For those who dont know what socialism is...

[crimsonshrouds]

I've seen quite a few forums that talk about socialism but very few people know what it is and dont know why people fear it.

Here are the definitions to socialism provided by merriam-webster.com

1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

I hate socialism because it gives the government to much power and obama's idea of a government run health care is a huge step into socialism. He pretty much argues that the government should run the healthcare to make it "better" and then the arguement could be made for anything else the government wants to control.

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."

 

[infinisynth]

Thank you, good post.

 

[APPCRASH]

Oh, Sweet Jesus. Not this AGAIN! Listen kid, we don't care what your high school text book says about Socialism. This thread has been done so many times that people just don't care enough to fight you here.

You win. Game over. Let's all move on.

 

[Jedoro]

Admittedly, health care is going down the drain right now, but I do agree that the government doesn't need to run everything. I'd either keep a gun around, in case they personally tried fucking me over, or run off and start Project Mayhem.

 

[Dauntlessidiot]

hehe, america is turning into the UK!

Good luck with socialism (Terrible, isn't it) mate, hope Obama handles it better than gordon brown

 

[ProfessorLayton]

What's the point of this thread? To inform? I'm pretty sure we're all reasonably intelligent people around here, so we all know what socialism is. Some socialized things are better, such as health care. While socializing the entire government is a bad thing, I would rather have socialized health care and slightly raised taxes than having hospitals refuse service to people because they aren't covered. If you refuse service, you deserve to be fired for going back on your word since you are technically causing harm to the patient (in many cases, people who are refused service die shortly afterward). Crap crap crap I just made a small rant about socialized health care... sorry...

Well I don't really see the point in this thread. Sorry for almost derailing it.

 

[infinisynth]

It's happening and there is nothing we the people can do about it.

 

[Skeleon]

No, Obama is not going for that.
Obama is going for a slightly more social approach to democracy.
If you look at Europe, you'll see that Obama's take is pretty much centrist.

However, while I don't agree with you on your conclusion based on the definition, the definition itself might come in useful, so thanks for that.

 

[Internet Kraken]

Why are all the health care and socialist threads being made again? I was enjoying the absence of these threads.

 

[Voodoomancer]

This is a case of "making mountains out of molehills".

 

[teh_gunslinger]

I would probably recommend reading a bit more on socialism than a 6 line dictionary definition.

Besides:

3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done.

How is that terrible? Or are you seriously arguing that Obama is a communist and trying to get to the end goal?

Government run health care is hardly a huge step towards anything other than better coverage of people unable to afford insurance. Not really a devious plot to anything.

If you're really concerned about the government having too much power you should look into the Patriot Act and the whole homeland security fiasco.

 

[Arkhangelsk]

Why are all the health care and socialist threads being made again? I was enjoying the absence of these threads.

Seems that there's a lack of original thinking, so recycling is getting popular. And people can't seem to let go of politics and religion threads.

 

[arc101]

I hate socialism because it gives the government to much power and obama's idea of a government run health care is a huge step into socialism.

Ummmm... no. Britain is run by a socialist government, however, the NHS was introduced in 1948 by Aveurin Bevan, a labour politician, and has been a success, and also, it has lasted throughout around 30 years of right wing governments too, so if you think a nationalized health service makes you socialist you are mistaken, if anything, the majority of britian are just right of centre, and the left are regarded as failures at the moment.

What Obama is doing is trying to get America to be better, and also, if you think that only the rich have the right to good health care, like you have at the moment, you are denying people the right to live and be seen by a doctor, the hypocritical oath was established so the poor and rich will be helped together and in the order of urgency, not by money.

 

[ReincarnatedFTP]

Socialism!=Communism
Socialism works in certain areas.
Interstate highway
NASA
The beginnings of the internet.
Social Security
Medicaid
The VA (Walter Reed isn't normal)
All socialism in America.

America is a very far right nation so let's clarify this.

Dennis Kucinich is the only left winger currently holding federal office in America.
The Democrats are RELATIVELY conservative for the most part, they range into moderate ideas.At least for now.
The Republicans are an insanity ward on their way to Nazi Party USA.

Healthcare
Liberal Position:Single Payer
Moderate Positionublic Option
Conservative Positionon't change anything ("Let them eat cake") or very little (Tort Reform,Trial Lawyer reform)

EDIT:A worldview that centers around fanatical opposition to anything labeled 'Communist', with undercurrents of racial hatred and intense nationalism. It is, precept for precept, identical to the basis of the early Nazi party.

 

[Skeleon]

...hypocritical oath...

While I fully agree with the rest of your post, this part made me laugh out loud.

 

[Zorg Machine]

Sweden has socialism and yet we are awesome. besides free healthcare=win. that is all I have too say.

 

[arc101]

...hypocritical oath...

While I fully agree with the rest of your post, this part made me laugh out loud.

yeah, i did know as i posted it that it is not called that, but i forgot the proper name... oh well... its now serious with funny stuff too

 

[Drazier]

If you think about it, if he starts having the government run health care whats next? The US is a market economy meaning the government doesn't own bussinesses people do. America really screwed up when the put Obama in the oval office. Get this, he wants to outlaw large cars like SUVs and shit to save gas. In my family there are six of us, and we can't all fit in one compact car and we sure as hell aren't going to drive two, because that would use more gas. He wants to put meters in homes that control amount of energy used...Communist much? And off-topic, he said their were 56 states. Good lord man even if that was a mistake how the hell do you mess up how many states are in the greatest country on earth that you happen to have lived in all your life and want to RUN. And republicans aren't Nazis. We're just smarter. It's like a school yard bully thing, your making up lies about us since we're smarter than you and you don't want anyone to know that.

 

[Strategia]

I hate socialism because it gives the government to much power and obama's idea of a government run health care is a huge step into socialism. He pretty much argues that the government should run the healthcare to make it "better" and then the arguement could be made for anything else the government wants to control.

Here in Europe, there's plenty of quality, government run health care, AND more expensive, sometimes even higher quality private health care. One doesn't preclude the other. And "socialism" isn't one giant monolithic entity that only cares about power (à la 1984). There are many subtypes of socialism, so many that the general moniker has become somewhat obsolete because it can be spread so thin that EVERY country in the world is "socialist" to some degree.

"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to take everything you have."

The military is the only branch of society that has modern military combat jets and heavy weaponry, so theoretically they could suppress all dissension and enforce the iron will of the government. THEORETICALLY. Just like your quote is THEORETICALLY true. Yet if we were to follow it, governments would eventually become impotent, and society would fall apart entirely.