What is this thing called socialism?

[isshinwhat]

I'll bite...

“But what if Socialism has really been so tempered and modified as to the class struggle and private ownership that there is in it no longer anything to be censured on these points? Has it thereby renounced its contradictory nature to the Christian religion? This is the question that holds many minds in suspense. And numerous are the Catholics who, although they clearly understand that Christian principles can never be abandoned or diminished seem to turn their eyes to the Holy See and earnestly beseech Us to decide whether this form of Socialism has so far recovered from false doctrines that it can be accepted without the sacrifice of any Christian principle and in a certain sense be baptized. That We, in keeping with Our fatherly solicitude, may answer their petitions, We make this pronouncement: Whether considered as a doctrine, or an historical fact, or a movement, Socialism, if it remains truly Socialism, even after it has yielded to truth and justice on the points which we have mentioned, cannot be reconciled with the teachings of the Catholic Church because its concept of society itself is utterly foreign to Christian truth.” ((Encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, May 15, 1931, n. 117)

JOHN XXIII (1958-1963):
“Pope Pius XI further emphasized the fundamental opposition between Communism and Christianity, and made it clear that no Catholic could subscribe even to moderate Socialism. The reason is that Socialism is founded on a doctrine of human society which is bounded by time and takes no account of any objective other than that of material well-being. Since, therefore, it proposes a form of social organization which aims solely at production, it places too severe a restraint on human liberty, at the same time flouting the true notion of social authority.” (Encyclical Mater et Magistra, May 15, 1961, n. 34)

 

[Virgil the Roman]

Perhaps, instead, we could adopt Distributism, Communitarianism, subsidiarity, localism, and encourage the formation of local coops and co-operatives (and such like movements). This would be the most 'Catholic' of economic systems.

 

[Stars of the Pharaohs]

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[MoreCoffee]

The question is does the poster think the action being discussed will lead to socialism or is the poster describing the action as socialism. Anyway Marxism is pure socialism and then you have many shades of gray as one moves from Marxism to Capitalism. The question then becomes how gray is your country?

Well no. Marxism is quite distinct from socialism. Marxism is usually called communism. It's main thesis is that all of the means of production are to be in the hands of the proletariat and that private property is outmoded, a thing to be repressed in favour of communal ownership. Neither of these things is the agenda of socialism as it exists in the nations I have previously mentioned:

• Germany
• Norway
• Sweden
• Finland
• Australia
• Canada

 

[Leap]

Socialism is an economic system characterised by social ownership and cooperative management of the means of production, and a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to cooperative enterprises, common ownership, direct public ownership or autonomous state enterprises. There are many varieties of socialism and there is no single definition encapsulating all of them. They differ in the type of social ownership they advocate, the degree to which they rely on markets versus planning, how management is to be organised within economic enterprises, and the role of the state in constructing socialism.

This is what happens when people try to use a word to mean all manner of things that stray from its core use; the core of "Socialism" being a planned consumerist economy driven by need (as opposed to Capitalism, which is a market-based consumerist economy driven by profit motive).

 

[MoreCoffee]

This is what happens when people try to use a word to mean all manner of things that stray from its core use; the core of "Socialism" being a planned consumerist economy driven by need (as opposed to Capitalism, which is a market-based consumerist economy driven by profit motive).

No. The definition is what happens when people actually read and understand the political theory behind the various forms of socialism that already exist in the western democracies.

What people get when they use words to play politics is the silly debates we have on OBOB where the President of the USA is called a communist and a Muslim and non-American-born etcetera.

 

[Stars of the Pharaohs]

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[Leap]

No. The definition is what happens when people actually read and understand the political theory behind the various forms of socialism that already exist in the western democracies.

What people get when they use words to play politics is the silly debates we have on OBOB where the President of the USA is called a communist and a Muslim and non-American-born etcetera.

Socialism means a specific thing. The "hierarchy-less" common ownership concept is not Socialism, its Communism. Socialism is centrally planned, by a small group, in order to meet consumerist need. It is opposed to Capitalism, which is a market economy to meet consumerist desire and carried out for profit motive.

Trust me, I live in Britain. I know what Socialism is in practice.

 

[S.ilvio]

Trust me, I live in Britain. I know what Socialism is in practice.

Care to give us an example..?

 

[Blackwater Babe]

That's all well and good, MC, but here on OBOB the terms "Marxism", "socialism", "communism" and "progressivism" all mean "a polititian wants to raise taxes (or eliminate loopholes) on the rich and/or make the government responsible for providing a service it didn't provide before".

You forgot "take away our guns!" and "make same sex marriage and abortion mandatory!"

 

[Blackwater Babe]

I'll bite...

Oh yeah, and don't forget, Marxism, Communism, and Socialism are all interchangeable synonyms.

 

[MoreCoffee]

Conspiracies abound when one is in the right wing. Those wicked communists (aka Socialists aka Democrats aka Europeans) are out to get our beloved and free nation, chain us in the bonds of inequity, and make us all immoral communists!

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

I have no problem living in a socialist democracy, but as is now, it's nothing more than a pipe dream.

 

[Stars of the Pharaohs]

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[S.ilvio]

Conspiracies abound when one is in the right wing. Those wicked communists (aka Socialists aka Democrats aka Europeans) are out to get our beloved and free nation, chain us in the bonds of inequity, and make us all immoral communists!

We evil Europeans have delegated that job to your Mozzzlem, Black President. Hadn't you noticed...

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

We evil Europeans have delegated that job to your Mozzzlem, Black President. Hadn't you noticed...

I don't think what's going on in Europe is a laughing matter.

 

[S.ilvio]

I don't think what's going on in Europe is a laughing matter.

Note the text of my post and it may be an indication as to the reason for my laughter.

Laughter is a wonderful tonic. We don't do enough of it...

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

Note the text of my post and it may be an indication as to the reason for my laughter.

Laughter is a wonderful tonic. We don't do enough of it...

I wonder why....

 

[S.ilvio]

I wonder why....

So lets get laughing...:

Father Ted - Graham Norton - Tony- YouTube

 

[Brooklyn Knight]

Anchorman - Bears Can Smell the Menstruation (brick tamland) - YouTube