He's just some "typical anti-socialist" just because he doesn't agree with your socialistic views? Hate to tell you, but most Capitalists don't agree with Socialism, buddy.
No, they don't. But here in Scandinavia where socialism has not only succeeded but made Scandinavia as rich and competitive as it is even Capitalists support key socialistic aspects of society.
No, it really isn't. If so you can argue that any and all taxation is 'slavery'. Which means we're all slaves.
You are a pawn of the government and nothing more.
'Under capitalism you're a pawn of the corporations and nothing more'. Doesn't make much sense in either case. The argument is horribly flawed. Under totalitarian regimes you are a pawn. In democracies you're not. Ideally not anyway. Corporations will try to gain control over society to make you one. If they can control the population they can maximize their profit. And that's why they exist after all.
Your money is taken with your approval or not (like someone said above) to pay for government funded programs that are not well done. Win some, lose some? No! In this case I guess you "lose some, lose some".
That are not well done? Speak for yourself! When we privatized the power company prices of electricity soared! Today we have many electrical companies, not just a government monopoly one. And the result has been skyrocketing prices and plummeting quality. Same thing for public services in many of our cities. In Oslo the city practically stops with the first snow every year. This only became a problem once street cleaning became privatized. What's more, the city pays more for the service and gets less. Not only are the streets closed by snow fairly easily now. But the trash is incredibly poorly handled. In most or all other cities they sort the trash and recycle a lot. Here in Oslo they don't. And the people who work with renovation only empty garbage bins. If one has spilled over they won't touch it. The residents have to do that.
Privatization is not always the best solution. Sure, some people will tell you that it is, but it's only their opinion. And while there are examples of private being better than public this is NOT universal. Take the place my father is working. It's a public school for the mentally handicapped. It's known for it's exceptional competence and skill. They're efficient, and have turned the school into a money machine by combining education, rehabilitation and more with public services. The users there will make firewood. And do odd jobs. The result is that the school has a surplus of money.
Another school like it only a couple of hours away is a dump. They don't manage to keep the buildings in shape. They don't manage to deliver half the quality of service my father's school does. Both are public, one is exceptionally successful, the other struggles due to poor management.
There are examples of privatized homes for senior citizens who break laws and have very dangerous practices just to cut corners and make a profit. Private is not always the solution.
In fact, everyone loses, not just you. You are restricted to making it anymore than anyone else, which is why Socialism fails. Equal misery, bud. Yep, that's good ol' Socialism for ya!
Really?
You know what happens here? We all get an education for free. And we don't have to pay for health insurance. We get free healthcare in all of Europe through the public insurance. The Scandinavian nations are as competitive and well developed as we are. We're also exceptionally free. But even when freedom isn't as present as here socialism can give great benefits. Cuban educational system went from the worst to the best in all of Latin America after the revolution. Scandinavia has the highest average level of education in the world. Wouldn't you think that if Socialism was as bad as you claim a highly educated population would shun it and turn to better alternatives?
Why hasn't that happened then?
He's a typical anti-socialist because I provide a list of even halfway decent ideas and the best he can do is sit back, suck his thumb, and say "THEY SUCK!" No reasons except for some half-hearted appeal to liberty or freedom and snide comments
Are you surprised? Many Americans are still living in the McArty era paranoia. Socialism turns into something evil solely by the power of propaganda and association. They're misinformed. But don't like to get to hear it when that is pointed out. Socialism is not an evil which must be combated. It can, I am sure, be harmful under the wrong leaders. But any system is and can be that.
