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Socialism works in Europe because they have a small highly educated/skilled homogeneous population. Wealth is more evenly distributed and you don't have the richest 1% paying all the taxes.
There are 50 +/- nations in Europe. No two countries operate or tax the same. Some impose a wealth tax in addition to earned income and capital gains.
Some of the most wealthy in some European nations favor a wealth tax:
In the early 1950s, the top U.S. federal income tax rate was about 90%. In 1980, the top marginal rate was 70 percent for families making more than $215,400 — about $587,000 in current dollars. And these families pocketed a much smaller share of the nation’s income than they do now. Today, people earning over $200,000 a year capture more than a third of national income.
I have long thought that our interstate highway system is socialistic. Just think about it; anybody can ride on it whether they pay are not. My mother-in-law road the roads for years with one or the other of her children and never bought a gallon of gas nor paid any road taxes. None of us minded, because granny took care of our children, cooked some great meals and in general made us feel like a real family.
Don't remember anyone bringing up the subject of it being socialism but it kinda was.
Somebody had to pay the taxes to maintain the roads and put gas in the car. If you chose to do that for her, that is not akin to socialism. That is gov't collecting taxes for infrastructure.
Schools are socialist, in that they aren't my kids, why should I have to pay to educate them? That should be left up to their parents. If they want to pay for a schoolhouse and a teacher, fine.
Sounds like the third world where only the wealthy have the opportunity to attend school.
Somebody had to pay the taxes to maintain the
roads and put gas in the car. If you chose to do that for her, that is not akin
to socialism. That is gov't collecting taxes for infrastructure.
Schools
are socialist, in that they aren't my kids, why should I have to pay to educate
them? That should be left up to their parents. If they want to pay for a
schoolhouse and a teacher, fine.
A well-educated populace is in the best interests of a country. I'm sorry you can't see past your nose and look at the big picture.
Anyway, I am not here to defend or promote the USSR and its implementation of socialism, not at all. I would not have liked to live in the USSR.
I am interested in a new system, that is neither the socialism nor the capitalism we have seen so far as I consider both very problematic.
USSR wasn't socialist, it was state capitalist, the means of production were not owned by the workers it was owned by the state that privatized the profits for use of the state and utilized a capitalistic mode of production.
Quote:
Originally Posted by middle-aged mom
I was not aware most Americans were anti socialism.
The U.S. was in debt at the time the Constitution was written. The Constitution empowered Congress to lay and collect taxes, duties, imports and excises to pay debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.
Most people:
Educated in public schools,
Use electricity,
Drink and bathe in clean water,
Eat,
Use public roads and bridges
Rely on Police, Fire Fighters and First Responders,
Follow laws enacted for the greater good,
Absorb the cost of theft and fraud,
Transfer personal and commercial liability risks
Transfer the risk of healthcare costs
None of that is socialism, socialism is the social ownership of the means of production, taxes, publicly funded services, laws, none of these are inherently socialist.
Quote:
Originally Posted by icicles
Socialism breeds poverty. Anyone who thinks otherwise either is illogical or looks at history incorrectly.
No, capitalism breeds poverty, just look at the capitalist world we live in
People who do work for the greater good are going to be paid for their work, socialism isn't about slavery.
The problem of course is who defines whats best for the greater good? Some would say Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, both contribe a lot to society, thus they are paid for it..
It works without socialism as well.. you'd never guess that though from reading your "one for all" postings that make me want to puke.
I'm not lazy I'm just abusing your Marxist system. That's what they did in the old Soviet Union. Their efficiency sucked comparing to the capitalist West.
We have tons of people in our society that abuse the system.. Its caused the government to ring up tens of trillions of dollars in debt, and about $100T in unfunded liabilities..
How people cant see that it doesnt work in the long haul is astounding. History repeats itself, and we dont seem to learn much from history.
GOVERNMENT is creating poverty in our nation, but subsidizing poor living conditions and encouraging broken families and lack of work.
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