How do you define Socialism?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gotta keep the definition of socialism murky enough that you can apply the tag to anything the Democrats might want to do as a matter of government policy while maintaining plausible deniability in case the Republicans would like to do something similar.

You are confused. There has been but one definition of socialism as referenced by Republicans. It's the Democrats, in close alignment with the progressive/leftist parties of the world, that has sought to obfuscate the meaning of socialism by attaching the word "democratic" to it. Democratic socialism is an invention of the left, not the right.

On this very thread, I saw someone using the definition of communism in place of the definition of socialism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seatbelts, food inspectors, 8 hour work days. Just pure socialist evil I tell you!

None of the above is socialist. They are government regulations, but not socialism.

Which is no different than things like changing healthcare rules to mandate insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions. But according to the right, that is socialism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The public schools your kids attend are socialism.

Wrong. Again.

Not PP but yes, public schools are socialist institutions. Everyone pays in taxes based on income (whether you have a child in school or not). The children all get equal educations regardless of what their parents paid in taxes.

Most schools are funded by property taxes, not income taxes.
For people who don’t have kids in public schools, it is a unfair tax for services not used.
In Arkington 20% of the households have kids in public schools but at least 40% of the County budget goes to public schools. I wouldn’t mind if the kids were educated, but based on those I have interviewed for placement at my alma mater educated, they are lacking.
To me that is socialism. It is good enough

I knew someone who shrieked about single mothers on welfare while she was sending four kids to public school while paying property taxes of around $6000 a year.

So what? They are two different concepts.

[Anonymous]

Socialism = system under which those in government grows richer and everyone else poorer.

Exhibit A. The Obamas.

[Anonymous]

OED definition: a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

US examples in particular: the North Dakota Mill and Elevator in North Dakota, started in 1922 by the Non-Partisan League because ND farmers were being ripped off by the railroads and Minneapolis grain millers, and still in operation. The Bank of North Dakota, officially the State of North dba the Bank of North Dakota, started in 1919, originally with the intent to make credit available to those same farmers.

During the recession, the BND got quite a but of national attention because of its health, and the idea of a state-owned bank has been floated very recently for other states.

Also, incidentally, BND currently regards the odds of a recession in the near future as 1 in 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Socialism = system under which those in government grows richer and everyone else poorer.

Exhibit A. The Obamas.

Ivanka reported growith in income to $82 million this past year. The Obamas are making their money post-presidency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Socialism = system under which those in government grows richer and everyone else poorer.

Exhibit A. The Obamas.

Ivanka reported growith in income to $82 million this past year. The Obamas are making their money post-presidency.

Ivanka is not president

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Seatbelts, food inspectors, 8 hour work days. Just pure socialist evil I tell you!

None of the above is socialist. They are government regulations, but not socialism.

Which is no different than things like changing healthcare rules to mandate insurance companies cover pre-existing conditions. But according to the right, that is socialism.

I doubt anyone on the right is calling the regulation to cover pre-existing conditions "socialism". Care to provide a link that shows this? Please don't post a link that has the right calling single-payer or government-provided insurance as socialism because that actually qualifies as socialism and is different from regulation to cover pre-existing conditions.

[Anonymous]

OED definition: a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

"The means of production, distribution and exchanged should be regulated by the community" -- how is this different from merely having laws that govern economic activity?

[Anonymous]

Socialism - i work to support others that don't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

OED definition: a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.

"The means of production, distribution and exchanged should be regulated by the community" -- how is this different from merely having laws that govern economic activity?

I think regulated is misleading in this definition, that or the "or" should be an "and". Collective ownership is pretty central to the definition of socialism. Mere regulation of commerce does not qualify for socialism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Socialism - i work to support others that don't.

I don't understand why people try to shorten the definition of socialism since the original definition is pretty compact already. You are not saving much time typing so why not just use the original succinct definition.

[Anonymous]

Socialism: worker and community control of the means of production, and production for need, not for private profit.

[Anonymous]

He who does not work, neither shall he eat.

[Anonymous]

Socialism defined by the laws of math. I produce 4 widgets, the less productive person next to me produces 2 widgets. I now have three widgets. How many do you think I will attempt to produce tomorrow.