So....

[planosteve]

Socialism: The government controls everything.

Democratic Socialism: The government controls everything, but you get to vote for which dictator you want.

Correct..there is no difference.

Bernie Sanders made the term up.

The modifier may sound good, but it changes nothing.

Bullshit! No government controls everything. Under socialism the govt. controls only the means of production. Look it up!

[GFB]

Only the “means of production.”

Which of course means..everything.

[planosteve]

Only the “means of production.”

Which of course means..everything.

No, it means industries that manufacture things. It doesn't run the private economy. The reason it doesn't work is because is doesn't create industries, it just takes them over. So, it's economy soon lags behind the rest of the free market countries who create the new industries.

[GFB]

Only the “means of production.”

Which of course means..everything.

No, it means industries that manufacture things. It doesn't run the private economy. The reason it doesn't work is because is doesn't create industries, it just takes them over. So, it's economy soon lags behind the rest of the free market countries who create the new industries.

There is no “private economy.”

[Mark]

Socialism: The government controls everything.

Democratic Socialism: The government controls everything, but you get to vote for which dictator you want.

You get to vote for your dictator the first time. After that, every election is predetermined and stolen from the people, kind of like the Democrats now do in America.

[Mark]

Leftism, Marxism, Socialism, and Communism are all the same thing. They all lead to the same place, which is complete government control over and oppression of the individual. Any modifier you put in front of any of the above terms makes no difference whatsoever.

[rusty]

Socialism: The government controls everything.

Democratic Socialism: The government controls everything, but you get to vote for which dictator you want.

Bernie Sanders made the term up.

No, he didn't. But you knew that.

[jellowrestling]

I think most ot you are confusing Socialism with Democratic Socialism.

Actually, you're likely smart enough to know the difference, but it doesn't fit your narrative. But maybe not. Maybe you' really are as dumb as you appear to be. The Shadow knows.

I think that you should explain the distinction to us, because all I see is "Socialism", either way.

[Mark]

I think most ot you are confusing Socialism with Democratic Socialism.

Actually, you're likely smart enough to know the difference, but it doesn't fit your narrative. But maybe not. Maybe you' really are as dumb as you appear to be. The Shadow knows.

I think that you should explain the distinction to us, because all I see is "Socialism", either way.

And when you vote for Socialism, you get Communism. Just ask any man on the street in Venezuela. Just don't get in his way when you ask him. He's busy chasing down rats for tonight's supper.

[rusty]

I think most ot you are confusing Socialism with Democratic Socialism.

Actually, you're likely smart enough to know the difference, but it doesn't fit your narrative. But maybe not. Maybe you' really are as dumb as you appear to be. The Shadow knows.

I think that you should explain the distinction to us, because all I see is "Socialism", either way.

And when you vote for Socialism, you get Communism. Just ask any man on the street in Venezuela. Just don't get in his way when you ask him. He's busy chasing down rats for tonight's supper.

Venezuela? It was just a matter of time before that example reared it's head. LOL!

[GFB]

I think most ot you are confusing Socialism with Democratic Socialism.

Actually, you're likely smart enough to know the difference, but it doesn't fit your narrative. But maybe not. Maybe you' really are as dumb as you appear to be. The Shadow knows.

I think that you should explain the distinction to us, because all I see is "Socialism", either way.

And when you vote for Socialism, you get Communism. Just ask any man on the street in Venezuela. Just don't get in his way when you ask him. He's busy chasing down rats for tonight's supper.

Between 1988 and 1991, I had a number of trips to Venezuela. It was always the wealthiest and best country in South America. We knew we were in for a good time.

I had to go back in 2016. We stayed and worked somewhere where the government and the few rich people that remained, still lived in luxury.

But the the drive from the Caracas airport to our hotel..was beyond belief. The former tropical paradise was now worse than hell.

[GFB]

Venezuela is the perfect example of what Socialism is..and what happens.

The reason is..it had a thriving economy, much of that from being an oil rich country.

I also saw the pattern in reverse..having spent time in East Berlin and also Leipzig and Dresden when all three were still the “East.”

Then we returned to all three just 10 years after the wall came down.

Darkness became light..literally. Beautiful places to visit now.

[Mark]

Indeed, "All Leftists lack critical thinking skills."

Indeed, "All Leftists are beyond brain-dead stupid."

Indeed, "All Leftists are completely effing stupid."

[jellowrestling]

I'm still waiting for the numerous examples of successful Socialist countries.

[GFB]

I'm still waiting for the numerous examples of successful Socialist countries.

Uh..yuh!

[rusty]

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countr ... l-rankings

The above is very interesting. I'm sure that many of you will disagree with anything I say or show, and that's fine. You can look at the criteria that they use for the rankings yourself, but the three big metrics are entrepreneurship, quality of life, and citizenship.

The Top 10 on this list are:
1. Switzerland
2. Canada
3. Japan
4. Germany
5. Australia
6. United Kingdom
7. United States
8. Sweden
9. Netherlands
10. Norway

Out of this list, Germany, Sweden, Netherlands, and Norway would be top of the Democratic Socialist list, but Canada, Japan, and Australia have all been successful blending capitalism and socialism.

But ALL of them, with one glaring exception, have universal health care.

[jellowrestling]

The glory days for Sweden economically took place prior to the 1960s, when they had a free economy, low regulation and lots of wealth. Between 1870 and 1950, Sweden had the highest per capita income growth in the world and became one of the richest countries, behind only Switzerland, the U.S., and Denmark.

In the 1960s, Sweden started to redistribute wealth, which brought wealth creation to a halt. By the mid-1990s, the country had growing economic problems because it continued to redistribute wealth it wasn’t creating. It was at this juncture that many of the wealthy (ABBA band members included) and entrepreneurs were leaving Sweden. In 1994, Sweden began implementing the following measures designed to reverse this trend:

Reduce Regulation
Reduce Government Spending
Reform their Welfare Programs
Shrink their Government
Sweden has continued on this path for the last 24 years, which has brought them a modest rate of growth, but not nearly as robust as pre-60s levels due to government taxation remaining high.

https://fee.org/articles/is-sweden-socialist-no-but/

My wife went to school in Sweden in 1974-75. She told me that young people there were unmotivated because of the confiscatory taxation.

[jellowrestling]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffreydor ... 3779874ad3

[jellowrestling]

The success of Germany? Not because of Socialism:

First, labor unions did something that would be impossible in countries that have similar problems today — like France and Greece — as Germany did two decades ago: They let the market work by letting labor costs decrease rapidly, and, by international comparison, the economy became much more competitive — especially since labor costs increased in other European countries.

Second, a left-wing coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party surprisingly introduced important reforms called “Agenda 2010” in 2004. These reforms included cuts in income and corporate taxes, a decrease in pensions, and reductions in unemployment benefits. It cost Chancellor Gerhard Schröder the job because after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament, he and his SPD came in second in the next election — second to a woman for which the reforms didn’t go far enough: Angela Merkel. She thought that the state should get out of the lives of people even more than “Agenda 2010” intended. The economic policy of the German government should be: “Freedom, self-responsibility, more room to breathe.”

https://fee.org/articles/is-germany-suc ... socialism/

[rusty]

The success of Germany? Not because of Socialism:

First, labor unions did something that would be impossible in countries that have similar problems today — like France and Greece — as Germany did two decades ago: They let the market work by letting labor costs decrease rapidly, and, by international comparison, the economy became much more competitive — especially since labor costs increased in other European countries.

Second, a left-wing coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party surprisingly introduced important reforms called “Agenda 2010” in 2004. These reforms included cuts in income and corporate taxes, a decrease in pensions, and reductions in unemployment benefits. It cost Chancellor Gerhard Schröder the job because after losing a no-confidence vote in parliament, he and his SPD came in second in the next election — second to a woman for which the reforms didn’t go far enough: Angela Merkel. She thought that the state should get out of the lives of people even more than “Agenda 2010” intended. The economic policy of the German government should be: “Freedom, self-responsibility, more room to breathe.”

https://fee.org/articles/is-germany-suc ... socialism/

This info isn't from the 80's or the 90s, the 00s or the 10s. This is from last year.

As I said earlier, many of you won't agree. Many of you will try to debase this info. I don't care. Knock yourself out. I've got my opinion, you've got yours. If someone thinks they're the smartest guy in the room that's their biggest problem.

As a matter of fact, ANYBODY who thinks he knows more than anyone else in the school of public opinion, is woefully mistaken.

INDEED!!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!