On Sunday, January 17, 2016 at 2:40:50 PM UTC-6, Bruce wrote:
> On 18/1/2016 07:28 The New Other Guy wrote:
>
> > On Sun, 17 Jan 2016 19:50:36 +0000 (UTC), tert in seattle
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>yes, there is something about comparing the children in AMERICA to those
> >>children who live in socialist countries, where they will never grow up
> >>to enjoy shooting a gun, and will be forced to do exactly what their
> >>governments tell them to do from cradle to grave
> >
> > That is NOT AT ALL how socialism works, and YOU are a freakin dumbass.
> >
> > plonk
>
> The problem with socialism is that every attempt to implement it, has
> led to dictatorship.
>
The problem with extreme socialism is that it puts government in charge of
things that are better left in private hands. Balance is the key. Some
things are better when operated by the state, like children's education,
roads, libraries, police and fire, the military and public lands. Some
things are surely better off being privately owned, like factories,
retailers, the media (obviously, though non and not for profits also play
a role), construction, mining, agriculture, etc.

The working class needs to be class conscious, but that doesn't mean being
against capitalism. In the pre-tractor days, a farmer could be far more
productive if he had a mule. Well, mules are notorious for kicking when
you turn your back on them. So, the working class gets kicked by the mule
(the capitalist). If the worker is foolish, he either kills the mule
(communism) or repeatedly lets himself be kicked (working class Republican
voter), but if he is wise, he supports a highly unionized workforce that can
bargain collectively with the owners, and a government that tempers the
excesses of capitalism, and through progressive taxation, prevents an obscene
concentration of wealth by those at the very top of the economy.

2 weeks from now, I'll be in Iowa.
>
> --
> Bruce

--Bryan