what are the pros and cons to socialism?

Question

what are the pros and cons to socialism?

Answer 1

Pros: This is a toughy. Probably the only true pros are what are presented to you in order to entice you to go the socialistic route. What that means is that all the poor people who don't work get a check in the mail, but this must be taken from the rich. Also Security, the country will have a large military power, but the people don't know it will be used on them later after they have sealed their fate by following the socialistic route.
Basically Chile. (Before)

Cons: as I'm sure many people have already said or will say are that people cease to work. The system is flawed because it promotes laziness. This laziness causes the country to fall into a state of stagnation. Bad taxation. No one owns anything.
Basically Cuba. (After)


Middle: This is neither a pro nor con. Everyone is equal. (excluding the leaders of the country) That can be good or bad depending on how you look at it. Everyone is taxed the same. Everyone has the same things (Nothing). Everyone is worth the same exact thing. (Of course I am excluding the Leaders They have everything)

But don't take my word for it. Look on Google to find all the socialistic countries. Each I'm willing to bet is not a nice place to live.

Answer 2

When you write the word socialism, many of us seem to shudder, but we must remember that it is hard to compare old communist countries like Russia or China to other countries with more moderate socialistic governments of today. I choose to talk about communists at the moment, thus being able to see it more black-and-white.

When I visited Russia the first time a couple of years ago I cried, because I could see how people were struggling with their lives.

The idea of communism - that everybody should divide everything evenly - is beautiful, I think. However, human beings do not work that way and we could see that in Russia and China for example. There, the aristocrats were the persons belonging to and having important positions in the communist party, such creating a new class system which was in no ways better than the old one.

To sum it up, my opinion is that the "pros" of the socialism ideas have turned into "cons" in practice, generally speaking.

Answer 3

Socialism and the many, many degrees is a bit complicated. Look up Chile and Michelle Bachelet, the current President. Chavez is not Socialist, although he proclaims to be -he's Communist and everyone else in South America knows it...

This is a list of countries, past and present, that declared themselves socialist either in their names or their constitutions. No other criteria are used; thus, some or all of these countries may not fit any specific definition of socialism. Their only common feature is using the label "socialist" for themselves, under any interpretation. There are few, if any, definitions of socialism that could fit all the countries on this list. However, most definitions of socialism fit at least some of these countries at some points in their histories.

There are many countries that have been ruled by socialist political parties for extended periods of time - most notably Sweden, Norway, and Denmark - without ever adopting socialism as an official ideology in their names or constitutions.

It would seem that a major difference between Communist states and Socialist states is that Communist States include a major military build up.

Answer 4

How does socialism harm the Constitution? you really need to read up on the subject and not just listen to politicians and talk show hosts. We are a Democracy. That's is a political construct. Socialism is an economic construct. People equate socialism with communism but they are two very different things. Communism is a political construct. Capitalism is an economic construct. Get to understand these basic differences. China is a Communist country embracing socialist and capitalist economic systems and we are borrowing from them to keep our country afloat. What do you think of that? Do you know what the basic philosophies of socialism and capitalism are? Capitalism's first published theorist was Adam Smith (18th century). He believed that the market would regulate itself if left alone. Unfortunately he did not forsee the mixing of politics, religion and economics or persuasive advertising or a credit economy such as we have today. His theory was based on everybody being relatively honest and those who weren't would be weeded out. But religion and politics and advertising have successfully corrupted the economic system which is why we need regulation that keeps greed and short sightedness in check. Marx formalized socialism, but it had been around long before him. The idea that the community takes care of its own. More like the Three Musketeers, "One for all and all for one." Or to quote the Bible's question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" A capitalist would say "No!" a socialist would say "Yes!" I believe there is no such thing as a pure system of anything. We pay soldiers to protect the country. Is that socialism? We pay to build highways and railroads. Is that socialism? We pay for public schools. Is that socialism? We pay giant benifits for oil companies. Is that socialism? We pay for clinics for those who have no insurance. Is that socialism? Bailing out banks is that socialsim? Giving aid to Israel and Iraq. Is that socialism? You see, there's no clear cut and dried answer here. Unfortunately, the capitalists who fear socialsim rail against it and get the talk show hosts to do the same. Right now the real definition, not the academic one, of capitalism and socialism is: Giving money to the top is capirtalism and giving money to the middle and/or bottom is socialism. This is crazy. In order to have a sound economic system, you need both. All sections of society need to be fluid. from the bottom to the top. Actually we need to care for the middle and bottom more because the top takes care of itself. If ALL Americans were looking out for each other, we wouldn't need to label our economic system as anything but functioning or not functioning. We'd put wealth where it was needed to keep the country happy, healthy and progressing.

Answer 5

There are no Pros with Socialism. All it is is a massive Welfare program and welfare programs never work in the long run. Socialism teaches people how to not work effectively and when you have a country full of ineffective workers you have a failed country. Just ask the Russians or even the Chinese how they felt about their former socialists economies. They wouldn't go back to those days unless you put a gun to their heads.

Answer 6

It has a fatal flaw in the equation. The same flaw everything has.........Man is involved. The theory of socialism is a great one but it does not take into account the individuals drive to exploit the system for his benefit. In capitalism more people get a shot at exploitation and benefiting from it, in communism you have no chance of it. I think greed of men has a greater negative affect on socialism than capitalism.

Answer 7

There are no pros of socialism. It is a tolitarian form of government. The only pros are for the five or six people who run the entire show.

Answer 8

Socialism tends to create a welfare state that undermines the willingness of the people to make their own way and provide for themselves.

I can't imagine any "pros" that are actually meaningful.

Answer 9

Cons ? Everyone sits on their rears waiting for everyone else to do all the work. No one has any motivation to work since they won't get rewarded for their hard effort. The lazy people will get paid the same.

Now, are you for socialism?

The people in the Soviet Union had a great saying ---> "They pretend to pay us and we pretend to work"

And so, the soviet union economy collapsed.

Answer 10

Socialism,communism both equate to government control.