The benefits of socialism

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We should eradicate all elements of socialism in America. Which is why I propose the following:

1) The end of public and mandatory education. Education should be left only to private institutions or home schooling.

2) The end of a standing national military. Volunteer militias were good enough for the founding fathers, it should be good enough for us.

3) Public transit. Get the government out of our highways and roads, we can auction off our roads, highways, and freeways to private institutions and individuals. And we can pay regular subscription fees to utilize them.

4) Public libraries. Libraries are dying institutions anyway, but even still for too long we've allowed library welfare queens and kings use books for free, and it's sucking this nation dry.

5) Publicly funded police and fire departments. Americans should learn to pick themselves up by their own bootstraps instead of relying on the government to protect them from crime or fire.

Hopefully we can all agree that socialism is evil and we should do away with every aspect of it, as Socialism breeds godlessness and dependence on the government to solve our problems.

-CryptoLutheran
 
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JackRT

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The benefits of socialism:

1. Reduced standard of living
2. Poverty
3. Joblessness
4. Disincentives for entrepreneurship

Do I need to go on? Socialism is generally a bad thing.

Socialism has worked extremely well in many nations --- Sweden, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands, Canada and quite a number more.
 
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Mountainmanbob

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If we had socialism up here on the mountain top the goats would demand their own room (in the house.)

And they don't even work, that's why they like socialism.

They would be eating high on the hog -- my hog.

M-Bob
 
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OldWiseGuy

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Not the point!

Someone said that people were getting more stupid. I posted evidence that suggested otherwise. Your reply - that more people are using and dying from opiods - is not really an effective counterargument since it clearly could the case that increased use is not a result of increased stupidity, but rather increased access.

That's just one metric of American stupidity.
 
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Doctor.Sphinx

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If we had socialism up here on the mountain top the goats would demand their own room (in the house.)

And they don't even work, that's why they like socialism.

They would be eating high on the hog -- my hog.

M-Bob
That's why all the smart goats aspire to migrate to countries like Sweden, Norway, Denmark, The Netherlands and Canada. :)
 
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expos4ever

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That's just one metric of American stupidity.
Look, all I did was challenge the assertion that people are getting more stupid. And I presented reasonable (non-anecdotal) evidence to support my position.

Please answer directly: do you believe people are becoming more stupid, on average?
 
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OldWiseGuy

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Look, all I did was challenge the assertion that people are getting more stupid. And I presented reasonable (non-anecdotal) evidence to support my position.

Please answer directly: do you believe people are becoming more stupid, on average?

Yes, but that's my subjective opinion. There is also a pervasive nuttiness that infects our minds resulting in screwy thinking. :confused:

I don't base this on a comparison with past ages but on where we should be as a species compared to where we are. There is no excuse for it except stupidity, or mental problems.
 
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JackRT

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Look, all I did was challenge the assertion that people are getting more stupid. And I presented reasonable (non-anecdotal) evidence to support my position.

Please answer directly: do you believe people are becoming more stupid, on average?

With the dramatic increase in population in the past century the number of stupid people has risen in direct proportion to the population increase. Secondly, there has been an equally dramatic rise in communications, so we hear about these people much more often. In the old days everyone knew about the village idiot but that knowledge didn't usually get out of the village. So, my answer is no.
 
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Doctor.Sphinx

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With the dramatic increase in population in the past century the number of stupid people has risen in direct proportion to the population increase. Secondly, there has been an equally dramatic rise in communications, so we hear about these people much more often. In the old days everyone knew about the village idiot but that knowledge didn't usually get out of the village. So, my answer is no.
But what about the theory that idiocity is contagious, and spread via communication? So in olden times where a village idiot might have infected only the village, in our brave new world, he may infect the entire nation and beyond?
 
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Dave-W

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JackRT

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But what about the theory that idiocity is contagious, and spread via communication? So in olden times where a village idiot might have infected only the village, in our brave new world, he may infect the entire nation and beyond?

Good point! May I suggest we term it "The Donald Trump Syndrome" or the DTs for short.
 
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John Bowen

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No more " isms " there is what works and what doesn't work . All " isms " are man made systems that allow a small elite to rule over the people.That era ended with the Soviet Union and communism. Which is the opposite of capitalism where instead of government running means of production .Business controls means of production through government laws that create monopolies .Both words coined by Karl Marx . That's why 2 % own 90% of all the wealth not since slavery have we seen such a income gap. Direct Democracy is the future where the people who live in the country know whats best for them and their nation.Not mega corporations with no loyalty to any country through their puppet politicians . We the people vote on major issues and a reduced congress carries out the will of the people.
 
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OldWiseGuy

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No more " isms " there is what works and what doesn't work . All " isms " are man made systems that allow a small elite to rule over the people.That era ended with the Soviet Union and communism. Which is the opposite of capitalism where instead of government running means of production .Business controls means of production through government laws that create monopolies .Both words coined by Karl Marx . That's why 2 % own 90% of all the wealth not since slavery have we seen such a income gap. Direct Democracy is the future where the people who live in the country know whats best for them and their nation.Not mega corporations with no loyalty to any country through their puppet politicians . We the people vote on major issues and a reduced congress carries out the will of the people.

Representative democracy seeks to make policies that benefit everyone regardless of party. Direct democracy is nothing but mob rule, where the slimmest majority can disenfranchise the slimmest minority. Not a good idea.
 
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John Bowen

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Representative government was needed when communication was horseback and the people lived far away from cities.And most people couldn't read or write.Today's world we have instant communication all the worlds knowledge at our fingertips. It won't be perfect there will be mistakes , but people will have to take responsibility for themselves which is the essence of growth. And they can re-vote on a issue if it doesn't work out. Representatives no longer represent the ordinary people when it takes millions to runs for congress and the senate 1 billion to run for president ?. They are working for the lobbyists who are getting paid by the Mega -corporations who aren't loyal to any country.Its been proven in Sweden .
 
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Shempster

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Socialism WOULD be the best way for a large society to work if it wasn't for the greed of those in charge.
If people gave 90% and got back 50% of it, they might be ok with it. Much of Europe works this way.
But the problem lies with the greed of the "leaders". They want to take 90% and give back 10%. They want to have absolute power and control and live in palaces while the people starve.
Modern examples of this are North Korea and Venezuela.
I have always respected the society of the American Indians. They had a philosophy that nobody owns anything, but all work together for the common good. Unfortunately, when resources dwindled, they attacked neighboring tribes. Guess you can't win 'em all.
 
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Doctor.Sphinx

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Socialism WOULD be the best way for a large society to work if it wasn't for the greed of those in charge.
If people gave 90% and got back 50% of it, they might be ok with it. Much of Europe works this way.
But the problem lies with the greed of the "leaders". They want to take 90% and give back 10%. They want to have absolute power and control and live in palaces while the people starve.
Modern examples of this are North Korea and Venezuela.
I have always respected the society of the American Indians. They had a philosophy that nobody owns anything, but all work together for the common good. Unfortunately, when resources dwindled, they attacked neighboring tribes. Guess you can't win 'em all.
You can have the same effect without socialism. People use 50% (or what other amount they determine) for themselves, and use the balance for helping others. It's called charity, and it comes with the added benefit of not requiring government sanctioned theft (also known as taxation). Also, it encourages people to work for a living rather than mooching off the government, it doesn't provide so much incentive for thieves and conmen to get into government, and should thieves and conmen ever get into government anyway (as they tend to), it's still that much more difficult to steal.
 
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JackRT

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In a recent study on "which nations are the most democratic?", they ranked Norway in first place, Canada and Denmark tied in fifth place and the U.S.A. placed twenty first. It would seem that modern socialism is entirely compatible with democracy.
 
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TheNorwegian

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The socialist countries of northern Europe are held as examples of the success of socialism. However most enjoy the benefits of huge trade surpluses that bolster their economies, largely from trading with the U.S. Without these surpluses their economies would look much different.

Is this what most Americans think? Less than 5% of Norway's export goes to the US
2018-05-15
 
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