.
Nah. Merely a means of providing certain services required by all where the capitalist model works badly.
The US auto industry for instance would have been vastly better off with a little more socialism.
There are some successful examples of socialism but they aren't applicable (and probably never will be) to the United States for many reasons. The successful socialist states are usually nation-states or sparsely populated countries (in relations to the resources available) that are blessed with natural resources (Norway/Canada/Australia/UAE/Qatar). America has over 300 million people and it imports most of its commodities so that is out of the question. America is also NOT a nation-state so any kind of socialization or centralization of power is going to be met a lot of opposition which means socialism is doomed to fail in the United States.
"I am convinced there is only one way to eliminate the grave evils of capitalism,
namely through the establishment of a socialist economy, accompanied by an
educational system which would be oriented toward social goals. In such
an economy, the means of production are owned by society itself and are utilized
in a planned fashion. A planned economy, which adjusts production
to the needs of the community, would distribute the work to be done among
all those able to work and would guarantee a livelihood to every man, woman,
and child."
Before someone starts screaming Norway & Sweden as "examples" - lets see them have open borders and let millions on non-citizens use their welfare/social systems and see how long they would last!
Yes!
And also let THEM shoulder the burden of the countless foreign wars that the American taxpayer pays for, in order to protect the trade routes and oil supply from the MidEast to all our European allies.
Frankly, our oversized military is enough to bankrupt ANY nation on the planet, trying to police the entire world so OTHER nations can have economic prosperity.
With all this Occupy Wall Street protesting going on, it seems that these people are advocating a more socialist government. But, has socialism ever worked over the long term, to the point that it would be better than capitalist U.S. policy? Can someone give me examples of successful socialist countries that have lasted for the LONG TERM and/or will likely last for the LONG TERM? Should the U.S. envy other socialist countries? Does it really work better as these Occupy Wall Street people believe it would? Honestly, it seems like the Tea Party of the left.
Enlighten me.
Well to not go into the cliche examples of socialist police/fire/water departments, SS/Medicare, roads, streetlights, parks, schools, libraries, etc locally...
Germany is about as close to 21st century socialism as you get, and they have a falling uneployment rate and one of the strongest economies in the world. If they decided to dump the EURO right now the entire continent would likely collapse. It's next to impossible ot immigrate into Germany, legally and illegally. They also have free single payer health care, world class infrastructure and the strongest labor unions in the first world.
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