Socialism and Communism?

Question

Why do Americans fear the idea of Socialism so much is it because of all those stupid Cold War propaganda films calling the Soviets "commies" and saying they were evil besides the fact that Socialism and Communism are way different the Soviet Union and all the E. European bloc countries never even came close to what one may call a true communist state if you want a country that is closer to that look at Cuba they have free health care for all and free education all the way up to college the reason their economy is pretty much in ruins is because of the embargo the U.S. setup and if you want prime examples of Socialism look at all the Scandinavian countries they have some of the best economies in the world lowest crime rates extremely educated students and very low corruption levels so I just don't understand why Americans seem to have this phobia if you will of all communists and socialists

see people still have that communists all want a police state mentality when what I'm trying to say is exactly that all those so called "communist" countries like East Germany weren't communist they were nothing but Fascist police states try reading Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels Manifesto and then tell me what you think about the ideas of communism

yes I'm 14
go figure a 14 year old has read more about politics and knows more about the world than most of you

I don't really see a need for all these luxury goods that we have I mean if we could help all the millions of people that are in poverty and just give up those things I would say go for it you are right the reason that communism will never work is because there are far too many greedy people out there but socialism like it has been done in Europe mixed with some Capitalist ideals can work very good

I have to say the answer Bill K gave is excellent

Answer 1

Why do they fear communism and socialism? Because they were taught that communism is evil. And those who taught them, they were really good at this. The epitome of the American Dream is make money, and you may as well step on dead bodies to do that. And ofcourse, this is freedom. For the USA, freedom has nothing to do about being able to do what makes you a better person. Freedom means merely the freedom to make money. Because money is all that counts. It is money that define you as a healthy person, as a successful person, as a lusted partner for the opposite sex. And since money is the ultimate power in that kind of system, no one has the right to deprive you from the right to have as many, and make them regardless the way. And communism, it says power is not in the money. It may say no one has power on an other human being, even if he is a millionaire or a king. Yet, this is despicable. PLEASE DONT TAKE MY MONEY, everybody yells and grasps onto them as if they have no other dreams. If a have the dream to be a singer, it is because i like arts, not because i want to make money out of it. If i have the dream to be a doctor, it is because i want to help other people, not because i want to make money out of it. But if you are being brainwashed from the time you were born, it could be very difficult to understand this. So, question the authorities and think for yourself. Question me, that i am telling you this. But, for your sake, think.

Answer 2

Both Socialism and Communism are technically democratic ECONOMIC ideals. Unfortunately, some "socialist countries" with socialist economies are not democratic due to paranoia (i.e. North Korea). Capitalism is also an economic term and some capitalist countries can have democratic ideals, especially if the governments practice "social democrat" (social reformist) policies. Sweden, Belgium, Denmark, Britain, Australia are prime examples. Other capitalist countries are neo-fascist. --- The US is a prime example. It is not now democratic and it has never been a democratic country. It is a hypocritical country that espouses democracy but practises the opposite. --- Nazi Germany just before and during WW-2 was fascist. --- Italy during and prior to WW-2. --- Spain from 1937 until 1980 was a fascist country. --- Argentina and several other US supported South American countries were/are fascists. --- South Korea was neo-fascist from 1948 until around 1990. --- South Vietnam was neo-fascist from 1954 when the US illegally created the country until 1975.

Answer 3

How stupid are you? Communist countries routinely kill and torcher there own citizens. The people have no rights what so ever, this "free health care" you talk of is crap. Most people don't get so see a doctor because there are so few. Many die because they can't see a doctor. It takes well over a year to see a doctor if you get the chance at all, but if your an elite you don't need to worry because you can just screw everyone else and step ahead of the line. The reason they have low crime rates is because they will kill or torcher anyone who opposes them or commits even the smallest crime. Socialist and communist governments are run on fear and hate. Why don't you go live in Cuba for a few years then tell us how wonderful it is.

Answer 4

The theories of Socialism and Communism are an ideal. The big problem is that they are impossible given the state of the human race. Your prime examples of Socialism are only Socialism in part. The parts adopted may work and seem to be wonderful but are only a drop in the bucket. Everyone wants to site greed and fear. Let me ask you a question and see if you will answer honestly.

If you were assigned to work 10 hours a day and your next door neighbor who is able bodied, spends his days sitting on his porch with beer in hand doing nothing. At the end of the month, after you and your family's basic needs are taken care of and you had an excess of $500, would you give it to your neighbor so that he could take care of his family's needs?? Or would you resent him for living on the same level as you without having to lift a finger?? That's why it won't work, no body wants to work their tails off and take care of the ones who refuse to pitch in. Wouldn't you feel you should be able to sit on your porch with a beer and just receive and receive without lifting a finger??

Answer 5

I don't consider Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, and the other Scandinavian countries socialist so much as I consider them mixed economic models of both socialism and capitalism and Democracies. But your point is well taken. However, the lunkheads on the Yahoo boards always confuse socialism with the Soviet Union. the Soviet Union was a dictatorship. If they did any amount of research in our own country's history, they would discover that there were many experiments with living in communes, some of which worked very well economically. Communes, as in a form of a collective that was exactly what Marx wrote about.

blueridgeliving... is right about this.

Answer 6

Let us travel back in time to highschool and clarify a few things....

Communism, socialism and capitalism are some of the ECONOMIC SYSTEMS.

Democracy, monarchy, dictatorship are some of the POLITICAL SYSTEMS. Most people refer to communism as a political system, when it is really a one party system controlled by the communist party (just as we have democrats & republicans.)

There are democratic socialist countries, just as some countries are run by dictators have communist economic systems.

America actually has a blend of capitalist and socialist policies in place. Our roads are not privately owned, neither are our PUBLIC schools, library, fire departments, police departments, postal services, medicaid, medicare are forms of socialist policies within the united states.

Our students are taught a bias form of history, and few ever learn the truth.

Answer 7

You are a very intelligent young man. I have read only four volumes of Karl Marx's DAS CAPITAL, but that was enough to convince me that the man was a genius. Bolshevism did not even come close to his teachings. The Soviet Union was Fascism.

France and Germany have come closer. We, Americans, have been brainwashed into thinking that we should allow the very rich control everything.

Answer 8

Very good to see a young person thinking. But what you may be viewing as fear or "phobia" is not that at all.

It is the determination to not have what we as individuals have worked so hard for be taken away from us.

I have two small children. I am a single father and make time everyday to teach them the value of personal responsibility. I work hard everyday to provide for them. I do not want or need someone else to do it for me. Especially a govermnet or social system. I will provide for them, I will help them learn and grow to be strong leaders and strong people. (as will thier teachers, coaches, scout leaders, and of course thier family)

So it is not fear but raw determination of the american spirit to allow it's citizens to propsper or fail on thier own. That is the american way, and to inject a state run system would take those choices away from us and our children.

It's not fear.

Answer 9

One argument I hear over and over has to do with people getting to slack off while the rest of us slave away.
I believe that happens now with our system so what's the point? It will happen more. I don't think so. The more educated people are and the more opportunities they are given, the better off we all will be. I really wish Hollywood would be destroyed. They are responsible for the dumbing down of America by giving people what they want as opposed to what they need.

Answer 10

We need to separate "socialism" that relates to universal health care, universal education, and a safety net to avoid poverty, which is a good thing, from socialism that involves government control of industry and the means of production, which is a bad thing.

Countries like Finland have had tremendous growth partly because of their health care system and educational system. But they also have very free trade and an otherwise free market, very easy access to opening a business, and fairly reasonable amounts of regulation. Private incentive is important and places like Cuba really struggle with this.