I think socialism seems very staid and out of date as a philosophy. What do you think?

Question

Just thinking after watching the 'very British coup' about how 'fun' it would be to a have a radical left British government. But I look around, and have been to loads of socialists countries and ex-socialist countries, and non are that great.

Answer 1

You say that socialism is out of date, and yet you live in a world where 5% of the population controls 60% of the wealth. Where a bank CEO can have three houses, a yacht, and maids, while their employees can barely make enough money to pay for their slummy apartments and make car payments. Capitalism in your amazing ignorant viewpoint trodds on the average working person. Homeless people everyday die because of lack of food and water, or of cold outside. You sit in your comfy chair saying that socialism is out of date, however it is merely frowned apon by the world.

Socialism is workable in the form of a democratic socialist state which is a common belief held among many Trotskyst groups. It keeps the government form becoming biased, such as Stalinist Russia.

Recently five butchers at a Walmart signed a petition for better working conditions and wages. Walmart in its Capitalist mind set promptly fried all five, many who had been working there for over three years. In another store in a small town in California more than half the employees signed the petition, Walmart fired every single one of the 65 employees, closed the store, cut its losses, and moved to another town. This laying off of that many people in a small town caused a major economic porblem and the town was overflooded with labour.

But of course in your perfect Capitalist Society this is OK because Walmart didnt lose and money, the divine thing that we are teaching our kids to worship. Money, fancy cars, and yachts are becoming good in place of justice.

I know i may be what some would call way left in my ideas but i have shown you some of the countless reasons why i believe the way I do.

Answer 2

The word socialist is so embedded in our minds as communist and until we shake that off and truly begin to trust our government, that true democratic socialist country would be very good, however when they must compete against capitalist country's they would never be a success, because the capitalist tend to shun them and isolate them in a manner the government turns to corruption and black markets start to develop. But if a country like England went socialist it would take decades to switch over, because it would have to be done in gradually. I think it could work but it will be a very long time before that happens

Answer 3

I don't think Socialism is staid or out of date. It's only drawback as I see it, is that it entails people taking responsibility for their own contribution to society and either through laziness, gullibility or force, their power has always been stolen from them. Even in the so-called communist countries, the elite as always rose to the top because they controlled the very means of advancement they were supposed to abolish. Scandinavia seems to run well along socialist lines, Canada already mentioned, Cuba likewise. Capitalism depends on a few very rich people controlling the lives of everyone else who give up their freedom for a better standard of living than their neighbour. As for fun, I had a better time growing up under Wilson than my children had growing up under Thatcher.

Answer 4

What's the alternative? A Dickensian situation where the rich and the lucky bask in their riches and luxury and the poor die starving in the streets? I think that's pretty uncivilised.

We need a happy medium. A lot of the out and out socialist countries are very poor. We don't have such poverty but we still have people living on the breadline, through no fault of their own, who need support.

Just remember, it could be you one day. You're one pay cheque away from poverty and destitution yourself! Nye Bevan set up the Welfare State to provide for all who needed it.

Answer 5

There are two schools of thought-Socialism and Capitalism.It is all based on ownership of means of production and capital.If the capital/means of production is owned by private individuals ,it is capitalism and if it is owned by society or common ownership or State,it is socialism.But both these models are out of date.With formation of joint stock companies,capital is held by millions of share holders,not by A SINGLE PARTY.The basis of one man capitalist is no more applicable.The modern capitalism under companies with large number of share holders is as good as socialist common ownership.Scialism in its pure form is not applicable now.

Answer 6

There aren't many conservative nations doing all that great either. I am not British so I don't know your situation, but what I can say is look at the poor shape of America right now.

Answer 7

Socialism is the future. If you think capitalism is great - how come it has to borrow billions of dollars off a Communist country just to get the whole thing to work?

Guy below - America owes China Billions.

Answer 8

socialism will never work in what ever context its put as you always get the fact that Some people are more equal than others while the workers pay for it.
When a person goes out to work he works hard to earn lots of cash for the good things in life it's called honest toil.
What right has any government got to impose huge taxes on that person which is what socialism is, the brothers decide what to do with your cash.

Answer 9

Canada is a socialist democracy, we have a high standard of living, education, health care, literacy and life expectancy. We are always rated in the top 5 places to live in the world by the UN, WHO UNESCO...so it can't be that bad.

Answer 10

the trouble with socialism is if their is a need the gove create a department to fulfill the social need, this meens that a career has been created, on the back of the need, it meens the need will be maintained instead of cured, in order to keep the career going so every one has to suffer a sovial injustic just to keep the career going for social workers of one kind or anouther. now that is anti social.