Quote:
Originally Posted by Willravel
Socialism is a political and economic theory centered around the idea that means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned/regulated by the community. You can't think President Obama is borderline socialist if you don't know what socialism means.
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Your definition lacks precision. Based on the above definition capitalism would fall under your definition of socialism. The means of production, distribution and exchange under any economic system is owned/regulated by the community. Example: A corporation only exists based on community standards that allow it to exist. A corporation transacts business only based on community standards that allow it to transact business. Corporate ownership is grounded in members of a community. Consumers, employees (means of production) is the community. All other forms of business have similar characteristics. In the US, private property ownership only has value to the degree that the collective "community" allows for private ownership.
In my view socialism is a vague state between decentralized and centralized control of the means, distribution and exchange of production. In my view pure capitalism is total decentralization. Pure communism is total centralized control. I don't think any society can achieve pure states of either capitalism or communism. In my view a socialist lacks confidence in free market forces to create equilibrium. In my view Obama generally accepts free market concepts, but feels economic and social issues require more centralized control rather than less to create what is in his view, fairness.
So, you are correct - I don't know what "socialism" means to you. And as usual, rather than asking for elaboration, we throw around insults.
---------- Post added at 10:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:21 PM ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by ratbastid
Wow. You actually really DON'T read my posts, do you?
I mean, it SEEMED like you didn't, but... You actually have no idea what I'm referring to when I say "Ask Loki", do you?
I grant you, it was toward the end of the article I quoted, but still. Damn. I'm on ace's virtual ignore list. No god damn wonder.
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I am guilty of occasionally being obtuse. I don't read between the lines very well, and once we have established that I don't "get it", being cryptic doesn't help me. The reason I love my wife is that she goes real slow when....oh, never mind...let's just say she understands me.
---------- Post added at 10:29 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:26 PM ----------
Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Dunedan
No, Mr. Obama isn't a "borderline" Socialist, he isn't a "borderline" anything. He's a Socialist, period, and his administration's actions in the economic arena over the past 6 months amply demonstrate this.
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I am still giving Obama the benefit of the doubt. I need to see what he does under different economic conditions before I come to a firm conclusion.