Why do American's fear socialism? It's always used as some buzz word, yet it's never explaine why it's a bad thing. Europe has quite a few socialistic qualities in its Gov. and we are doing fine.
Most of the people who use it perjoratively are using it as a synonym for "Soviet style communism". They've been told by their media that that's the alternative to freemarket capitalism. It's a simple black and white choice: freemarket capitalism and exploitation of the many by the rich few or it's state-issued clothing and off to Siberia if you disagree. There are, of course, no other options in between.
Europe wasn't doing fine last i heard. Last i heard you were on the verge of economic implosion and needed a bailout from us. Ask a Greek how well liberal socilaism worked for them.
you have got to remember your not just talking to other Americans when your on here, some of us have even read....real books and everything so when you say one is a capitalist and one is a socialist not all of us think well yes the first one is better straight of the bat.
Over here in the Socialist Soviet States of Australia, Obama is to the right of our main Conservative parties. US politics does put ours into perspective, when it makes Joyce and Katter look left of centre.
Oh, and we all vote (we had the worst turnout in decades recently, with only 94% of eligible voters having a say), using the same system.
Funny thing about businessmen: Their success is determined according to how well they serve the stakeholders. So the question is, how confident are you that YOU are going to be regarded as a stakeholder?
It's a flawed analogy to suggest that, because Romney made a lot of money for a select group of people, he can improve the economy for the entire nation.
I'm not saying he couldn't. Time (and an election) will tell. But a little more critical thinking is in order.
Elections over here are comical enough but if you were American why would you even bother to leave the house, does it really make you feel like your participating in democracy ? the soul of your government was bought and sold by corporations a long, long time ago. Your business class dictates policy you just decide which wing they do it through, this isn't even the diatribe of the conspiracy theorist or the political dissident any more its pretty much accepted as fact in all walks of life. It would be hyperbolic to call it Fascism as that has connotations of movements and situations that happened in the past which were pretty different but its not far off the definition.
what i find the most interesting is the republican party dynamic. basically, "you're with us or with the terrorists". "you're either a maker or a moocher". that kind of thing. it's really insulting.
Greece was on shaky ground, and was almost excluded from the EU. Turns out the EU made a mistake by allowing Greece in. Essentially Greece handeled its economy very poorly.
Don't really see how you blame all of EU for Greece's mistakes. Plus there are non-EU European countries that are doing quite well with the whole socialism thing; Norway.
Yeh I figured that they were using the most extreme definition of socialism.
In my opinion the main issue is that a lot of American citizens don´t critically think for themselves on what politians say. They just go with whatever the republican or democratic nominee says without giving it double thought. I mean my jaw literally drops when I here people from FOX, O´Riley, Limbaugh, etc. talk politics. I´m far from the most politically aware person on earth, but just plain logic alone tells me that they are talking complete bull.
with all due respect, you have no idea what you're talking about. if socialism was the problem, then france, germany, england, the scandinavian countries would all be facing the same calamity. the problem is the structure of the eu.
turn off fox news.
and yes, i am of greek descent. but that's not why your post is annoying. i'd feel the same way if i was german. socialism is not the problem, un-regulated capitalism is.
Yeah, Greece is a one, bad example. And their problems are more to do with corruption, IMHO, than politics as such.
Norway and their oil! But even in the EU, look at the other Nordics (do I need to post a pic of a map for some people ), all of them are 'diet-socialist/socialism lite', as I call it, and have some of the best standards of living in the world and they haven't done too badly economically over the past few years. Iceland being an exception.
I take offense to painting the "Business Class" entirely with the wide brush of evil. I don't know what you consider "business" where you come from, but here in the USA there are many business models and most of which are small family owned businesses and farms. This class warfare crap that the pin heads like yourselves seem to want to spout out of your mouth without regard to the struggles and turmoil that comes with owning and operating a business entail on a daily basis is one reason I hope Obama is out after tomorrow. At least a business would have a chance of success with Romney.
i agree with obewan (this is probably the only time obewan!). don't paint all business with a swath of evil. there are many many corporations, entrepeneurs, what have you that are busting their tails out there. i am all for capitalism (and i work helping traders make money). but what i'm against is this un-regulated version of capitalism that conservatives want to push on this country, because i think it elevates some freedoms above others.
what do i mean by that? i don't think that a business has the more of a right to a profit by polluting water than i have a right to drink clean water. i don't think a business has more of a right to engage in deceptive financial instrument marketing than i have in a functional macro-economy (think "the big short" and the world-wide recession). businesses should pay their fair share in taxes, not taxed at a lower rate than the average family.
you played your hand to quickly with the use of the word "pinhead", you even get your insults from faux news. Your talking about the middle class of course your confused because in the American rights vernacular everyone is Middle class and working class is a dirty word.
Class tensions are fact that becomes apparent to anyone who has academically studied modern capitalist society.
Business made Obama, put Obama where he is and has done more than ok out of his time in office.