Big Problem For The Right: 'Socialism' Is No Longer A Bad Word. You Must Now Explain

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PoliTalker

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There was once a time when all you had to do was drop the 'S' word and you've made your case.

It was a powerful word which could be used to shut down any discussion of using our government to help society, using tax money to help the disadvantaged.

It was once thought that we had to choose between socialism and capitalism.

And there used to be a myth that: 'Once socialism begins, it will not stop until it destroys capitalism and the next thing you know the government controls everything and we turn into a communist nation where there is no freedom.'

That myth is still out there in the conservative world, but it has no power any more because liberals don't believe it any more. We are done falling for that.

We know better now.

We can see that many industrialized nations have a lot of socialism and they still have capitalism and freedom. They live longer with their universal health care systems, and they would NEVER want their health care system to be like the USA.

And we have used elements of socialism in the USA for a long time with good results. Social Security is so popular because it has transformed retirement in the USA and given dignity to the elderly. We honor our elders by taking care of them.

PoliTalker anti-troll thread thief disclaimer: If this thread is stolen, plagiarized, will the thief have the nerve to use the entire OP, word for word? Including this disclaimer? If you want my take on it, you'll have to post to this original PoliTalker thread. I refuse to be an enabler for online bullies, so I won't post to a stolen thread. I won't even read it. If you don't see me, PoliTalker, posting in this thread check the author. This might be a hijacked thread, not the original.

The days when people were afraid to favor socialism as a solution to common needs are over.

'Socialism' is no longer a bad word.

It is seen in a whole different light.

Bernie changed the landscape.

Now, conservatives will have to explain WHY they think socialism won't work.

Simply saying something is 'socialism' won't work any more.

Times have changed.

Bernie changed that. Thank you Bernie! You have changed the political landscape.
 
They are desperately trying to make it a bad word again, trying to tie it to the situation the US created in Venezuela.
 
Cuba’s Lessons after 55 Years of Socialism https://panampost.com/carlos-sabino/2014/01/10/lessons-55-years-socialism/?cn-reloaded=1

Cuban revolution and its 55-year anniversary. Cuba is a living example of how socialism hasn’t kept its promises; rather, it has achieved the exact opposite of what it previously offered. Let’s analyze this in Cuba’s case.

Even though there was a democratic euphoria at first, it only lasted a few weeks. The result was what we see today, 55 years of dictatorship, first led by Fidel Castro and then — due to his weakened health — by his brother Raúl. This regime couldn’t be further from democracy, similar to North Korea, and could even qualify as an absolute hereditary monarchy, similar to colonial times.

For half a century, Cuba’s government denied its citizens the right to leave the country, banned all political parties and groups, and denied all press freedoms. Cuba’s government also brutally harassed any kind of anti-government protest and filled prisons with political prisoners.

Some would say these are inevitable downsides of a revolution that had to confront United States’ imperialism and maintain a small country’s dignity. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s easy to remind these dreamers that Cuba has lived four decades as the Soviet Union’s colonial satellite, and it has survived only through other nations’ charitable handouts, currently from the generous oil-producing Venezuela.

The regime, however, continues to argue that the United States’ blockade has impeded Cuba’s economic growth. But there hasn’t been any blockade, only an embargo or prohibition to trade, established by the North American country and followed by a few others. Nothing has stopped Cuba from trading with the rest of the world, and they’ve had plenty of time to adjust.

This is the sad reality of a socialism that exemplifies the biggest ideological fraud of modern times. These are the facts, the hard facts, that those who still advocate policies that only lead to oppression, misery, and inequalities should keep in mind.
 
Hello Robo,

Robo said:
Cuba’s Lessons after 55 Years of Socialism https://panampost.com/carlos-sabino/2014/01/10/lessons-55-years-socialism/?cn-reloaded=1

Cuban revolution and its 55-year anniversary. Cuba is a living example of how socialism hasn’t kept its promises; rather, it has achieved the exact opposite of what it previously offered. Let’s analyze this in Cuba’s case.

Even though there was a democratic euphoria at first, it only lasted a few weeks. The result was what we see today, 55 years of dictatorship, first led by Fidel Castro and then — due to his weakened health — by his brother Raúl. This regime couldn’t be further from democracy, similar to North Korea, and could even qualify as an absolute hereditary monarchy, similar to colonial times.

For half a century, Cuba’s government denied its citizens the right to leave the country, banned all political parties and groups, and denied all press freedoms. Cuba’s government also brutally harassed any kind of anti-government protest and filled prisons with political prisoners.
Click to expand...

That's communism. Socialism doesn't do that.

Robo said:
Some would say these are inevitable downsides of a revolution that had to confront United States’ imperialism and maintain a small country’s dignity. This couldn’t be further from the truth. It’s easy to remind these dreamers that Cuba has lived four decades as the Soviet Union’s colonial satellite, and it has survived only through other nations’ charitable handouts, currently from the generous oil-producing Venezuela.
Click to expand...

I think the aid is going the other way.

The regime, however, continues to argue that the United States’ blockade has impeded Cuba’s economic growth. But there hasn’t been any blockade, only an embargo or prohibition to trade, established by the North American country and followed by a few others. Nothing has stopped Cuba from trading with the rest of the world, and they’ve had plenty of time to adjust.[/QUOTE]

Cuba is notorious for providing doctors and medical help to other nations in times of need. Cuba treated some of our 911 heroes after they were refused treatment by the USA.

Robo said:
This is the sad reality of a socialism that exemplifies the biggest ideological fraud of modern times. These are the facts, the hard facts, [opinions, absolute opinions] that those who still advocate policies that only lead to oppression, misery, and inequalities should keep in mind.
Click to expand...

I think you are mixing up socialism with communism.

And besides. You seem to be under the incorrect impression that we have to choose between capitalism and socialism. We don't. We can have the best of both while minimizing the worst of each.

Capitalism, if left unchecked and unregulated or improperly regulated, would lead to a world where only a few have essentially all the wealth, while the rest are forced to chase after the very few remaining dollars.

Socialism has the goal of producing a populace with all needs covered for every individual.

Capitalism has the goal of producing wealth for current capitalists. Long term implications beyond that are not important to capitalism. Families, babies, the concerns of every day people are not considered. The environment is not considered. Capitalism would happily deplete fisheries and natural resources for personal gain.

It is up to our self-government of we, the people, to properly manage how we blend these two economic systems.

We do not have to choose between capitalism and socialism. We can have the best of both.

Capitalism is not without it's faults.
 
PoliTalker said:
Hello Robo,



That's communism. Socialism doesn't do that.
Click to expand...

Hahaha! Nothing going on like that in Venezuela!!

:rofl:

Socialism may not be the most vile and horrible notion in the history of mankind, like Marxism, but, it continues to demonstrate the penchant for violent dysfunction that is typical of illiberalism, to include progressivism.
 
Cuba has had to survive under America's thumb. We deliberately tried to cripple their economy to make their government fail. The fact they have survived almost 60 years tells you it is workable. We socialize the risks for bankers, corporations and the wealthy. They love it as long as you call it something else.
Cuba has an advanced universal healthcare system. They send doctors around the world to help in emergencies.
When a hurricane hits, they have an advanced evacuation system that saves the people.
 
Nordberg said:
Cuba has had to survive under America's thumb. We deliberately tried to cripple their economy to make their government fail. The fact they have survived almost 60 years tells you it is workable. We socialize the risks for bankers, corporations and the wealthy. They love it as long as you call it something else.
Cuba has an advanced universal healthcare system. They send doctors around the world to help in emergencies.
When a hurricane hits, they have an advanced evacuation system that saves the people.
Click to expand...

Cuba cripples its own economy by forcibly telling its people that they may not engage in free enterprise.
 
Nordberg said:
Cuba has had to survive under America's thumb. We deliberately tried to cripple their economy to make their government fail. The fact they have survived almost 60 years tells you it is workable. We socialize the risks for bankers, corporations and the wealthy. They love it as long as you call it something else.
Cuba has an advanced universal healthcare system. They send doctors around the world to help in emergencies.
When a hurricane hits, they have an advanced evacuation system that saves the people.
Click to expand...

I have to wonder why American busy bodies have to get so exercised about other forms of government in other countries whether they are monarchies, constitutional monarchies, democratic socialists, socialists or communists....
 
kudzu said:
I have to wonder why American busy bodies have to get so exercised about other forms of government in other countries whether they are monarchies, constitutional monarchies, democratic socialists, socialists or communists....
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Uh, well, Marxist states butcher their people, and also deny religious liberty, which is the next most obnoxious facet. Not too many people are willing to look the other way when it comes to Marxism.
 
kudzu said:
Who are currently marxists?
Click to expand...

NK, Cuba, and China. Also, a few dumbasses who didn't realize that the 1991 end to the Cold War meant that they were supposed to put their retarded ideology into the cupboard and leave it there indefinitely (like Nazism after WWII).
 
Jarod said:
They are desperately trying to make it a bad word again, trying to tie it to the situation the US created in Venezuela.
Click to expand...

It basically comes down to this: Conservatives invested entire political careers and message board careers hollering that western Europe and Scandinavia are socialist.

This is the year 2019, and millennials are pretty much aware that Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, France, Netherlands, Finland, Iceland are pretty decent places to live, and very civilized by world standards.

Leading Republicans Call Western Europe "Socialist"

Newt Gingrich has constantly accused the president of being a "European Socialist", often adding in a reference to an all-but-forgotten community activist from Chicago, who died in 1972, but whose Democratic-leaning writings are thought to have influenced the current president

"I am for the Declaration of Independence; he is for the writing of Saul Alinsky. I am for the Constitution; he is for European socialism," Mr Gingrich told voters in Florida last week.

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16583813

Leading Republicans Refer to Western Europe as "Socialists"

....(and let's not forget, rightwing message boarders have spent years calling western Europe "socialist")......

Lately it seems that not a day goes by without a Republican presidential candidate portraying Europe as a socialist nightmare. Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum paint a picture of the Old World as unfree, strangulated by bureaucratic and inefficient welfare systems, and unable to reform and modernize. To these Republicans, Europe seems to be the antipode to everything America is meant to be.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...=.310f3f267a8a
Click to expand...
 
Hello Howard,

Howard the Duck said:
Socialism may not be the most vile and horrible notion in the history of mankind, like Marxism, but, it continues to demonstrate the penchant for violent dysfunction that is typical of illiberalism, to include progressivism.
Click to expand...

Well there's your problem if you don't see any difference in socialism and liberalism; and you think they are violent.
 
PoliTalker said:
Hello Howard,



Well there's your problem if you don't see any difference in socialism and liberalism; and you think they are violent.
Click to expand...

Learn to read. I conflated, correctly, illiberalism with socialism (which it is). Progressivism and socialism are both illiberal, as are monarchy, Marxism, and fascism.
 
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