United Socialist States of America - USSA

[Jeffwhosoever]

Let's consider a move to socialism in the USA. We'll call this thought experiment the USSA - the United Socialist States of America.

We'll need to make a few changes, however.

1. All income will be taxed at 95%. You won't need much, because government will be providing all your basic needs.

2. You relinquish all deeds and ownership of property and housing. You will receive your government provided allocation.

3. You will relinquish all ownership of automobiles, boats, and forms of personal transportation. The government will provide for your transportation to and from work, and from federal social gatherings and government owned entertainment facilities.

4. All corporations will cease to exist. The government now owns all forms of production, including manufacturing, services, banking, transportation, etc.

5. Wages are frozen effective immediately. Your salary will be determined by your fit to the needs of government and government's review of your contribution to society. Military personnel will be selected and controlled by the government, based on government needs.

6. All health care will be federally provided. When you require health care, you be given a national phone number to call to locate the nearest government health provider, and you will be given a date of your appointment based on resource availability.

7. All television programming will be provided by the federal government. You need not worry about having too many channels any more. All channels will carry the same programming.

8. All passports, VISAs, birth certificates, and forms of citizenship will be acquired and controlled by the federal government. You need not worry about whether someone is a citizen. Government will decide.

9. Your food will be provided weekly to your home. No need for wasting time shopping anymore. You will receive 5 pounds of food equivalent per week.

10. Religion will be suspended and evaluated by government. You will be allowed to worship in government facilities in the future, should government decide this is needed.

11. Finally, there are no more political parties nor elections. Government will decide future political leaders as selected by government authorities.

This ends your public broadcast message. Good night, Americans. Tommorow is another bright, red day.

Now, is this the future Americans want?

 

[stamperben]

The humor thread was shut down. Catch a clue.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

This isn't humor. This is for real, in response to a growing number in this subforum who advocate various degrees of socialism. I'm merely taking this to the ultimate conclusion to ask the fundamental question, is this where Ameicans want this country to go?

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

None of that is socialism either.

From the dictionary:

"any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods"

Reference: Socialism - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

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Repeat - this is a thought experiment that examines not a Presidential candidate, but the future direction of a Nation.

And make no mistake, this is a serious matter.

 

[SonOfTheWest]

From the dictionary:

"any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods"

Reference: Socialism - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

***************

Repeat - this is a thought experiment that examines not a Presidential candidate, but the future direction of a Nation.

Ah yes your education on the history and variations of socialism is complete comrade!

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

Seems less like a thought experiment and more like a forwarded email with incorrect use of terminology and very little actual thought.

Nope, entirely my own creation, but it is a thought experiment whether you would call it that or not. Of course, it is fictitious, otherwise it would not be a thought experiment.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

Thought Experiments

Thought experiments are devices of the imagination used to investigate the nature of things. Thought experimenting often takes place when the method of variation is employed in entertaining imaginative suppositions. They are used for diverse reasons in a variety of areas, including economics, history, mathematics, philosophy, and physics. Most often thought experiments are communicated in narrative form, sometimes through media like a diagram. Thought experiments should be distinguished from thinking about experiments, from merely imagining any experiments to be conducted outside the imagination, and from psychological experiments with thoughts. They should also be distinguished from counterfactual reasoning in general, as they seem to require an experimental element.

Reference: Thought Experiments (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy)

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

My contention - there is a subversive change happening that if allowed to progress will fundamentally shift the direction of a free republic in a dangerous and catastrophic series of events over time. These gradual shifts to socialism are either ignored due to ignorance or carelessness, or are politically embraced as a panacea for problems of our time.

I fundamentally want to know if this is where we want to head as a Nation.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

Just like the incorrect signature I imagine.

No, that came from a search of Google images, but it is one many that appear on the first search page result. I see many others in this forum with RMONEY and such that I can't believe it to be a forum violation.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

Am I alone in my concern?

 

[Wolseley]

Now, is this the future Americans want?

It's not the future this American wants, because if it happens I'll either be living in a cave with twenty other guys and re-loading ammunition by hand to use against the socialists, or else I'll be departing by whatever means necessary for someplace like Tierra del Fuego.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

No. Obama is however taking the first steps in that direction, hence the alarm and reasons we should think this through.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

I have identified those in another thread. Let's get back to the thought experiment. Please obey forum rules.

 

[Grizzly]

Can anyone please name one single thing Obama has socialized? Just one!

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

Obamacare is one step towards socialized health care. Many on here say we should go further to one national health care plan.

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

This sounds fitting to this discussion, but only refer to the OP.

http://www.christianforums.com/t7689271/

 

[Yekcidmij]

Can anyone please name one single thing Obama has socialized? Just one!

The losses of failed large cap companies.

 

[Illuminaughty]

2. You relinquish all deeds and ownership of property and housing. You will receive your government provided allocation.

A socialist system doesn't necessitate taking away peoples houses or personal property. It simply demands that the means of production are owned collectively.

3. You will relinquish all ownership of automobiles, boats, and forms of personal transportation. The government will provide for your transportation to and from work, and from federal social gatherings and government owned entertainment facilities.

What does that have to do with socialism?

4. All corporations will cease to exist. The government now owns all forms of production, including manufacturing, services, banking, transportation, etc.

Owned collectively not necessarily by a government. Anarcho-socialism for example has no room for government to begin with. Some socialists go more for collectives, communes, or syndicates rather than handing everything over to the federal government too.

5. Wages are frozen effective immediately. Your salary will be determined by your fit to the needs of government and government's review of your contribution to society. Military personnel will be selected and controlled by the government, based on government needs.

Why does socialism necessitate this in your view?

6. All health care will be federally provided. When you require health care, you be given a national phone number to call to locate the nearest government health provider, and you will be given a date of your appointment based on resource availability.

A modern socialist country would probably have NHC program but such a program in and itself isn't specifically "socialist". Most the first world capitalist countries have such programs too.

7. All television programming will be provided by the federal government. You need not worry about having too many channels any more. All channels will carry the same programming.

Where did you get the idea that this would be specifically "socialist" ?

continued...

 

[Illuminaughty]

8. All passports, VISAs, birth certificates, and forms of citizenship will be acquired and controlled by the federal government. You need not worry about whether someone is a citizen. Government will decide.

What does that have to do with socialism? something like that could just as easily be done by a capitalist.

Also, isn't it normally the government that handles issues of citizenship?

9. Your food will be provided weekly to your home. No need for wasting time shopping anymore. You will receive 5 pounds of food equivalent per week.

That's not a defining or necessary characteristic of socialism either. You are just coming up with things you don't like and labeling them socialist.

10. Religion will be suspended and evaluated by government. You will be allowed to worship in government facilities in the future, should government decide this is needed.

You should go check out the Socialist Party USA. Socialism doesn't demand the abolition of the first amendment nor are the democratic socialists of this country working for that.

11. Finally, there are no more political parties nor elections. Government will decide future political leaders as selected by government authorities.

Have you ever even heard of the term Democratic Socialism before?

 

[Jeffwhosoever]

What does that have to do with socialism? something like that could just as easily be done by a capitalist.

Also, isn't it normally the government that handles issues of citizenship?

That's not a defining or necessary characteristic of socialism either. You are just coming up with things you don't like and labeling them socialist.

You should go check out the Socialist Party USA. Socialism doesn't demand the abolition of the first amendment nor are the democratic socialists of this country working for that.

Have you ever even heard of the term Democratic Socialism before?

No, what is Democratic Socialism?