Legitimate question: does anyone actually know what socialism is or are you quoting conservative radio?

Question

I would like to ask this of liberals, conservatives and moderates independants and all the rest.

Please don't answer with something like "JUST ASK OBAMA" or "SPREADING THE WEALTH".

Over the last 8 months or so, I have heard "Obama is a socialist" and "He's turning America into a Socialist country". but when I ask my conservative friends for the definition, they all say the same thing. "he wants to spread the wealth". Isn't that what all government does?
When your tax dollars go to pay for a school system but you have no kids, isn't that socialism. or when You drive down a street in a county you don't live in but use the street lights for illumination, you aren't paying for those lights. is that socialism?
when you are laid off from your first job (thus have not paid a lot of taxes) due to no fault of your own and you need food stamps for the next 12 months, is that wealth being spread socialism?

By the way, I'm a Moderate so I would appreciate thoughtful answers not answers like "All you libs are wanting to destroy my country"

Thanks all
JP

Answer 1

noooo, socialism is more than spreading the wealth, it has to do with privatizing everything and supposedly make it available for everyone.

like karl marx philosophies.

it is an stateless classless economic where everyone looses hopes and gives up, I lived in a socialism environment, and trust me, it is nothing like those radio shows are referring to. Those people are simply rednecks who like sheep, they dont even know what it means or what it does.



so. take care, relax, we are still cool.

this country has been in limbs way before Obama took the presidency. No matter what he does people are going to complain, even-though he's not the the main cause to this destruction. I can't believe that people are so blind

Answer 2

I'm borrowing an analogy from above here (no offense Johnny Conservative, you are also right to some degree)



Let's say you run a bar and have 10 barmaids/men on staff. If you were of the philosophy that the staff keeps 100% of the tips they receive, (which would be a capitalistic way of thinking (even more so if they didn't get a wage)) it is more likely that you will employ more attractive/female staff in order to get more tips. Now let us say you are a socialist at heart, you say all tips go into a pot, and at the end of the day, it will be split evenly to all 10 barmaids/men. Is that fair to the most attractive barmaid that earned 25% of the pot, and in the end, only got 8%? The most hard working could get 0%...



Now lets say that the only jobs left in the world are bar-work jobs paid only by tips. Income would be determined almost entirely by sex and attractiveness (-social injustice/glass ceilings, not due to laziness!).



People in charge of a private sector business/the customers are not always fair or right. There is sometimes a need for moderation



Any deviation (even very small) from capitalism is typically described as socialism - this is the how the word is actually used.



@ Pollywog! - "a social outcast who's hidious (sic) looks make it difficult to receive any kind of work". Don't you understand analogies? The point is that if you can use the same analogy to prove the opposite point, then they're both useless. In this case, the correct answer is that capitalism and socialism are both wrong, and a mixture is needed. The real argument is where this balance should lie.

Answer 3

websters new dictionary of the english language says that any of various social systems based on shared or government ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods. in other words the government forces you to share and can take over your company which destroys capitalism and that's how many get rich quick . like a veggie tale video gone horribly wrong.health care wont work because many citizens are not that healthy. when you lose your job you should have money saved away to hold you through until you can get another job. its not the governments job to help you if you can help your self unlikedisabilitiess we already have a moderate amount of socialism like school taxes and stuff for roads .sorry if thi is a rant

Answer 4

Socialism is a guaranteed defeat of human ingenuity.

It rewards those who are poor producers by taking from the productive.

It is not charity. It is using taxation to extort money to enhance the power of those elitists in charge of (and controlling) society.

It can be easily highlighted by noting the Elitist in charge has the best of everything while everyone else doesn't have any opportunity to ever see the view from the mansion on the top of the hill or have the gourmet dinner that is enjoyed by the elitist every evening.

America has long had voluntary "socialism". It is called "insurance". You put your money into a pool and get back what you need if contractually agreed upon situations occur. It is far more efficient because those running a business have a need to perform their occupation efficiently. Government agencies have no need to stay within a budget. They just raise the cost to you at their whim.Socialism is in no way an economic system. It is a method of controlling societal behavior.

Answer 5

No, that is not all government does. What we mean by spreading the wealth is this. I will try to illustrate it thought the following analogy:



Lets say you run a restaurant and have 10 waitresses on staff. If you were of the philosophy that the staff keeps 100% of the tips they receive, (which would be a capitalistic way of thinking) it is more likely that the staff will work harder in order to get more tips. Now let us say you are a socialist at heart, you say all tips go into a pot, and at the end of the day, it will be split evenly to all 10 waitresses. Is that fair to the best waitress that earned 25% of the pot, and in the end, only getting 8%?



I do not have any kids, and it HAS always kind of upset me that I have to pay taxes for schools, but soon I remind myself that my nieces and nephews go to those schools, that kids that will be taking care of me when I am old go to those schools, so that alleviates my mood.



I hope that my analogy helps illustrate to you why socialism is not beneficial to this country.

Answer 6

Socialism is government control of Private institutions, but don't they already control them through taxation and regulations? Just look at how much they take from us and use as they see fit...





What the Corporations fail to gain from us, the government just scoops up. The idiots in this country who seem to believe that government is the solution seem to turn a blind eye to corruption and waste that is printed in their daily newspaper. The Fed takes 30-35%, State takes another 7% income, 9% on sales tax, and I pay 10% in property taxes. Don't forget all the fees they hit you with, and someone tell me what is left? Those who are voting for more government are voting for themselves ('Free" health care and "Free" education), and they are the ones running around like Lemmings voting for more.



I cannot get ahead, anymore. I live in NY State and was "allowed" to keep 39% of my income. The Liberals are thieves, and they keep screwing me for their own gain,. Same people who call me "greedy". They are clueless.



I am selling my business when the economy improves and moving from this state. My tax attorney has advised it. That should help the poor here.

Answer 7

Socialism can be either good or bad determined by how it is used. For example, Sweden has a socialist government, but it is very profitable to their country. In fact, Sweden LENDS America money every year that goes toward America's deficit. However, I highly doubt that this would be an effective method of governing with the American government. Our institutions are not calibrated for this form of government and the people that live here would look at it as a corrupt government taking control of their lives. You have to really trust the people that are in charge of socialist government. We don't have that kind of trust in America.

Answer 8

We are nationalizing industry/financial sector in this country at an alarming rate.



We have a president who wants to dictate how much somebody can earn.



And no "wealth redistribution" is far more than paying taxes. If you think that's what Obama was talking about.. you're naive as hell.



Those are some very, very socialist actions.



It never ceases to amuse me how people, like you, rant and rave about not knowing what socialism means.. when you have absolutely no idea what it's about.

Answer 9

Send this to obama to:



Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equality for all individuals, with an egalitarian method of compensation



Communism is a socioeconomic structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general



Fascism is a radical and authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascism is also a corporatist economic ideology. Fascists advocate the creation of a single-party state

Answer 10

Socialism or Marxism is the government controlling the individuals ability to choose for themselves from many selections and limiting them to a few. This is done through limitations of income, limitation of products, and limitations of free thought.

Answer 11

When the federal government maneuvers itself into owning 55% of a manufacturing company, that is socialism. When that same government intervenes in a bankruptcy proceeding to bully creditors and abrogate contracts, that is closer to the textbook definition of totalitarianism. Other aspects of the Obama presidency more closely resemble fascism, particularly the vilification of a group in society and the attempt to stir up hatred against the people in that group.

Answer 12

so·cial·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm\

Function: noun

Date: 1837

1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods

2 a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state

3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done



It sucks

Answer 13

Some examples of Obama dragging us into socialism are: (1) His acquisition of the power to control the banks, (2) His outrageous handing over of 55% control of GM to the UAW, and (3) His grand scheme to impose a national health plan.

Answer 14

I'm a Socialist: I advocate the abolition of the wages system and common ownership of the means of production and distribution. Socialism is a society without classes or money or countries or government or armies. No poverty and no millionaires. True democracy where people decide for themselves rather than being bossed around by government and other rulers.

Answer 15

So in your mind taking the government that sucks us dry now at 12% of our economy to 23% of our economy that needs to be fed continually is okay? Yes, I'm aware of what socialism is, and I'm not happy that we have as much as we currently do, but you don't cure it by doubling it. The point is to get another job and don't look to the government to cure all your ills. People who think like you add no value to a society.

Answer 16

defninition of socailism: a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.





I agree with former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who says..."The problem with Socialism is that you eventually run out of other peoples' money."

Answer 17

its where the government owns the means of production and distribution of goods pretty much the government owns everything

Answer 18

Socialism is government control of private means of production.



Socialism has been tried and failed many times. Look up the true story of Thanksgiving and it will help you understand why it fails. Remember the Obama voters who said "Obama is going to buy my gas and pay my mortgage" when you read it. Obama does lean left but his rabid left wing is obvisously socalist and want to take the country in the same direction as Marx took the USSR



Isn't a moderate someone who just blows with the political winds?

Answer 19

I don't care if you call him a socialist, a communist, a liberal, a progressive or a marxist. It's all the same and you know it is.



Punish the successfull and reward the lazy.



Just admit it Obama isn't Black or White he's a pinko!

Answer 20

Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equality for all individuals, with an egalitarian method of compensation.



Basically, it doesn't matter how hard I work. My dead beat neighbor receives just as much money, goods, services, healthcare and benefits as I do.,

after 5 years military, college, internships, job searches, moving costs, family seperation, all the hell I put myself through to be successful., this is a set back. I should have just dropped out of high school and smoked weed for the last 10 years.

Answer 21

Cons don't understand anything complex.They think that everything is yes or no, no in between.Let me put it this way if there were no right wing talk radio, cons wouldn't know what to talk about!

Answer 22

spending 850 billion dollars at the low est on his new health care plan sounds socialist to me

Answer 23

There are a lot of "sound bite" political pundits here.

Answer 24

Socialism is when everyone works for the state,also you share the same medical benefits and a persons income will be that of their neighbor!

Answer 25

The sheer paranoia over the word is hilarious , people actually believe he is some dictator

Answer 26

I can't believe the stupidity of the first answerer. Marx died a few decades before the USSR was formed. WTF.

Answer 27

People still listen to AM radio? :p

Answer 28

yes we do... schools should teach its failings.