Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Kapture1]

None of those are socialist countries, either, if you go by the formal definition. They're just countries in which markets and capitalism aren't concepts carried through to an illogical extreme.

correct. think 3/4 of the way between a free market and socialism.

Gotta look at when the state takes control of the means of production, and kills the productive farmers for the crime of being too well off and owning property, which results in the starvation death of millions. The soviets had to produce posters which stated "To eat your own children is a barbarian act".


I never understood why it was acceptable to wave around the soviet flag, but not the Nazi one. I guess other than the racism of the Nazis. But the communists were far more murderous, responsible for over 100,000,000 deaths of innocent civilians in the last 100 years, between Lenin, Stalin, and Mao. But I can't help but seeing the death toll behind that hammer and sickle, to me, it is just as bad as the swastika.

[SeattleLionsFan]

There is a difference between communism and socialism.

[Da Geezer]

The market tanked when news broke Flynn would testify that he was operating on Trump's direct orders...apparently from before the election too from the little bit I heard

I've heard nothing about any contact with the Russians prior to November 9, 2016 by anyone in the Trump campaign.

[THE_WIZARD_]

There is a difference between communism and socialism.

Communism and socialism are economic and political structures that promote equality and seek to eliminate social classes. ... but in a communist society, the working class owns everything, and everyone works toward the same communal goal.

There will be a quiz next week.

[Kapture1]

There is a difference between communism and socialism.

correct.

Lenin was quoted as saying "the goal of socialism is communism"

[Da Geezer]

Let's move abruptly to have this discussion on an appropriate level, if most of us are amenable? My response above was intentionally as stupid as the post SLF was replying to. Each country has its own set of factors. Norway's resources-to-population ratio is off the charts and its success as a socialist democracy holds no takeaways for anyone else. Norwegians are just lucky.

IMO it's a question of finding the sweet spot between markets and capitalism, and determining what outcomes should be market outcomes and what outcomes should not. That's basic Adam Smith there. He didn't believe the invisible hand applied to as many things as Americans do today. But an intelligent debate first needs participants that understand the difference between markets, which are pro-competition, and capitalism, which is anti-competitive. If some people want to call that socialism, then I like socialism. If people want to instead just take the ideas for what they are, and forget the crude labeling, that's even better.

For what I believe is the 131st time, the bolded statement is categorically untrue, and no economist of any ilk, socialist or capitalist would ever accept it. As usual, because something exists in your head does not ipso facto make it true. And then you have the gall to say we can't have a debate unless all the other persons in the world accept your lonely, and ignorant interpretation of economics.

From Investopedia:
What is 'Capitalism'
Capitalism is an economic system in which capital goods are owned by private individuals or businesses. The production of goods and services is based on supply and demand in the general market (market economy), rather than through central planning (planned economy or command economy). The purest form of capitalism is free market or laissez-faire capitalism, in which private individuals are completely unrestrained in determining where to invest, what to produce or sell, and at which prices to exchange goods and services, operating without check or controls. Most modern countries practice a mixed capitalist system of some sort that includes government regulation of business and industry.

Read more: Capitalism https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c...#ixzz502eXmZtd
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What is 'Socialism'
Socialism is a populist economic and political system based on the public ownership (also known as collective or common ownership) of the means of production. Those means include the machinery, tools and factories used to produce goods that aim to directly satisfy human needs.

In a purely socialist system, all legal production and distribution decisions are made by the government, and individuals rely on the state for everything from food to healthcare. The government determines output and pricing levels of these goods and services.

Socialists contend that shared ownership of resources and central planning provide a more equal distribution of goods and services, and a more equitable society.

Read more: Socialism https://www.investopedia.com/terms/s...#ixzz502fgFnpg
Follow us: Investopedia on Facebook

Hack, I'll pay for you to take an Econ 101 course at a JC or community college near you. Maybe your inability to understand basic economic terms is the reason you have so much trouble holding a job. You are the only person I've ever heard of that says markets are competitive but capitalism in anti-competitive, when free markets are a necessary precondition for capitalism. Have you ever taken a college level Econ course?

[THE_WIZARD_]

US is somewhere in between capitalism and socialism...inching more toward the latter every year...

[Wild Hoss]

You are inching toward senility, day by day.

[crashcourse]

marching is more like it

[hack]

I highly doubt Wiz manages to be upright for more than three days in a row. Inching is most likely, therefore.

[SeattleLionsFan]

correct.

Lenin was quoted as saying "the goal of socialism is communism"

I'm still confused as to your point. Stalin killed millions. Mao killed millions. They were authoritarian despots in a communist political system.

Justin Trudeau has killed no one, cries just thinking about it, and is democratically elected in a country that "socialized" its medical system. The danger to creating mountains of bodies is authortarianism, not government regulation.

[hack]

Maybe your inability to understand basic economic terms is the reason you have so much trouble holding a job.

I pay my own way. Haven't been on anyone's payroll for 12 years. Managed it through my wife's grad degree, even. I won't be getting rich any time soon thanks to the journalism's being disrupted and all, so you'll have to forgive the occasional whinge, but I make a living and don't get all snowflakey like people on your side of the spectrum do about our changing economy. I shut up and grind it out, like you Trump types only do in your fantasy versions of your own lives.

And, since we're getting a bit personal here, which is probably unwise and shouldn't be repeated, I'll point out that I didn't get any help from daddy like you did, and I don't create victims along the way, like you do.

[crashcourse]

so trump told Flynn to contact the Russians after the election--as most winning teams do when they begin their transition

and I guess Flynn asked for a delay in a vote regarding a middle east issue and that the Russians not get too excited about their loss of personnel at the embassy again after the election

and now Flynn has 1 count it ONE charge of lying to the fbi which shouldn't be surprising since he lied to more then a few people it sounds like

still waiting for the results from Mueller regarding what he was appointed to do investigate--- collusion regarding the election between trump and the Russians

I predict

::crickets::

but its sure got all those CNN folk in a masturbating frenzy

[froot loops]

That comment by Da Geezer was a real POS comment.

[iam416]

Correct