@3wjc+1eqi2phL The mix we have today of socialism and capitalism is pretty much socialism. Sad to say that is where America has been since the biggest socialist experiment since FDR, Obamacare. It is getting worse by the month. Taking aim at the wealthy makes it clear you desire to take, unabated, from those who have justly worked hard and earned.
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You need a mix of both to really reach full American potential. Anyone choosing one or the other is not paying attention. FDR had this country in the right direction after everything went to cr-p. Politicians from all sides (wealthy) fought him on everything but his social programs saved this country. It's sad people forget this or just don't know the history. I'm also talking massive tax on the wealthy, more than anyone has even talked about recently, and they were all fine. In fact the country still boomed.
Then decades later the country shifted and then some decades after that we are now dealing with rampant capitalism unchecked. Workers no longer have any power due to union busting and middle class has less power as well (as well as just disappearing). Healthcare should not be for profit, the prison system should not be for profit, utilities and things of that need to be watched a lot more. These things can be done while embracing capitalism at the same time. However you have the majority of Americans fighting over things that can't be changed and treating it like a football game while the ones at the top just laugh at us and take all the wealth (both parties, laughing at us id--ts). They are so greedy they can't even throw down some table scraps so everyone has a social net.
"@ume+1eqi2phL yes, let's look at Canada, whose citizens flock to the US for healthcare."
Some do. Canadians have fairly high incomes and some can afford to pay American prices. But look at infant mortality and life expectancy. Canada does significantly better than the U.S. Private insurance tied to employment is like having the DMV with shareholders. And forcing those employers to each manage its own health insurance scheme is a huge expense that foreign competitors don't have.
The slippery slope is a logical fallacy, not a compelling argument.
@1bcl+1eqi2phL Socialism is the bedrock of communism. Communism grows out of socialism, as it is an absolute form of socialism. Think China or N Korea where people have been deprived of their rights to speak without treacherous actions from their governments. Communism can't exist where there is capitalism.
Opportunity exists in capitalism.
@1lja+1eqi2phL you have been fooled. The term democratic socialism is a trick word used by the socialists to slowly transfer socialism into our system. Any form of socialism is socialism. Note that there are no trick words like democratic capitalism. Capitalism is capitalism. Enjoy the free societal ways and prosperity.
@1dit+1eqi2phL The Lady of the Lake, her arm clad in the purest shimmering samite, held aloft Excalibur from the bosom of the water, signifying by divine providence that I, Arthur, was to carry Excalibur. That is why I am your king.
This sounds like an essay question. Are you trying to get us to do your homework?
Democratic socialism inevitably leads to communism and then to fascism. Only every time in recorded history though… so it could be different this time with Bernie and AOC.
LOL people are just so naive.
I'll take democratic socialism. The best of both worlds.
How did @1rze+1eqi2phL become king then?
Socialism is what people who want to be free run from. It is the basis for kingdoms, communism and all of the tyrannical governments over the years. It is sold as something nice.
Capitalism
@1bcl+1eqi2phL - I'm going to disagree with you. The small percentage of rich running things today (Musk, Bezos, Zuckerberg) is a different group than was running things 20 years ago (Gates, Jobs, Ellison) and different than 20 years before that (Welch, et al). Only in America can any person go from "rags to riches" so quickly. There are certainly billionaires in Russia and China, but they got there due to cronyism.
@1grt+1eqi2phL - The Scandinavian success stories you're referring to are tiny in scale. The population of those countries is like a small US state or one of our cities. And, the demographics are homogeneous -- no diversity.
When socialism has been applied at scale, it has always resulted in force, coercion, and corruption - with a lower standard of living.
: @ume+1eqi2phL yes, let's look at Canada, whose citizens flock to the US for healthcare.
There is a difference between socialism and communism. From most of the comments talking about communism, many of you don’t know the difference.
I would almost go so far as to say the US version of capitalism since the 80s is just like communism now, as a small minority, I.e., the rich, rule over the masses and that isn’t going to change under the current system. We are more like an oligarchy. Look it up.
What does this have to do with layoffs and also tech is affected.
I prefer an anarcho-syndicalist commune, where we take it in turns to act as sort-of-executive officer for the week, but all the decisions of that officer have to be ratified at a special biweekly meeting...
'major western country' and 'industrialized country' is code for 'hold my beer, I'm about to rig some stats!' As socialism has increased in the US our economic mobility and performance overall has declined. That's not a coincidence.
It's a lot like healthcare. We've spent about 50 years making it incrementally more and more socialist. Not coincidentally it has got ludicrously expensive during that time frame. It's not a coincidence, it's intentional and designed to justify a full government take over. Because, you know, government is super effecient, inexpensive, and takes great care of human beings.
We’ll since I came to the USA from a socialist country I am absolutely shocked the socialism is having a moment here. It’s absolutely terrible to live in a socialist country. The Scandinavian countries are NOT socialist. They are capitalist with better some better benefits
@1zgw+1eqi2phL you don't see people fleeing for socialist countries from the USA, not do you? It is quite the opposite. Let's pray the socialists don't get their way in this country. Freedom lost if freedom never seen again. Feel free to leave the US for a socialist country if you don't like it here. And post all you want, but I will always prefer a free society over one domineered by an oppressive government that promises what it can never and will never deliver.
@1yfp it's a shame that all the evidence of economic mobility shows the USA having the worst economic mobility of any major western country. The Socialist countries destroy us in economic mobility.
Uhm, this is not a layoff question. Isn't this is more akin to Political Science or something.
@1yfp+1eqi2phL dude, you hit the nail on the head!
There are scandinavian countries that are socialist that are doing great.
They have rich people, too, and they have healthcare and good schools.
The big scary socialism people fear isn't socialism at all, it's dictators that lie about being socialist and then pull off a coup to stay in power.
The right never talks about the successful socialist-leaning countries because the wealthy people that fund them don't like paying taxes.
They prefer to be parasites and siphon off the wealth of the middle class.
They are not patriots. America costs money.
And if we were a sane country, we wouldn't judge our prosperity by how many billionaires we have, we'd judge our success by how few poor people we have.
Jeez, did the OP post a d-mb topic.
People have always fled Marxist socialist, communist and fascist societies and come to Freedom/Capitalist countries. This has only gone on since the beginning of recorded history.
Capitalism and Freedom… not just a great book but two sides of the same coin.
@vyf+1eqi2phL So what are you saying .Given is an aspect of socialism. Those in favor of the ruling class are given by the G. The G has to take it ((regulate, tax or strong arm (think Castro's Cuba)) from one who already owns it. Pretty corrupt.
A regulated capitalist economy with strong public services and institutions. Look no farther than Canada. The rightists seem to want to gut our public institutions and have wild west capitalism, externalities be damned.
I'm a fan of mixing the better parts of both.
Capitalism can breed excellent innovation and competition when it's kept on the rails. When it's left to run free, it doesn't work out so well for most of the people involved in it. It also tends to heavily drift away from actual capitalism and into other less competitive markets. An example is mainstream media control in the USA.
Socialism has its good points. It establishes minimums, it enforces a relative parity. It, just like Capitalism, has the ability to amplify the worst traits of human behavior via policy.
Using aspects of both, together, provides good outcomes. Take Japan's collective capitalism as an example. Healthcare is heavily socialized, you have a fixed upper amount you can pay per year. The majority of the market consists of corporations that are in charge of the means of production.
Sure, you can argue the whole lost decade until you're blue in the face. Try to prove that it's really hurt them anywhere but home/land prices.
I like the idea of being given the opportunity and then being allowed to take it as far as you can. For example, being given a piece of land. It is the individual that then can grow crops, raise animals, build, mine or whatever. The individual determines the amount of effort and the reward.
Socialism that people experience via tv, internet, news paper is not the same compare to actually living in one. There is a reason why people from all over the world want to be here. Illegals want to be here to get government $$$ and be happy, legalese want to be here and be able to build their lives instead of getting pennies from government.
Literally billions of people have lived under socialism, and you think it's unrealistic that such a person might be here? On what basis, exactly?
I haven't lived under full socialism, but I've seen it up close in both Korea and in Cuba and I've met many people that have. Few of them are fans.
Capitalism. And this question does not belong on this site. By the way, the worse of capitalism is far better than the worse of socialism.
byo+1eqi2phL
I would tend to agree, the problem is that as government involvement has increased, national performance has generally declined. This isn't shocking, no centralized authority ever designed is as capable or efficient at managing hundreds of millions of individuals economic activity as those individuals are. Which is impressive ineptitude considering how poorly people manage their own.
People don't escape capitalist countries, they do socialist. What does that tell you?
For people who have never traveled outside of the US, they love the idea of getting free stuff. Spend some time in a socialist country, then you might realize why so many of their people are trying to get to the US.
The US has spent the last 100 years becoming the wealthiest and most powerful nation in history.
We've done that with a mix of capitalism and socialism.
FYI, what most people think of as capitalism is actually free enterprise.
The OP has made a post that is the equivalent of a man on the street interview.
Most people here don't know the difference.
Hey OP here are more ideas for threads:
- What is the meaning of a good life?
- Is it more important to be respected or liked?
- Have we become less happy in this age of technology?
- Are humans obligated to better themselves and will that make them happier?
- Is having a big ego a negative trait of positive trait?
- Is the most important purpose in life to find happiness?
- Does life require a purpose and a goal?
- Is it easier to love or to be loved?
This forum has turned into much more than just talking about layoffs :-)
Now we are getting philosophical here