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Define Socialism... IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

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posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:03 AM
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Well this OP is going to be short as it's asking YOU what you think socialism is. Not a textbook definition. Not what Google says. Not what you think other any countries political leanings are. I see socialism posted on the board and many are like...



So I'm asking...what is socialism to you and why this reaction?
edit on 3-7-2018 by intrepid because: Attempting to avoid partisan BS.


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posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:08 AM
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A belief the state is always the best tool to solve problems.

History teaches otherwise.


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posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:14 AM
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a reply to: intrepid

Socialism is an unnecessary infringement on individual rights.


For example, socialized medicine.

As a smoker, under a socialized medicine program, the burden would fall on others to pay for any medical repercussions caused by my terrible habit. It would be an infringement on their individual rights caused by my actions.

Conversely, my individual rights to smoke would be infringed upon if the state dictated that my smoking placed an unnecessary financial burden on others.

So it's a state-sponsored and approved infringement of individual rights.

Smoking is just one example.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:15 AM
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Govt taxing the general population enough to provide govt run necessities to the same general population they just taxed from.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:21 AM
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Isn't there an established definition we could use? This # is getting old. Every band is it's own genre, everyone has their own gender, everyone gets their own definitions. What the #.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:22 AM
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Something that is a symptom of the problem and not the solution to the problem. A lot like Trump and his fan club in that regard.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:24 AM
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originally posted by: sooth
Something that is a symptom of the problem and not the solution to the problem. A lot like Trump and his fan club in that regard.


I guess I left the OP open to this crap when I said "other countries". I should have said "any country". Leave the Trump/Obama BS out of this please.


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posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:25 AM
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a reply to: intrepid

Socialism is the inbred retarded sister of communism and both are the incestial spawn of the mother Marxism and her son Leninism.

Cheers - Dave



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:25 AM
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"Non-market socialism": aims to circumvent the inefficiencies and crises traditionally associated with capital accumulation and the profit system. No taxes, no income, no profits. Think Enterprise-style.

...
Dear god, the long, long article on wikipedia Source has about NONE mentions of taxes. Why is this such a big topic on this board and so often tied to socialism?



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:29 AM
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a reply to: intrepid

The exact opposite of pure capitalism.

Just like every aspect of our lives you need a balance of both.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:32 AM
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a reply to: intrepid

Are we talking reality or fantasy? I know what I see the working reality to be, but I constantly am told that isn't wha it is. So I have constructed a hypothetical version based on those counters and my experiences of the world and humanity tell me it cannot exist which is why we are always told a version of "they didn't have the right people in charge."



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:32 AM
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Its trying to run an entire nation / empire as if its a tiny village, and expecting it to work. Based on some appeal to a groupthink mindset, which uses human nature to achieve its ends, yet stands self-deluded to human nature in that for it to work everyone has to agree to it and live by it, when they will not. Thus requiring a command & control schema to operate, where the more pure ("total") it attempts to run the more authoritarian it must become. In the end it ends up being a typical hierarchy, with a likewise ruling class, albiet a slightly different 'style' of ruling class.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:34 AM
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a reply to: intrepid

People consciously understanding that some problems and needs are societal. That as much as we claim to be individuals we are nothing without the society we live in. Since any prosperity involves society and that many needs are shared it makes sense for everyone to share in the expences. - End of definition.

The police or firefighters for example. If a social construct does not pay for the programs there would be no organized programs.

It is impossible to have a functioning society without any form of socialism. The question then becomes how much socialism. The actual definition of socialism covers s broad array of ideologies that are not mutually exclusive to one another.

It is not necessary to impose government owned property for everyone. A free-market seems more fair and in line with one's achievements. It is an incentive to do better.

At the same time I would argue that we need a social housing program to take care of those who are unable for whatever reason to take care of themselves. I don't believe alowing people to be homeless which has a negative impact on society as a whole is effective or humane.

I don't believe the nature of socialism dictates that we need to have some facist authority telling everyone what to do. But I think a flaw in human nature causes an elitist class to rise to the top. At which point the elitist decide that they should be in control of others. It is elitism and not socialism that gives rise to communism or fascism and is sold by the elitist to the people under the guise of socialism.

Socialism gets blamed for creating problems that it does not create. There is no ism that changes human nature. Which is why we need laws in place that prevent socialism from ever becoming fascism or communism due to the whims of an elitist class.

edit on 3-7-2018 by Isurrender73 because: (no reason given)



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:35 AM
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With socialism the government owns everything, dictates what job everyone will have regardless if the worker likes it or not. The government dictates what is produced. Workers earn wages to spend as they like but usually make only enough to survive and get to work everyday. It is a very unproductive environment because there is no motivation to do the work efficiently.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:37 AM
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At it’s core, socialism is wealth redistribution, taking funds from those that earned it to distribute to those that didn’t.

Socialism is also accepting the citizens of other countries and feeding/clothing/housing them indefinitely, though they’ve contributed nothing to their cause.

We could argue that social security is socialism and in some cases it is; many, however, paid into it, just like investing in a 401k, throughout their lifetime, earning the pittance they receive on the backside. That is not the case for the scum scamming the system claiming disability social security.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:38 AM
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a reply to: ManFromEurope

The problem is that even without money, some will just plain work more and harder than others. They will *have* where others won't in capitalistic terms, this is accumulation of capital. The only reason Star Trek got away with it is because they created unlimited wealth in the matter replicator. I see that coming to the local iStore anytime soon.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:46 AM
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originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: ManFromEurope

The problem is that even without money, some will just plain work more and harder than others. They will *have* where others won't in capitalistic terms, this is accumulation of capital. The only reason Star Trek got away with it is because they created unlimited wealth in the matter replicator. I see that coming to the local iStore anytime soon.


Even Star Trek was forced to bring back money eventually. First it was just the Ferengi. Then by Deep Space Nine everyone was using money again, including the humans. They never explained where they were earning it from, they just had it.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:46 AM
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a reply to: Lab4Us

If there wasn't an essence of socialism in the US in the form of government regulations, workers would be discarded like garbage after use with no benefits, left to either die in the streets or hope that something comes along to rescue them.

People do abuse the system but there is little that can be done. Any enforcement will be countered by fraudsters. Many programs are abused so much that people have no incentive to work because it would decrease their living standard.



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:48 AM
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a reply to: face23785

Didn't they say at some point that they had to ration the replicators or something to keep people from going hog wild?



posted on Jul, 3 2018 @ 09:49 AM
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a reply to: face23785

They just fired up the replicator and produced a few million gold Tringees.



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