Health Care bill passed

[Tiberius]

Capitalism primarily functions off of the desire to have more, so that one can be happier.

Capitalism primarily functions off of people wanting to get paid for the work they do actually. Commercialism is what functions off the desire to have more so that one can be happier.

But happiness is often built upon the unhappiness of others.

...and often built on honest people doing a good day's labour. Capitalism isn't a solution for unhappiness, and I never claimed it was. Neither is socialism. Both are economic models.

What "direct lines" are you talking about?

The fact that the only way socialism would "work" would be to have strict government control on the economy, taking money from the working rich and giving it to the un-working poor (oppression). Of course, people don't like this happening (for good reason), and so the government has no choice but to start silencing people who peak out against their regime. In socialist countries in the past, this is done by wiping out those who "dare" to speak out.

Socialism is the ideal that nobody should have to suffer a horrible state of existence (and be without aid for when they are)... and everyone should have many good chances to get somewhere they want to in life. It's the idea that we shouldn't give up on people, nor let them walk barefoot through the snow with no place to stay on a cold winters day. That is all socialism is, Adrian... the philosophy that we should help those who need it.

Your lovey-dovey version of socialism is I'm sure what you've been taught to think, but I'm afraid the social side of socialism isn't all of it. I'm very much against giving up on people, and so are capitalists. Socialism and capitalism share the same goal (no more poverty), yet have very different methods for getting to that goal. Capitalism sets up a system wherein the worker works and gets paid (eliminating poverty). Socialism sets up a system where everyone shares the wealth, even if they don't do anything to earn it. Nobody has any incentive to work in socialism, and it is unfair to those who have done the work.

I cannot fathom how you are connecting some 'direct line' from sharing surplus resources with oppression and death...

As I've explained, sharing the resources is unfair to those who have done the work to earn it. Under capitalism, there is also a sharing of resources, but it is done on a charity level. People who earn their money fair and square can give to the poor, can help them eat, can set up companies and get them jobs, whatever. That is a fair system. What is not a fair system is forcing people (oppression...) to give to people who they don't know and who they might not even care about. If I earn my wages, I'll spend it on what I want, and I'll give it to the charities I decide. I don't trust the government to spend it wisely, which is why I support private charity.

You really lost me here... do you pay taxes?

When I had a job, of course I did. I'm currently unemployed in further education, so I do not pay taxes (I have no income to pay it on).

If there was ever a time to drug a population to calm them down, now would be it.

That didn't go so well in Serenity...

I interpreted that as a joke...

It's from a movie...it was meant as a cultural reference.