Originally Posted by
velosnow
Yep. The concept of 'socialism' in the States gets an overly bad rap I believe. I'll take a system that balances the needs of the many vs the needs of the few. The ultra rich have set themselves up nicely to control the narrative, reap all the benefits and now easily pit us against each other. All the while distracting us from the fact that most folks share the same struggles, stagnant wages, unaffordable housing, and a system designed to keep wealth flowing upward.
The vast majority of us here discussing this are easily in the top 5% of earners, so it's easy to forget and not see the struggles of others. Moving more toward a semblance of social democracy vs corporate feudalism wouldn't be the worst thing in my book.
it gets a bad rap because it NEVER works! Once someone gets a taste of getting something someone else has earned without doing anything for it themselves, they want more and more.
give me one example of socialism working in a society and the people at the bottom actually have a quality standard of living .
and before you say “Denmark, Finland Norway ect”””
Despite common misconceptions, the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) are not socialist economies. Instead, they operate under a capitalist, free-market framework that funds extensive social welfare programs through high taxes. This system is more accurately described as social democracy, with the following key characteristics:
- Welfare capitalism: The state intervenes to provide social security and equal opportunity but does not control the means of production.
- High taxes: These generous welfare systems are financed through high taxes on all citizens, not just the wealthy.
- Strong unions: Labor unions play a significant role in policymaking and collective bargaining.
- Flexible labor market: Policies are designed to provide generous social benefits and job training to offset flexible hiring and firing practices.
and their heavy social programs only work in these countries due to there extremely homogeneous population with a value system that does not reward laziness.