(June 21, 2019 at 12:58 pm)Tiberius Wrote:(June 21, 2019 at 12:18 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: Perhaps I'm misinformed, but isn't the US already well on the way to being a socialist society? As I understand it, you use tax revenues to:
-Educate children
-Provide medical care and housing for the indigent, the poor, and the elderly
-Guaranteed at least some income to the elderly
-Provide food for the poor
-Provide unemployment benefits
-Undertake infrastructure projects
-Subsidize farming, banking and other industries
-Regulate industries
-Maintain national parks and landmarks
ALL of these are the hallmarks of a socialist society. I think a large part of the gut-wrench that a lot of Americans have when they hear the word 'socialism' is due to not really understanding what socialism is.
Boru
Not really though. Socialism is chiefly an economic system where workers own the means of production rather than individuals. Not even the supposed socialist European countries do that.
There’s a bunch of confusion over socialism in general, to be honest. Welfare programs aren’t necessarily socialist, nor are they necessarily anti-capitalist. Social programs (like the ones you mentioned) are named such not because they are socialist, but because they have to do with society. Many capitalist nations use taxes to fund social programs.
Which is more or less my point. People cry havoc about 'socialist' Norway, 'socialist' Denmark, etc, but they really don't know what socialism is. When I said the US is on the way to becoming socialist, I was referring to the models that many other countries use that Americans seem to be so terrified of (poor choice of words on my part. Mea culpa).
I maintain that there isn't a purely socialist or capitalist society on the planet, never has been.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
