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Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Monty Lenard who wrote (126755)	10/24/2000 11:36:16 AM
From: stribe30	Respond to of 1578938

OT Monty, I feel you're getting your definitions mixed up. you're confusing socialism with the welfare state... From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary -- Welfare State: 1 : a social system based on the assumption by a political state of primary responsibility for the individual and social welfare of its citizens 2 : a nation or state characterized by the operation of the welfare state system Socialism: 1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods 2 : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state" ----- The Welfare State may be implemented by social democratic or socialist countries.. but that does not mean it is a socialist-exlcusive system. For example, The U.S. Social Security Act (1935) established unemployment compensation, retirement insurance, and federal assistance for state welfare programs. This act was brought in by Franklin Roosevelt, who I doubt many would claim was a socialist. (This gets back to my earlier argument saying your broad definition of socialism would include the US in it as well) In fact.. I would argue FDR was the first strong supporter of the welfare state... so my argument is you will find the welfare state has just as much root in liberal political thought and liberalism as it does socialism or social democratic thought. My point is; you may not agree with it because it goes against your absolute free market, laissez-faire, capitalist theories... and thats fine.. but there are those among you that also believe in a free market and capitalism, but capitalism with a compassionate side.. and that does not automatically make us socialists or communists bent on enslaving the world.