I feel that one single political ideology can not survive as the sole entity in a society. It can not be done.
From school I learned that communism is where everything is in common, like in a commune. Have you ever watched Doctor Zhivago? That was very good, and I feel it was a good portrayal of their attempt to make everything in common. rent it on DVD if you can. They had a big house they confiscated from a rich guy and it was determined it could house several families. I guess they all were supposed to chip in and keep it up, because everything is community owned. Put the human factor in there, it simply did not work in the long haul. However, communist China has allowed a controlled measure of capitalism which has made the place boom economically. They still can not speak openly, they still have many civil rights violations. But, the country as a whole is better because they let go of their single ideology.
Capitalism in its purest form is evil. Human slavery of black people is a prime example of its purest evil form. Have you ever heard the song "I owe my soul to the company store"? That song is about something that is almost as evil. Miners were paid sub standard wages. There were no other housing or stores to buy stuff in except that which was supplied by the company with unfair prices. consequently, people got further in debt every day of their life... It was quite unfair. the rich mine owners were just that... rich off of the backs of their white (and other) "free slaves".
Socialism is where supposedly only the wealthy are taxed, and the wealth is redistributed to the ones who have little. Marget Thatcher said (paraphrased) "The trouble with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money", the full story of what she said exactly is in the link below. Anyway, Socialism takes away or at lest hinders the human incentive to upgrade ones position in life. It also takes away some incentive to be a productive member of society. Socialism is also the opposite of Aesop's Fable"the grasshopper and the ant". Some say that socialism is the first step to communism, but I do not believe that because Europe has been that way for generations.
However, going along with what happens in the UK, since the rich have been taxed to nothing, they are now taxing everyone hard.... Including their "pensioners" (retired). Thatcher was right, sooner or later you run out of the rich. Then the ones with very little get taxed to support those who won't support themselves.
In conclusion, I guess what we have today is one of the better ideological entities. Capitalism with safe guards from abuse. Nothing is perfect by no means, that is why problems show up and laws are made to plug the new hole in the dike.
Obama is a socialist. It doesn't matter what he says he is, his goals are clear. I agree something needs to be done with health care, I did got burnt by the greed of Lincoln National Insurance and their greedy actions which were under the radar of the law.... I had to file bankruptcy. I do feel we should have socialized medicine, but not the tricky lying and BS way Obama and Pelosi are doing it. They are villains for lying to the people. they are hitting the wall from previous misinformation and deception. To memory, I have never seen the executive and legislative branches of government in bed so tightly, this breeds corruption babies. And that is what we have until the people wake up with the 2010 elections.... Or their Waterloo may come with their health care plans.
I personally am a Conservative Constitutionalist. I do not see our country lasting all that much longer, both sides of the fence have abandoned the Constitution. Sotomayor is a prime example of that, and of what is already in there in the Supreme and lower courts. What a judge is supposed to do is evaluate a situation against and by what the Constitution says. They now have empathy to re-write the Constitution with their empathetic judicial tinkering.... they have a humanistic ideal and judge a case on their own personal ideology, then dance all around what the Constitution says. The correct "do process" is to change the Constitution with an amendment to keep up with changing society. From what I understand, the supreme court has only been overturned by an amendment 4 times, and one of them was their ruling about slavery. "Do Process" no longer includes all of the words written in the Constitution, even more of the Constitution is being dropped each year.
The 111th congress has abandon "do process". We are on clay feet.