Socialism sucks. And history shows it doesn’t work.

@helensusanswift Constitutional monarchies with high taxes and extensive welfare systems are not socialists. Danes and Norwegians hate being called "socialist" because they are not. North Sea oil money distributed fairly by moral and ethical leaders is not "socialism".

@helensusanswift So what are you doing here?

@sunsporter1649 What am I doing where?

@puck61 Your definition of Socialism may differ from other people's definitions.

@helensusanswift LOL, a pile of manure, by any other name, stinks just as bad

@sunsporter1649 Could you explain what you mean?

@helensusanswift [b] a political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.[/b]
Most of these democracies and constitutional monarchies that youngsters are calling "socialist" are NOT socialists. They simply use north sea oil and extreme taxation for welfare programs. In most Scandinavian countries, welfare is actually an industry.

@puck61 I was actually trying to ask sunsporter! But the definition you give certainly applies to the Scandinavian countries, given that the government is voted in by and controlled by the community as a whole. It also applies to much of the UK, with the NHS and old age penions. Socialist policies are alive, well and successful.

@helensusanswift A community cannot thrive without some measure of collectivism, but you are mistaken. The governments in constitutional monarchies are not "voted" in by the general population, although the general consensus can affect the policies of the government. If you want to believe in democratic socialism as you describe it, then the USA has been a socialist democracy for quite some time now.

@puck61 Actually, the governments in constitutional monarchies are voted in. We have one in this country and vote regularly for MPs, from whom the government is selected. I am glad you think that the USA has a degree of social democracy. That is good to read.

@helensusanswift I have said "democratic socialism" is either the only form of polieconomics in the free world, or it is the ultimate oxymoron. I happen to believe it is an oxymoron. We are a democratic republic whose exceptionalism is driven by capitalism. We use common sense collectivist principles because that is the right thing to do, and it is necessary to maintain a good quality of life for her citizens.

@puck61 Or for most of them. The socialist policies that underpin the humanity of your nation ensure that utter poverty does not fall on the lowest or most unfortunate. Hence the combination of democracy and socialism that seems to work in the most successful nations in this world. No single 'ism' seems to be perfect, but taking the best from two or more systems appears to be correct - as in the USA, UK, and other western nations.

@helensusanswift Any political economic system is only as good as the people who wield it. You always have the bugs, and you always have the windshields, because humans are generally fecked up.

@helensusanswift The USA has a badge of shame in all the large politically progressive (blue) cities. Conditions are so bad, that diseases are beginning to appear that we haven't seen since the dark ages.

@puck61 I think your system of checks and balances is better than ours at present, although I also think our socialist policies are superior.

@puck61 You are not alone there. Major cracks are appearing that will take more than just money to solve. There seems to be a moral and educational decay. In the Dark Ages though, Europeans had not discovered the Americas yet!

@helensusanswift Really??????????? *Frantically searches google.* 🤪

@puck61 There you go! We all learn something new every day. :-)