Socialism in the US

[WildCat]

Wrong. That is "central planning" and pure communism.

Nope, it's the very definition of socialism.

 

[WildCat]

Which would mean that Barack Obama, the Scandinavian countries,

Correct.

and even the People's Republic of China are not socialist.

The PRC certainly owns a huge chunk of Chinese industry, I'm not sure as to how much.

 

[MG1962]

Nope, it's the very definition of socialism.

No it is not

 

[crimresearch]

Topic title is "Socialism in the US" is it not?

And your point is that I'm not allowed to bring up the real practices of socialist countries in such a thread?

But you are allowed to shout down my discussion with your rant?

So you are simply channeling McCarthy then.

 

[WildCat]

No it is not

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism

 

[MG1962]

Correct.


The PRC certainly owns a huge chunk of Chinese industry, I'm not sure as to how much.

But by your definition the fact there is any free market control of production destroys your very definition of socialism. According to you China is not a socialist country. So you need to redefine your definition to accomodate what is actually happening in the world

 

[RandFan]

Nope, it's the very definition of socialism.

Can words evolve? If so many Republicans use the word for govt intervention and Democrats come to accept that then why can't another usage of the word emerge?

 

[crimresearch]

But by your definition the fact there is any free market control of production destroys your very definition of socialism. According to you China is not a socialist country. So you need to redefine your definition to accomodate what is actually happening in the world

That is only if we conflate 'not socialism' with 'not socialist'.

The differing definitions have already been posted.

 

[WildCat]

By that definition, it has never ever been attempted in the U.S. So for sake of this thread title, "socialism in the U.S." has never existed and there's nothing to talk about.

The thread is about public attitudes towards socialism among Americans, not that it exists in the US.

I think many people would disagree with your definition. They speak of the health insurance reform bill ("Obamacare") as socialism, for example. They speak of a bailout of the auto industry as socialism.

Those people are wrong, and stupid.

Some people also think Darwin's Theory explains the origin of life, should we likewise defer to the idiot's definition of that?

 

[crimresearch]

The military is a "means of production"?

Ask the Spanish, British, Ottoman, et al. empires if the military is a means of production...

 

[respect]

And it is painfully clear from yours, that you don't understand that the topic was other countries, specifically countries identified with socialism as the primary form of government. The point being made addressed the hypocrisy of the usage of the term.

His attempts to hijack that into partisan poo flinging with the whacky theory that America is a socialist country because our government spends money internally, or our politcians pretend that the everyday poor people are the actual rulers, was a red herring, and you fell for it.

Wow, you really did not understand his posts.

 

[respect]

If you disagree with the definition then I suggest you take that up with the Oxford English Dictionary.

They qualified it just fine.

 

[respect]

You are really hung up on that term aren't you. You keep repeating it as if it has something to actually contribute to the discussion. Maybe you should try sources beyond the opening line of a Wiki article

He probably keeps repeating because it is relevant to the actual definition of socialism.

 

[RandFan]

The thread is about public attitudes towards socialism among Americans, not that it exists in the US.

Those people are wrong, and stupid.

Some people also think Darwin's Theory explains the origin of life, should we likewise defer to the idiot's definition of that?

Some people think words cannot evolve. BTW: I would be happy with the pedantic view if folks on the right would call out others on the right who misuse the word.

 

[MG1962]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism

Merrriam-Webster agree that China is not a socialist country?

But lets ask the Oxford dictionary what it thinks

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/socialism

 

[Pardalis]

Can words evolve?

Meaning you want a special permission to make it mean what you want?

 

[MG1962]

He probably keeps repeating because it is relevant to the actual definition of socialism.

Okay so you are also in the camp that China is not a Socialist country?

 

[crimresearch]

Wow, you really did not understand his posts.

Because you say so?

 

[RandFan]

Merrriam-Webster agree that China is not a socialist country?

But lets ask the Oxford dictionary what it thinks

http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/socialism

It would seem that words can evolve if a certain usage becomes popular.

 

[RandFan]

Meaning you want a special permission to make it mean what you want?

No, I mean it strikes me as silly to pretend that people don't use words in *ways that the words did not start out as. I mean there is a science that studies the evolution of words.

Would you admit that there is a popular usage of the word that does not fit the classical definition (see below for many examples).

Is Obama a socialist?

Is Obamacare socialist?

Is the democratic party socialist?