How To Explain Socialism Clearly In a Way That Actually Persuades People
“ Socialism is a society whose top priority is meeting all of its people’s needs, ranging from food, shelter, and health care, to art, culture, and companionship. In contrast, capitalism only cares about any of that basic human necessities stuff to the extent that money can be made of it.” Danny Katch
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@heatherdale I love this explanation.
Socialism is more of a mission - taking care of everyone - than a particular set of policies.
@AskTheDevil @heatherdale Not only a mission (not saying it isn´t), it´s also a set of policies that can variate depending on what view of socialism one´s talking about. The mission can´t be accomplished without certain policies.
@Uselessdogs @heatherdale I hesitate to dictate what policies forever must be considered integral. Can you give me an example?
@AskTheDevil @heatherdale
On the other hand there´s Social Democarcy. I live in Spain, currently governed by a Social Democrat party (PSOE), a party that along history has moved from classic socialism to social democracy.
Here we have a welfare state. This means we have public assistance in health, education and others. Sounds fine.
But as I said, policies are needed in order to achieve this. And the way of doing so is mainly taxation.
@AskTheDevil @heatherdale
Ok. Then you are just staying with the philosophical part (politics are philosphy) and not the economical. And socialism can´t be understood without that part, it´s part of it´s essence. Talking about socialism without economics ends up in a sterile discussion about "good and bad people".
@Uselessdogs @heatherdale There's always some guiding philosophy behind governments and methods of governance. There's also always the practical. When people say they want to divorce the philosophical from the practical, I'm fond of responding with the saying "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch."
If we're building a new world, we might try developing new economic models, even post-money models.
After people are fed and not on fire, perhaps.
@AskTheDevil @heatherdale Of course. That takes me to another question. No money?. Think about it, no money means State will be providing everything. This gives total power to state diminishing individuals independence. One can choose this, but I don´t like it. Even social democracy tends to that. Said by someone living in a welfare social democrat state since a kid (born in US but most of my life here).
@Uselessdogs @heatherdale In my view, what is actually needed is something that allows the mission to be accomplished, and funded. Taxes are a strategy commonly and historically used to do that, but as long as whatever it is can be funded or accomplished, the mission can be accomplished. Doesn't need to be through taxes specifically. What if at some point there's nothing we think of as "money"?
I have no inherent beef with taxes. I just prefer encouraging a broader view of what is possible.