Misconceptions, Confusions, and Conflicts

I think not

I think not

Hall of Fame Member
Apr 12, 2005
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The Evil Empire
Concerning Socialism, Communism, and Capitalism


Conservative Ideas about Socialism and Communism:

Communism is a secret conspiracy.

The Communists want to take over the whole world.

Communism is the opposite of democracy.

Communists wanted to weaken our culture with experimental literature, abstract art, dissonant music, and sexual freedom.

Communism could never work because it goes against human nature. People are naturally more competitive than cooperative.

All socialists are Communists.

Socialist and Communist Ideas about Capitalism:

Capitalists and capitalist states are always motivated by economic considerations.

Capitalists promote war to increase profits.

Capitalists commodify and simplify culture.

Capitalists despoil the environment.

Socialism is more appropriate in underdeveloped countries than Capitalism.

Capitalist ideals:

The free market brings better goods at lower prices, so restraints on the free market are bad for all.

The spread of Capitalism means the spread of freedom.

Everyone has equal opportunity under capitalism.

Privatizing services makes them more responsive.

Communist ideals:

Socialist planning can stabilize the economy and develop it in a rational manner.

People can be trained to value common property as much as their own private property.

Centralized socialist states can evolve into democratic communitarian societies.

Socialist governments with strong democratic traditions regulating mixed economies can avoid the problems of traditional Marxist governments.


Thoughts anyone?
 
jimmoyer

jimmoyer

jimmoyer
Apr 3, 2005
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Winchester Virginia
www.contactcorp.net
Good start on a thread, ITN.

May I propose a synthesis, an amalgamation, a merger of sorts, a mutt of a theory perhaps?

It is the mutt, I hold in high esteem. When it comes to the Heinz 57 variety of mutt dogs, I find them to be less high strung, moderate, and consistently kind in nature.
This is in contrast to the breeds, the hybreds, the purists of dogs and the purist in dog lovers of pure breds. They are high strung and have strong tendencies that are not to be denied.

And so it is with economic theory. We can only look to the mutts and hybreds to know which is better, depending on who you are and what you like.

The purists have dominated the economic and political discussions of the world, and I for one, being a lover of mutts is disgusted, wearied and worn out by all this high strung talk, all this "you or the highway" sort of talk.

If you look at most western democracies and their economies you will see some version of the mutt dog theory of economics. You will see varying degrees of socialism and capitalism in all of them.

And I say this is good.

We all know what socialism gave us. The 8 hour day.
In France, they got the 7 hour day, the 35 hour work week. Well hallelujah for socialism. It is good to a point.
But too much of a good thing is bad, n'est pas? We're finding out in the headlines of every major western democracy that too much socialism, too many benefits for the masses cannot be paid, cannot be afforded.

And so capitalism gives us an overall bigger economic pie.
Most of us can only believe that if we actually lived in a totally government-run economy we always discover that there's long lines just to buy White Cloud toilet paper.

In fact we can only know the value of capitalism by living in a totally socialistic world and find out that the regulation of the human spirit limits total output.

So I like the mutt, a little bit of the best of both worlds.

As we strive for the finest of all mutts, we mix two different pure breds and sometimes the mutt is a little more hyper than any of us like.

We will never get it right, except for the effort in trying for the ultimate mutt.

The perfect balance.
 
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