Does anyone even know what socialism is?

[BorogoveLM]

As a socialist, I am disgusted by Americans failing to understand what it is. Americans seem to have this idea that socialism is Soviet-style authoritarianism.

Bit I digress. The real issue here is people thinking that Obama is a socialist. How could that be? Obama's health care solution was requiring people to buy insurance from the private sector. Yeah that's definitely socialism, considering that socialism involves abolishing the private sector.

Obama is not a socialist. Please don't associate the opposing candidate's ideology with one Americans are made to hate just because you can. That's like me calling Romney a fascist.

[AKB0048]

Americans can't even distinguish socialism from communism. Also, it's very common in American history that when they want to make it look bad, they paint it with something that people are commonly paranoid of for very little reason.

Yellow scare, and then McCarthyism...

[Molchunya]

Quote:

socialism involves abolishing the private sector.

Nope.

[Mei tsuki7]

Spencer Veritas

Quote:

socialism involves abolishing the private sector.

Nope.

Actually yes. Socialism and Communism are actually similar.
Socialism: From each according to his ability, to each according to his deeds.
Communism: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

Basically, in Communism everyone is equal and only gets what they need while in Socialism you can still have different classes and people can still be rich and poor based on how hard/much they work.

[Molchunya]

Mei tsuki7

Spencer Veritas

Quote:

socialism involves abolishing the private sector.

Nope.

Actually yes.

Actually, no.

Market socialism (state capitalism) maintains a small private sector. Highly regulated, but still private.

[Inertial Mass]

Actually I was just telling a guy about the difference between fascism and communism. Apparently people here get that confused a lot.

[Eternal Marionetta]

Also, to explain to the Teabaggers what totalitarianism is:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totalitarianism

Just because he's black, doesn't mean he's a totalitarian.

[Celeste Haliburton]

I agree with socialism (Canada is a bit on the socialist side). It's nice to have the government and everyone taking care of everyone else.

[BorogoveLM]

Spencer Veritas

Quote:

socialism involves abolishing the private sector.

Nope.

"Socialism play /ˈsoʊʃəlɪzəm/ is an economic system characterised by social ownership of the means of production and co-operative management of the economy."

There's very little room for a private sector there.

[Mei tsuki7]

Spencer Veritas

Mei tsuki7

Spencer Veritas

Quote:

socialism involves abolishing the private sector.

Nope.

Actually yes.

Actually, no.

Market socialism (state capitalism) maintains a small private sector. Highly regulated, but still private.

No it doesn't. Market socialism, also called liberal socialism, economic system representing a compromise between socialist planning and free enterprise, in which enterprises are publicly owned but production and consumption are guided by market forces rather than by government planning. [1]

[Russian Breasts]

Do you even lift?

[BorogoveLM]

Inertial Mass

Actually I was just telling a guy about the difference between fascism and communism. Apparently people here get that confused a lot.

How wonderful it is to explain the difference between polar opposites.

[Molchunya]

Mei tsuki7

Spencer Veritas

Mei tsuki7

Spencer Veritas

Quote:

socialism involves abolishing the private sector.

Nope.

Actually yes.

Actually, no.

Market socialism (state capitalism) maintains a small private sector. Highly regulated, but still private.

No it doesn't. Market socialism, also called liberal socialism, economic system representing a compromise between socialist planning and free enterprise, in which enterprises are publicly owned but production and consumption are guided by market forces rather than by government planning. [1]

"The Chinese experience with socialism with Chinese characteristics is frequently referred to as a "socialist market economy" in which the "commanding heights" remain in state ownership, but a substantial portion of both the state and private sectors of economy are governed by free market practices, including a stock exchange for trading equity. The free-market is the arbitrator for most economic activity, with economic planning being relegated to macro-economic government indicative planning that does not encompass the microeconomic decision-making that is left to the individual organizations and state-owned enterprises. This model includes a significant amount of privately owned firms that operate as a business for profit, but only for consumer goods and services." [1]

As I said. Market socialism implies that the government centrally plans the economy, but that there is still a private sector that may be subject to regulation as part of that central plan.

[Molchunya]

I mean I agree with you that Obama isn't a socialist. That's not what I'm disputing. I just wanted to clarify that one point.

[Mei tsuki7]

Spencer Veritas

Mei tsuki7

Spencer Veritas

Mei tsuki7

Spencer Veritas

Quote:

socialism involves abolishing the private sector.

Nope.

Actually yes.

Actually, no.

Market socialism (state capitalism) maintains a small private sector. Highly regulated, but still private.

No it doesn't. Market socialism, also called liberal socialism, economic system representing a compromise between socialist planning and free enterprise, in which enterprises are publicly owned but production and consumption are guided by market forces rather than by government planning. [1]

"The Chinese experience with socialism with Chinese characteristics is frequently referred to as a "socialist market economy" in which the "commanding heights" remain in state ownership, but a substantial portion of both the state and private sectors of economy are governed by free market practices, including a stock exchange for trading equity. The free-market is the arbitrator for most economic activity, with economic planning being relegated to macro-economic government indicative planning that does not encompass the microeconomic decision-making that is left to the individual organizations and state-owned enterprises. This model includes a significant amount of privately owned firms that operate as a business for profit, but only for consumer goods and services." [1]

As I said. Market socialism implies that the government centrally plans the economy, but that there is still a private sector that may be subject to regulation as part of that central plan.

So basically we have two different definitions, both from reputable sources, that define it differently. One ways that there are privately owned firms and another says there are not. Oy. I guess this means neither of us is wrong.