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Non-Tech : Kirk's Market Thoughts -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Johnny Canuck who wrote (25297)	7/23/2025 9:46:11 PM
From: Elroy	2 Recommendations Recommended By Kirk © nicewatch Respond to of 27363

To: Johnny Canuck who wrote (25297)	7/23/2025 9:51:55 PM
From: Kirk ©	4 Recommendations Recommended By nicewatch Selectric II the traveler toccodolce Respond to of 27363

Your calling facts "right-wing conservative" is false but lying about the opposition when they are right is a familiar tactic of the far-left part of my registered political party... First off, Germany is not socialist. Germany is generally considered a social market economy, which is a form of capitalism with strong social welfare and regulatory elements. It's not purely socialist, nor is it a laissez-faire capitalist system. The German system balances free markets with government intervention to ensure social equity and stability. My guess is Germany might have less of a safety net than we have in California given we give free health insurance to just about anyone who can't afford it. Trump and Newsom say we can't afford to give it to illegal aliens anymore but there are thousands of politicians here trying to stop that change. How many Canadians come to Stanford, UCSF, and all the great Southern California hospitals for treatment they can't get in Canada before they die on a waiting list? Germany is #3 for GDP and California is #4 so they are fairly similar in many ways except we have a more diverse economy and would probably be larger if so many were not leaving CA for Texas. and your others are wrong too. AI Overview There are no countries today that fully embody a "pure" socialist system, where the state controls all means of production and resources. However, some countries have socialist-leaning policies and ideologies, often in combination with market-based economies. Examples include China, Cuba, and Vietnam, which have state-controlled economies but also allow for private enterprise. Additionally, some countries, like Sweden and Norway, have robust welfare states with strong social safety nets, but also operate with capitalist economies. and Distinction between "socialism" and "social democracy": . Social democracy, often seen in Scandinavian countries, emphasizes social justice and welfare within a capitalist framework. This is distinct from the more state-controlled socialist models. BTW, if Europe was so good, why don't they have as many inventions or lifesaving drugs as we have in the US? Last I heard they are having a very hard time giving away all the freebies now that they have an illegal immigration problem on the level or ours. Care to talk about ships trying to skuttle in Italian waters to get part of that country's social welfare freebies? How about the newly discovered racism and social tension in Ireland and the Netherlands? Trump can correctly argue Europe could AFFORD to pay for a strong safety net since they don't contribute enough of their GDP to defense and relies on Uncle Sugar to provide it for them. That is unwinding and even Germany will have a hard time competing with US autos (or Chinese EVs) without keeping their huge tariffs and trade barriers up. Basically, the "Social Democracies" of Europe, which are still capitalist, are running out of "other people's money" to pay for their safety nets as they will have to divert it to NATO.

To: Johnny Canuck who wrote (25297)	7/24/2025 7:03:22 AM
From: nicewatch	2 Recommendations Recommended By Kirk © toccodolce Respond to of 27363

You are naive to think we don't already have a mixed economy that includes socialistic systems for at least 100 years, and those systems have only expanded over time. FDR's Social Security system was piker-sized compared to how it works today, demographics aside. And now disability and other things which yes, gasp, some people abuse. LBJ greatly expanded the welfare state. How "right wing" was that? And most of those programs have expanded under both parties. I hope your next comment isn't the trope about the rich and their paying their fair share? :-)

To: Johnny Canuck who wrote (25297)	7/24/2025 7:09:22 AM
From: berniel	Respond to of 27363

Socialism takes away individual property rights. So that in itself excludes a class of people from prosperity. Or, Getting rich as you put it.

To: Johnny Canuck who wrote (25297)	7/24/2025 9:45:47 AM
From: Kirk ©	4 Recommendations Recommended By Augustus Gloop Selectric II the traveler tntpal Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 27363

Given you couldn't defend any of your three statements, I'll start with the most obvious that I said are BS. You wrote: In communism no one is poor. That is 100% wrong. I subscribe to the philosophy of Hanlon's Razor and will assume you are not tossing garbage into this forum to start fights out of boredom. en.wikipedia.org The former USSR proved "In communism EVERYONE is poor" except perhaps the leaders who did not turn over wealth stolen from the wealthy they put in jail or forced out of the country. Only the poor have to wait in bread lines and lines for daily necessities... Another good example is Cuba where they don't have private industry and support themselves with tourism and exporting agricultural products where they let selected people practice capitalism for the tourist dollars. Is Cuba still communist? AI Overview Yes, Cuba is still officially a communist state. It is governed as a one-party socialist state with the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) as the only legal political party. The country's constitution enshrines the leading role of the PCC and the country operates under an authoritarian government with limited civil liberties. While there have been some limited economic reforms allowing for some private sector activity, the state continues to dominate the economy. Here's a more detailed breakdown: One-party system: The PCC is the only political party allowed in Cuba, and it controls the government. Authoritarian rule: Political opposition is prohibited, and dissent is suppressed by the government. Socialist economy: The Cuban economy is largely planned and controlled by the state, though limited private enterprise has been permitted. Constitutional recognition: The Constitution of Cuba explicitly defines the country as a socialist state and acknowledges the leading role of the Communist Party. Limited freedoms: Independent media is suppressed, and basic civil liberties are severely restricted. Ongoing influence: While Fidel Castro's successor, Miguel Díaz-Canel, is now in power, Raul Castro still retains influence, particularly within the party. AI says a house in Cuba only costs about $36,989 in USD. We have a huge housing shortage and just 90 miles away in Cuba with great weather you can buy a home for $37K. Of course there are parts of Detroit, MI where you could buy some homes from their land bank for only $1,000... Uh, why did Detroit fail its people?