Socialism probably is the fairest policy to adopt...

@TheConstantGardener wise. Very wise.

@TheConstantGardener elaborate.. what does that mean to a political environment designed to suppress competition?

@GardenSage It would take me a very long time to elaborate but in essence, If i'm a competitive person then no political system would stop me from trying to gain an edge. The political system sets the parameters of my competitive scope and I respond within those parameters to achieve success.

@TheConstantGardener and what if they try?... after you’ve found success in your competitive ways- what if they attempt to take what you achieved in the name of fairness?

@GardenSage Take away what?

@TheConstantGardener who knows? Anything you accrued from the riggors of whatever competition you were involved in...
Let’s say you invented something, or created a wildly popular small business or had a surplus of food from your farm... you’d have received compensation for your work.. a socialist society might say that compensation is best fitted for the populous. They might feel like they have the authority to take it

@GardenSage I don't know of any socialist government that does that. What you describe is more akin to communism, which wouldn't allow for private enterprises anyway. It's true that socialism is more redistributive but that is done in the interests of fairness but socialism is not opposed to private wealth.

@TheConstantGardener well I suppose my example was a bit extreme.. forgive that. But it doesn’t fail to highlight the point I’m making... does that cause people to be less interested or less enthusiastic about striving for that type of independence if the political environment won’t allow for those who are able to achieve it?

@GardenSage I don't think that it does. Does your psychology change very time there's a change of government?

@TheConstantGardener no... but I have seen it change others when they are relegated to a system that they feel no urgent need to abandon. I have thankfully held on to my independence as of now.

So to challenge you... it does change you if you fall under the umbrella of its reaches

@GardenSage People will always compete within the confines of the system. The material rewards are not always important, the point is to succeed.

@TheConstantGardener I think that’s true...
but what I also think is true is that when the confines become too restricted, people will have no qualms about operating outside of the confines...

Just look at the drug trade and the war on it and the subsequent creation of things like crack and heroin..

@GardenSage The ultimate competitive arena.

@GardenSage And by the way, that is why the state is important and unavoidable.

@TheConstantGardener but imo, should be as minimized as possible

@GardenSage I thought you may say that. 🙂

Because it’s the most sensible thing. In many ways, the government is far too bloated already..

In other ways, perhaps, it isn’t.

But we should fear the possibility that a government can become detached from the needs and wants of its people, or collapse under its own weight, likely both- if a government is allowed to grow to unsustainable levels

@GardenSage I'm not American so I can't comment on the size of your government with any authority but I am a socialist, so I'm quite comfortable with the idea of excellent public services and also a vibrant private sector. Both can be achieved to the benefit of the citizen.

I think you’re right... but I’m a libertarian...
🤷🏻‍♂️

@GardenSage I can see that 🙂