Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

It seems like one in three threads these days are about socialism... And that each of the OPP's members has an opinion concerning how it is being applied to America...

This weeks Definitions is dedicated to gaining a better understanding of what the term 'socialism' means to each of our members...

I invite all to share their perceptions and opinions on:

What is 'socialism'?

What are the dangers (if any) that it poses?

To what degree (if any) should it be allowed in the USA?

Weasel Loc: In the Great State Of Indiana!!

Better Yet, who here at OPP will be v****g Democrat In our next E******ns?
That says it all.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Not me... Cross my heart

MarvinSussman

FREE LUNCH!

Currently, over 75% of applications for military service are rejected for reasons of health and/or education. The cure? Let’s finance patients and students exactly as we finance soldiers: within the defense budget (where costs vanish!), with enough accountants, auditors, and sheriffs to fight waste, fraud, and abuse. (Yes! American families should still be able to buy their own health care and education in a totally free market, independently of any government program!)

For our defense, we need totally free healthcare for all and expense-paid education up to PhD! Cost? Other nations have government-financed healthcare and education with lower costs than those now saddled upon our young and old. Congress can also afford our needs! It fears only inflation, well-controlled by the Fed’s interest rate and by federal income tax. Increased federal taxes matter much less than our annual after-tax savings, also-called “deficit spending”, that pay for our imported goods and for our annual net domestic savings: money in the bank!

Yes! After-tax savings do indeed bring prosperity! World War II spending gave us our suburbs and 30 years of prosperity. Spending on the Marshall Plan, Korean War, Cold War, NASA, nuclear energy, Vietnam, etc., also contributed to post-war prosperity. Ask your grandmother!

Federal debt? As explained* by Ben S. Bernanke, Princeton economist and former Fed Chair, with Congress’ OK, the Fed can buy the federal debt directly from the Treasury! No problem!

With Social Security numbers identifying individuals, computers would manage everything with minimum personnel. Congress would negotiate prices and fees for all goods and services, pay everyone their just worth, and never ever send a bill for service to a patient or to a student!

Yes, there will be growing pains! Education will soon have all the necessary resources but healthcare will suffer scarcities, especially dentists, whom many of our poor have never seen. And there will not be enough rural hospitals and doctors. Until the system is fully grown, such scarcity will require a process of triage to set priorities. That is why “Free Lunch” healthcare would have to be implemented gradually, waiting for “Free Lunch” education’s new helpers!

Let’s start now by extending our Medicare to children up to age 19 and to students up to age 30. With their good health, we need only augment the current system. Annually, increase the entry age by two years (age 19 to age 21) and decrease the entry age by two years (age 67 to age 65). When possible, annually increase/decrease by three or more years, until EVERYONE has current Medicare. Then, dump the health insurance industry and declare all healthcare and education, with neighborhood nurseries, day-care, and Pre-K, to be totally free, cradle to grave!

Within ten years or so, if we can educate and build like China, there may be enough medical resources for slack to appear. By then, there should also be no more sk**led labor shortages. And much of our huge prison population could and should be trained to care for sick and old.

Totally free healthcare for all and totally free education at all levels, with just enough taxation to prevent harmful inflation, will increase deficit spending (after-tax savings!) and prosperity! Dump all the deficit hawks! Elect Social Democrats! Make America REALLY Great and Totally Free!

*https://www.brookings.edu/blog/ben-bernanke/2016/04/11/what-tools-does-the-fed-have-left-part-3-helicopter- money/
© 2018 Marvin Sussman. All rights reserved. Search: YouTube.com for Marvin Sussman!

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Some interesting ideas in there Marvin....

Am I reading correctly when I see you saying that we should train convicted felons to care for the elderly and sick?
And how would congress determine an individual's just worth?
And are you using China as an example of successful socialism?

Very interesting post...

ACP45 Loc: Rhode Island

You raise an interesting question CD, and one that probably cannot be answered in a brief post.

I'd like to add one observation that I have found that may contribute to this discussion.

Here is one definition of what Socialism means, as contrasted with C*******m: "A political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole is known as the socialism."

Is ownership of personal property allowed? Under C*******m, "No". Under Socialism, "Yes"

https://www.difference.wiki/c*******m-vs-socialism/

But here is where things start to get interesting.

Let's say you want to purchase a home. You buy it, and expect to enjoy the full "bundle of rights" that are associated with owning your own home. This is supposedly allowed under the economic system called Socialism.

Now entering the picture are "Urban planners (who) promote Smart Growth policies because they adhere to the dogma that urban sprawl (development projects) is a danger to the environment, increasing pollution and housing costs, creating more driving time and shopping stress. In addition, say planners, such “urban sprawl” uses up more natural resources and reduces open space."....

“Providing quality housing for people of all income levels is an integral component in any smart growth neighborhood. Housing diversity in terms of type and cost provides a healthy, diverse community. By using Smart Growth approaches to create a wider range of housing choices, municipalities can reduce the environmental costs of auto-dependent development, use their infrastructure resources more efficiently, ensure better balance of jobs, and housing, and generate a strong foundation of support for neighborhood t***sit, commercial centers and other services.”

"Smart Growth planners promote their schemes by insisting that Americans live the wrong way. And they use land use regulations to impose on others what they insist is the right way to live.

Listen to the sales pitch. In Omaha, Nebraska, the goal of its plan called Heartland 2050, according to its promoters, is to develop a strategic “vision” for the region’s development over the next 30 years to assure “proper growth.”

This massive plan will lay the ground rules for t***sportation, housing, jobs, property/land use, education, and even healthcare.

What does all of that mean? It means they intend to put a line around the communities involved and declare little or no growth outside that line. That means the focus for future housing will be for high density neighborhoods living in high-rise housing.

It means the use of private cars will be discouraged in favor of public t***sportation. How is that done? Several ways. Higher taxes on cars and on gasoline — and there is now a plan inside the Obama administration to tax the miles you drive."

Want to add a wood burning stove to your home to reduce your heating bill, ...Nope, it contributes to the pollution problem.

Want to sub-divide your lot and build a new home, Nope..."you would have to build a row house or apartment. In some cases, the restrictions were so strict that if your house burned down, you could not rebuild a single family home on the property."

Bottom line, Socialism and private property rights are incompatible. Read the article below to get a flavor of the conflicts, and ask yourself is this what the American public want? Is this what you want?

https://www.thenewamerican.com/reviews/opinion/item/19850-private-property-rights-and-socialism-do-not-mix

Morgan

Right there is the problem, you go by party and not to the credits of the person. Only Trump followers know who they are v****g for and what party, the rest of us on the side of reason waits to see all who are running.

Morgan

Great topic CD, which will probably get as intense as discussing what form of government are we? It is not an either yes or no answer. Maybe we should ask... who thinks using a social program equates to being defined as being socialistic, or believing in socialism? And what form of socialism, there are many and what are the differences in being a democratic socialist and a Marxist socialist?

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Great addition to the thread...
Will enjoy this article after I finish dinner...

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Full disclosure...
I got this week's Definitions term while reading a thread that you were on...You posed a question to one of the other members concerning theor understanding of the term...

I truly feel that the majority of individuals are arguing from different understandings of what socialism is and how it is being promoted...

(I will not be v****g Democrat or Republican.... As I am not an American )

lpnmajor Loc: Arkansas

Those who oppose any sort of policy that benefits citizens at large, constantly equate Socialism with C*******m, which instantly brings up nightmares of citizens becoming worker drones. The fact is, America has borrowed the best of all known Governmental and societal systems and made them her own.

America has several wildly popular "socialist" programs, many of which ultra conservatives themselves espouse.................they just re-label them as something else. We have corporate socialism, where corporations ( and those who own them ) are granted exceptions under the law, exceptions not available to the populace at large, are recipients of Government largesse ( read about Amazon's zero tax liability on 11 billion dollars profit ) and other "goodies and freebies".

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

An excellent point at the end there..
Rounding off a well written reply...

Morgan

Ah yes, I remembe,r I hope people will post what they think it is and not shy away from not really knowing. Why is it such a crime or sin on OPP not to know something, we all don't know everything and new knowledge is a wonderful thing.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

The hardest part of my Definition posts is not Giving my own definition and engaging...

It's a rule that I work hatd to uphold...

How else can I learn ?

Morgan

It is a great point, one I wish surfaced more often.