Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : President Barack Obama -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: RetiredNow who wrote (144277)

7/10/2014 11:40:34 AM

From: koan

Respond to of 149317

What all western democracies have is democratic socialism.

And it is a lot better to let qualified people make decisions about programs like education, or economics than the masses.

In democracies we vote in people with experience to represent us.

<<

koan,
take a vote and 99% of tax paying American parents will vote FOR taxation to improve our educational system, as long as that increase in taxes goes ONLY to education. That is a GREAT example of Democracy and free markets in action. If the people want something and are willing to pay for it, then that is consistent with free markets and elected representatives to carry out the people's wishes.

Now, contrast that with Socialism. In Socialism, a few people in power decide what the people want, usually influenced by some slim majority of unhappy citizens, then they implement those policies against the wishes of close to 50% of the population. Unfortunately, since many people don't want those policies, they have to devise enforcement mechanisms, increasingly more autocratic and brutal police forces that are militarized, increasingly Orwellian spy apparati that are pointed at their own people, and ultimately making examples out of people through incarceration or intimidation. Socialism and Communism in history is most closely associated with the loss of freedom and the destruction of property rights, so that the government can enforce deeply unpopular policies.

To: RetiredNow who wrote (144277)	7/10/2014 12:59:37 PM
From: ChinuSFO	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 149317

Don't you think we should follow the model of Western socialism such as in Germany, France etc. instead of looking at South American systems. Aren't these the "rheusus monkeys" of our systems with a comparable level of economic systems, level of education of the masses etc. Why compare with South America? Same as conducting drug trials on rhesus monkeys and not any monkey since the genetics of all the monkeys are not the same as humans. (Sorry if you knew this already. I know right wingers read this also and I did not want them to run away after reading this thinking I am comparing socialism to monkeys :)