Yes, they have de-established personal property, the only property that truly matters: a persons time. Tax rates are simply representations of your time and effort, repossessed by the government, and put to whatever ends they desire. So in a nation like Norway, they repossess 40% of the time and effort you would normally spend on yourself. They arbitrarily decide when you have enough, and redistribute the rest.Macbeth wrote:
I don't think you fully understand what communism entails. It's not a matter of degrees as much as completely different systems. (capitalist democracies, social democracies, fascist states, communist etc.). It's not as simple as moving in one direction.Jay wrote:
What's the difference between communism and socialism? Socialism leaves the carrot provided by capitalism for the Type A's. Socialists pick what they feel is really important from communism, usually welfare for the infirm, medical care, schooling, etc. Some states and societies dip further into the communist pot than others but that's usually a matter of what they can get away with without watching their rich flee. How good nations are at fleecing their rich depends on a number of things but it usually revolves around nationalistic pride, guilt, language and cultural barriers with the rest of the world etc. Why do you think socialism is only really effective among small homogenized societies and why it's so bitterly opposed in fragmented societies like the US? Do I feel any loyalty towards someone living in Iowa? Not really.Macbeth wrote:
The same way capitalism is rational fascism.
I am not a fan of socialism or communism but you can't oversimplify things like that.
So I may have oversimplified a bit, but the difference between communism and socialism is simply a matter of degrees.
In the European social democracies have they deestablished personal property? How many political parties are there? Are they not controlled by wealthy individuals? Can you still run a business for profit? Have churches been banned? Etc. There's much more to Marxism than you know or understand.We are much less socialized than Europe and those are considered a function of our government.usually welfare for the infirm, medical care, schooling, etc
The number of political parties is irrelevant when they all work towards the same ends. Is there any real difference between Republicans and Democrats? No, not really. They both want to expand the functions and power of government, they just disagree on the path.
Churches haven't been banned but they've done their best to marginalize religion and push it to the edges. Even the Soviets ended up tolerating a certain amount of religion because it was counterproductive to completely destroy it.
I understand Marxism quite well, thanks. You, however, do not. Your half semester of study has left you woefully unprepared to see the big picture outside of whatever ideological parameters your professor placed the discussion.
Edit - Also, the biggest destroyer of personal property is property tax. Try not paying your property taxes - property seized by government. Try not 'maintaining your property' - eminent domained, seized, bulldozed. You don't own shit. The government owns everything.
Last edited by Jay (2011-11-28 08:33:57)
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
-Frederick Bastiat