Explaining Socialism To A Republican

[poet]

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2012/12/11/explaining-socialism-to-a-republican/


So next time you hear the word “socialism” and “spreading the wealth” in the same breath, understand that this is a serious misconception.

Social programs require tax money and your taxes may be higher. But as you can see everyone benefits because other costs go down and, in the long run, you get to keep more of your hard earned cash!

Democratic Socialism does NOT mean taking from the rich and giving to the poor. It works to benefit everyone so the rich can no longer take advantage of the poor and middle class.


Hello?

 

[iolo]

Socialism actually means political control by the vast majority who do all the work instead of the work-shy capitalist dictatorship of a tiny minority. Since the latter control the Noise Machine, no-one is allowed to think, especially, after Senator McCarthy, Americans.

 

[Crashk]

You'd have more success explaining Democratic Socialism to a box of rocks than wasting your time with the idiot righties around here.

 

[I'm Watermark]

Funny. All this posturing about understanding democratic socialism, and your article gets it wrong.

What you're describing is social democracy. Democratic socialism is that, but being socialism, it has a focus on who owns production. The DemSocs generally think it should be split between a democratic state and a system of worker co-ops.

Of all the socialist schools, its one of the more ambiguous. But it's still socialism. And with socialism, worker ownership (whiter directly, or through a state) is always the core bit.

 

[I'm Watermark]

Redistribution of wealth isn't about money. It isn't about social programs. It's about the ability to generate wealth.

 

[Boris The Animal]

Any way you slice it, it's about more government control over the lives of everyone. Conservatism is all about individual autonomy and freedom.

 

[I'm Watermark]

Any way you slice it, it's about more government control over the lives of everyone. Conservatism is all about individual autonomy and freedom.

Not at all. There are folks like me who completely oppose government - whiter talking about market socialists, left Marxists, or anarchist communists, socialism has strong roots in anti-government ideology. A lot more than coservatives do.

Conservatism throughout history has just meant the maintenence of existing structure of power and traditions. The Russian conservatives are probably the best to point to. They were hugely in support of the Tsars, their brutal authoritarianism and all. Or, at the height of British industrial development, when conditions were working so brutal and disgusting, that a modern factory would have seemed utopian, it was the conservatives who stood in support.

It's very much like that today - with a conservative movement in support of quasi-fascistic social policy, increased militarism, and policies to increase the authority a capitalist carries over workers.