Hungry Citizens of Socialist State Raid Stores for Bread

Do we really have to do this comparison again?

America is not just capitalist. Do I need to list all the social programs?

Venezuela is not just socialist. They have a dictator ruling the country.

a reply to: xuenchen

'Democratic' Socialism is just Socialism repackaged so it can be separated from the endless documented failures. The last thing I want is the U.S. to be more like Europe. This country was founded by people who wanted to get away from Europe. We don't want their crap over here.

originally posted by: Bluntone22
Do we really have to do this comparison again?

America is not just capitalist. Do I need to list all the social programs?

Venezuela is not just socialist. They have a dictator ruling the country.

Authoritarianism is required for Socialism to work.

A dictator works just fine.

Oh, and roads and schools don't count as Socialism they are infrastructure.

All of those things were around long before incomes taxes and the entitlement mentality and none of those things require 'wealth redistribution'.

a reply to: IAMTAT

Except USA isn't paying their rent and you didn't provide any proof at all. Perhaps the USA should stop spending so much money turning other countries to rubble and use that to take care of their people.

That of course is a fantasy because the MIC pretty much owns the country.

a reply to: Metallicus


Judging from all the stories from Venezuela it doesn't work to well.
But I don't plan on being a worker bee either.

a reply to: Swills

So you and American Realist above you are falling back on the old "It's not socialism; it's just that we haven't found the right people to run it" argument?

OK, let's grant that. Let's say that everything in Venezuela would have been just hunky-dory awesome-socks fine had they only found the right people to run it. You know what? That seems to be the problem in a lot of centrally planned, total state controlled countries ... all of them in fact.

So I have to ask you, let's assume that we do enact complete central-planning socialism where the state runs everything. Let's further assume that we DO find the "right people" to run it. What happens when those people die? Because you understand that when it happens and you find them, you essentially have the equivalent of all those typing monkey's having randomly produced Shakespeare for you. So anyone you put in place to run the system after those mythical "right ones" will pretty much be crap, and you'll be descending into the Venezuela zone soon enough.

This is the way the Socialist got into power because the old capitalistic economy had the same economic problems they have now. The problem with Venezuela is not the type of the government, it has failed under both, it is corruption. Until that changes they will keep jumping back and forth between socialists and capitalistic economic systems and will make zero difference.

a reply to: ketsuko

I really made no distinction as to whether being Socialist or Capitalist made a difference. It could be a slave system, and it would still fail if the leaders in charge of planning don't bother to plan contingencies for every scenario.

If your primary export makes up 50% of GDP, but is highly subject to volatility, then the wise thing to do is diversify the exposure by storing cash and bullion as well as timing the issuance of your bonds I would think. Of course I have never really planned for a country, and other factors need to be considered. One thing is certain, pinning all your social obligations to the people on your number 1 export alone which is subject to serious volatility does not sound like a sound business decision, and may be tantamount to criminal neglect.

BTW, how is our "Social Security" doing? Last i checked, it wont be around when im ready for it. I wish pensions would make a comeback

a reply to: AmericanRealist

I wish pensions would make a comeback 

I know a few people that thought they had a pension, but it turns out that they don't.

pure propoganda. if this is a shot at bernie, he specifically states he supports democratic socialism, and he points out the evils of a dictatorship

how are things going in the scandinavian states ? norway ?

hey did you hear the part about how norway has a surplus of about a million bucks for every man woman and child in norway saved away for if the oil runs out ?

link

as a US citizen, what does my surplus look like ? must be 10 million, right ?

Communism, socialism, democratic socialism. . . . it's all a matter of degrees.

Once you accept democratic socialism then socialism/communism is the next logical step.

a reply to: xuenchen

As long as man is greedy I really don't think any system will work.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
Communism, socialism, democratic socialism. . . . it's all a matter of degrees.

Once you accept democratic socialism then socialism/communism is the next logical step.

It's all democratic socialism ...



And we will be too.

originally posted by: Metallicus

Authoritarianism is required for Socialism to work.

Apparently it's required for capitalism to work as well, if you consider what we have as "working".

a reply to: Bone75

That's the thing. Captilalism isn't working. When it started it seemed great but as this experiment has continued its leaving millions homeless and starving.

originally posted by: Joecanada11
a reply to: Bone75

That's the thing. Captilalism isn't working. When it started it seemed great but as this experiment has continued its leaving millions homeless and starving.

Capitalism was working, but then someone thought to add some democratic socialism into the mix.

Yay government, right?

a reply to: Joecanada11

Because Greece doesn't have millions homeless and starving???

a reply to: avgguy

Say what ?

two-thirds that of the leading euro-zone economies. Tourism provides 18% of GDP. Immigrants make up nearly one-fifth of the work force, mainly in agricultural and unskilled jobs. Greece is a major beneficiary of EU aid, equal to about 3.3% of annual GDP. The Greek economy averaged growth of about 4% per year between 2003 and 2007, but the economy went into recession in 2009 as a result of the world financial crisis, tightening credit conditions, and Athens' failure to address a growing budget deficit. By 2013 the economy had contracted 26%, compared with the pre-crisis level of 2007. Greece met the EU's Growth and Stability Pact budget deficit criterion of no more than 3% of GDP in 2007-08, but violated it in 2009, with the deficit reaching 15% of GDP

Source

www.indexmundi.com...

Greece isn't a communist society ?

a reply to: DBCowboy

Its not working because the rich just keep siphoning all the money, buying all the business when the economy goes south and have power and control over the government. Not sure what your on about.