I want to be a socialist

[Dis]

Honest. Posters here make me feel so guilty at being a libertarian (with regards to economic issues). It makes me feel so callous and unfeeling. I should feel compassion towards the poor and want to give away my hard earned money. Being a libertairan makes me a bad person in many people's eyes. I am only this way because it seems to be the most natural state. Survival of the fittest if you will.

But survival of the fittest doesn't apply fully to a complex society. As we depend on each other in many ways.

If I could see a way that socialism could actually work, I would be a socialist. But no one has come up with a plan that looks feasible to me.

So socialists, here is your chance to convert me. Give me a socialist goverment that can work and maintain the same standard of living in the U.S. and I will convert.

[Q Classic]

start tokin' and move to a commune.

[BeBMan]

I´d try to save your soul, but I have no idea how. I consider myself moderately left, but if that would be enough to make a good socialist, who knows?

Good luck anyway

[Lazer]

Some successful socialist-type (not pure socialist) countries include Sweden and Israel, others I can't think of right off the top of my head.

[Bosh]

socialism doesn't mean having the government take over everything (although that is one way), its just general egalitarianism...

[DinoDoc]

Re: I want to be a socialist

Originally posted by Dissident
Give me a socialist goverment that can work and maintain the same standard of living in the U.S. and I will convert.

Look at Scandinavia.

[orange]

I'm not so much a socialist as I am pissed off at where our government spends it funds. I bet if we spent an appropriate amount on Defense and revamped welfare programmes, we would have enough left over to nationalize healthcare for those who can't afford it without a drastic tax hike.

[orange]

It's all about priorities.

[Dis]

Scandinavia does not have the same standard of living as the U.S.

[Agathon]

The "socialists" on this forum are by and large arguing against the US system and market fundamentalism.

I suppose we can't see why a developed country can't organise decent health care or education for all its citizens. It isn't hard and it doesn't necessitate a slide towards Stalinism.

For example, Canada pays less per capita to provide all its citizens with excellent health care. The US pays more to provide services to a fraction of those. Sensible people realised long ago that socialised health care is simply more efficient at delivering good services to more people. The overheads for a private system are so great and inefficiency promoting that they eat up more money while providing essentially nothing apart from jobs for bean counters.

In reference to DinoDoc's comment. Look at the UN HDI and you'll see that these countries enjoy a higher standard of living than the US.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Dissident
Scandinavia does not have the same standard of living as the U.S.

But they pay all of those wonderful taxes that you'd have to support being a socialist.

[orange]

Scandinavia does not have the same standard of living as the U.S.

You're right. Theirs is better

[Az]

Argh, Damn you orange.

fricking x-posts.

[Odin]

Originally posted by Dissident
Scandinavia does not have the same standard of living as the U.S.

Yes they do!

The scandinavian countries (socialized utillities and Helthcare) and Israel (the collective farms) are examples of a socialistic economy that works.

[orange]

Snap! Freecoke! Jinx!