Has socialism ever been successful? Examples, please? (Canada, solution, ideologies)

[nep321]

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.

[Nomander]

All you will get is "good intentions".

[nicet4]

Originally Posted by nep321

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.

Just because socialism has caused the murder of 100 million people and has never worked throughout history is no reason not to try it again.

[Vinylly]

Originally Posted by nep321

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.

I can name a couple: Cuba has been very sucessful, -for Fidel Castro. China has been very successful, -for the communist party.
If you can make everybody else your slave, you will be very, very, very successful.

[Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus]

Originally Posted by nep321

With all this Occupy Wall Street protesting going on, it seems that these people are advocating a more socialist government.

some of them are socialists. others are anarchists. others are advocating a capitalist government that caters less to existing capital owners. (banks, hedge funds, corporations)

But, has socialism ever worked over the long term, to the point that it would be better than capitalist U.S. policy?

Sure. Millions of Americans have used Medicare and Social Security, which are essentially socialist programs... especially Medicare.

Generally speaking, Americans consider this socialist Medicare program to be better than the market solution of encouraging people to die once they retire.

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?

Denmark is a successful example of a heavily socialist economy. Canada has a successful hybrid socialist-capitalist system, similar to the US.

Should the U.S. envy other socialist countries?

No.

Does it really work better as these Occupy Wall Street people believe it would?

Work better than what? Our current system, like most governments, is a hybrid of many ideologies. We aren't pure, market-driven capitalism.

Enlighten me.

70% of Republicans support Medicare, ergo, 70% of Republicans are socialists. Most of these Republicans would kick and scream at the top of their lungs if you called them a socialist, but that's exactly what they are supporting..

For me, I try to stick to reality. I think Medicare is tolerable, and I'm going to be paying for the boomers' Medicare, and therefore I have made my peace with socialism, and I do not demonize it. I think anyone who uses Medicare and supports "Small Government" or is "anti-socialism" is a huge hypocrite.

I think socialism and capitalism are both extremely useful ideologies, and I do not demonize either of them. I think demonizing socialism comes from the cold war, and from people don't differentiate between socialism and Soviet communism.

[olecapt]

There is no pure socialist country of which I am aware.

There are of course vastly successful countries much more socialist than we...

Scandanavia, Much of Europe, Singapore, Canada...would do for a start.

[Kirdik]

Originally Posted by olecapt

There is no pure socialist country of which I am aware.

There are of course vastly successful countries much more socialist than we...

Scandanavia, Much of Europe, Singapore, Canada...would do for a start.

The amount of socialism they have is comparable to the US. Their socialism feeds on their capitalism the same way it does here.

[psulions2007]

I'm so sick of the "we are capitalists, period" "they are socialists, period" "we=good" "they=bad" uneducated attitude perpetrated by the right in this country.

Educate yourselves. We are not capitalist. We are a mixed market economy. We have more capitalism than socialism in our market for sure, but there are other countries with more socialism that are equally or more successful on a per capita basis.

The goal is to find the perfect balance between the two... not to have one or the other. The world isn't black and white as much as conservatives try to make it out to be.

[olecapt]

Originally Posted by Kirdik

The amount of socialism they have is comparable to the US. Their socialism feeds on their capitalism the same way it does here.

No. Quite untrue. Scandanavia is vastly more socialistic than the US. Schooling, medicine, welfare...you name it.

[Kirdik]

Originally Posted by olecapt

No. Quite untrue. Scandanavia is vastly more socialistic than the US. Schooling, medicine, welfare...you name it.

We have that as well.