Is the World Moving Toward Socialism and Away From Capitalism

[AutumnW]

Posted by Mark (Star Mariner) (here)
The "new version" of socialism they seem to have in store for us is living shoulder to shoulder in 15-minute cities – where we'd own nothing and be happy. You can stick that where the sun doesn't shine.

I don't want bloody socialism. And I don't want capitalism in the form it has taken either. We should all be infinitely sceptical of 'isms' by now. Where there is an ism, a greedy immoral 'elite' class arises to control and enforce that ism, while enriching itself in the process. What we surely want is a system – any system – where those calling the shots are accountable for their policies and actions. That is not possible under isms, because those who would hold them accountable – the people – have no power. That is by design.

Our best chance to survive this century is to abandon isms, and perhaps geopolitics entirely, entirely, and return to purer, more 'natural' living, existing at a smaller scale. A way focused more on cooperation and community. That doesn't mean we all become agrarians and luddites, but that we adopt a simpler, more spiritual life. How we even begin to achieve that with dark Orwellian forces standing in our way, I have no idea at all.

You mention the phrase "we'd own nothing and be happy." Can you tell me a bit about the origin of the phrase? Who came up with it, where it was used, how it was used and why? All I know is that it's somehow associated with the WEF.

[AutumnW]

Posted by Blastolabs (here)
I would argue that every country on earth is currently existing as a new form of government / economy that we don't have words to describe yet.

In the past the socialist described a country where the government owned the means of production.
Well in the United States today we don't really produce anything. Neither the people nor the government own the means of production, it happens in other countries.

But most aspects of the USA are currently socialist, this includes

• Infrastructure

Public roads and highways
Bridges and tunnels (many)
Public parks
Sidewalks
Street lighting
Traffic signals
Public beaches
Dams and flood control projects
Municipal water systems
Sewer systems

Education
Public elementary schools
Public middle and high schools
State universities
Community colleges
Public libraries

Emergency services
Police departments
Fire departments
911 dispatch systems
Emergency management agencies

Defense and justice
Military
Courts
Public prosecutors
Public defenders
Federal prisons
State prisons

Health
Medicare
Medicaid
Veterans Health Administration hospitals
County hospitals
Public health departments

Transportation
City bus systems
Subways
Light rail
Many commuter rail systems
Air traffic control

Research
Public universities conducting research
Government laboratories

Social Services
Social Security
Unemployment insurance
Workers' compensation (varies by state)
Disability insurance
Other government services
Postal service
Public housing
National parks
Public campgrounds
Building inspection
Food safety inspection
Weather forecasting
Passport services

Most of these services are state or county funded. Most US federal funds go to the MIC. And, I guess that could be seen as a Socialist project. Given a choice though, most Americans would take Universal health care and mass subsidized housing over a crazed expansionist military state. Welfare over Warfare.

[Mark (Star Mariner)]

Posted by AutumnW (here)
You mention the phrase "we'd own nothing and be happy." Can you tell me a bit about the origin of the phrase? Who came up with it, where it was used, how it was used and why? All I know is that it's somehow associated with the WEF.

Yes it was the slogan being pushed in Klaus Schwab's Great Reset plan. See The Great Reset thread.

[AutumnW]

Thanks, Star Mariner.

I did a little digging myself last night and found this:

Ida Margrete Meier Auken (born 22 April 1978) is a Danish politician and member of the Folketing for the Social Democrats political party. She has been a member of parliament since 2007.

She was Minister for the Environment of Denmark from 2011 to 2014. Until 2014 she was a member of the Socialist People's Party, after which she moved to the Danish Social Liberal Party. In 2021, she switched to the Social Democrats.

From Google AI about her article:

"In response, Auken added an author's note in which she said that the article merely represented a potential future scenario rather than any personal utopia of her own.

It was intended to "start a discussion about some of the pros and cons of the current technological development" in a way that she claimed conventional reports could not.

The article was renamed "Here's how life could change in my city by the year 2030".

Both versions of the article describe the loss of privacy as being undesirable.

Auken's article, and an associated WEF video on predictions for 2030 in which the article was summarized as "You'll own nothing. And you'll be happy. Whatever you want you'll rent and it'll be delivered by drone".

It would later form part of commentary about the WEF, particularly following the announcement of a "Great Reset" in 2020.

[AutumnW]

I like Jeffrey Sachs and have a deep respect for his analysis and objectivity. I think most Avalonians do too.

He is associated with the WEF:

He was Advisory Board Co-Chair: Served as co-chair for the advisory board of the WEF Global Competitiveness Report.

He was an Agenda Contributor: Authored and published articles and commentary hosted on the World Economic Forum platform.

Event Speaker: Participated in panels and discussions regarding sustainable development and global economics.

[sdv]

History suggests civilizations do not fail because they chose capitalism, socialism, monarchy or democracy. They fail when they lose the ability to correct themselves. Rome, the Soviet Union and many other empires all reached a point where power became concentrated, elites became insulated and meaningful reform became increasingly difficult.

Perhaps the greatest achievement of an advanced civilization is not perfection but the ability to keep adapting before its mistakes become fatal.

Wise words! China is succeeding not because it is not making mistakes but because it adjusts. The greening of their deserts is an example: they planted thousands of hybrid trees they had created, then as the trees grew, found that there were negative consequences they did not foresee with those trees, so they made necessary changes to the hybrid trees.

I notice from posts subsequent to my long post (no, I am not going to change ... learn to speed read!) that Westerners still do not understand what socialism is, and probably not communism either. Kind of reminds me of when I was a child and refused to eat beef olives (a traditional British and South African dish) because I dislike and do not eat olives!

[rgray222]

I think most people in the West have a pretty realistic sense of what socialism and communism are all about; they may not understand all the nuances, but they get the big picture.

There is a systemic problem, or you could even call it a fatal flaw, with socialism and communism: a small group of elites, usually members of the socialist or communist party, tends to monopolize access to scarce resources, decision-making power, information, and political influence. They almost always become a new ruling class in a country that aims to be classless. When power is centralized in the hands of bureaucratic elites, it may start with good intentions, but over time, these leaders become disconnected from the working class. They begin acting in their own self-interest, accumulating wealth, maintaining their power, and enjoying access to the best products and services.

Anyone who has spent time in Poland, East Germany, the Soviet Union, etc, can see the palatial homes that the privileged few and the ruling elite occupied. While socialist ideology promotes equality and modest living for the masses, in reality, the elite classes often enjoy special privileges that set them apart from ordinary citizens. Over time, these privileged bureaucrats and elites become entrenched in corruption. Socialism as an ideology and practice has appeared in various forms, but it has never lasted beyond a few decades. Communism, as an official state ideology, lasted for about 70 years in the Soviet Union before it collapsed.

Somehow people believe that socialism is going to work if we just had the right people to run the show. The truth is that power tends to attract self-interested and corrupt people regardless of intentions. No matter what checks and balances can be put into place, history has proven time after time that no matter how virtuous the leaders, these economic systems are rife with abuse of power, corruption, and even genocide.

That’s why socialism and communism, in their current forms, tend to fail and must be rejected.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
This saying is attributed to Lord Acton in England in 1887

[AutumnW]

Posted by rgray222 (here)
There is a systemic problem, or you could even call it a fatal flaw, with socialism and communism: a small group of elites, usually members of the socialist or communist party, tends to monopolize access to scarce resources, decision-making power, information, and political influence. They almost always become a new ruling class in a country that aims to be classless. When power is centralized in the hands of bureaucratic elites, it may start with good intentions, but over time, these leaders become disconnected from the working class. They begin acting in their own self-interest, accumulating wealth, maintaining their power, and enjoying access to the best products and services.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
This saying is attributed to Lord Acton in England in 1887

End stage Capitalism does exactly that and is as bad or worse than the Soviets. The MIC oligarchs have murdered 2 million people through various means, in the Middle East, since 9/11. God knows how many have died in Ukraine and Russia due to their stealth interference there.

People in the US are living in misery, barely able to afford to eat and put roofs over their heads. It's a disaster. I hope, as it is paralleling Russia before Glasnost, that the US manages a collapse without the horrors Russians experienced.

[petra]

I find it helpful! I was like.. what about communism?
The ETs that visited me in my head told me that I was like currency to them
How did I feel about that? Well, pretty fine actually
My boyfriend plays a game where the currency is called “divine orb”
They tell me that that’s like we are. Yes you included. We are all like currency in a way

It’s like you just can’t get away from capitalism, it’s even up in outer space

I used to be interested in Bitcoin.. and I think the aliens are really paying attention to it as well

Posted by Bill Ryan (here)
I have another out-of-the-box perspective on this, but (a) it may not belong on this thread and (b) some readers may not find it helpful! But I do propose that it might be worth thinking about.

Do ET civilizations utilize 'capitalism'? I mean, consider this. Do we really assume that visiting ETs (which I'd be sure come from many different societies, wherever they may be based) have businesses, incomes, stock exchanges, and advertising, with some individuals very 'rich' and others very 'poor'?

I'd strongly suspect that everything is 100% egalitarian, and all needs of any kind are provided for by a central organization that manages, allocates and distributes abundant resources. I doubt that any ETs from a technologically advanced culture experience any inequality other than (perhaps) some kind of meritocracy based entirely on specializations and ability.

Is this socialism or communism? Not as we know it.

As a human analogy on a micro scale, imagine a large extended family, (or maybe a small isolated village) living in abundance, maybe on a richly producing farm in an ideal environment.

They have everything they all need: shelter, food, clothing, crops, animals, water, power in the form of horses, donkeys or oxen, and the knowledge of herbs for healing and health.

Is there any inequality in that small group of people? Probably not. If you, reading this, have children or are taking care of an elderly relative, is there any inequality in your family? I doubt it. So are you a 'communist' or 'socialist' family? Of course not. You just make sure that everyone has whatever they need at all times.

[rgray222]

Posted by AutumnW (here)

Posted by rgray222 (here)
There is a systemic problem, or you could even call it a fatal flaw, with socialism and communism: a small group of elites, usually members of the socialist or communist party, tends to monopolize access to scarce resources, decision-making power, information, and political influence. They almost always become a new ruling class in a country that aims to be classless. When power is centralized in the hands of bureaucratic elites, it may start with good intentions, but over time, these leaders become disconnected from the working class. They begin acting in their own self-interest, accumulating wealth, maintaining their power, and enjoying access to the best products and services.


I hope, as it is paralleling Russia before Glasnost, that the US manages a collapse without the horrors Russians experienced.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
This saying is attributed to Lord Acton in England in 1887

End stage Capitalism does exactly that and is as bad or worse than the Soviets. The MIC oligarchs have murdered 2 million people through various means, in the Middle East, since 9/11. God knows how many have died in Ukraine and Russia due to their stealth interference there.

People in the US are living in misery, barely able to afford to eat and put roofs over their heads. It's a disaster. I hope, as it is paralleling Russia before Glasnost, that the US manages a collapse without the horrors Russians experienced.

It struck me that your comment appeared to be written out of anger, so when I drafted my response, I waited some time before posting it. I just wanted to give myself some clarity and perspective; I did not want to come across as argumentative. Hopefully I've done that.

End stage Capitalism

Capitalism is a system that has lifted millions of people out of poverty and created opportunities for growth and innovation, but like any economic system, it has its faults and areas that need improvement or radical change. We should have an honest discussion about both its successes and its shortcomings. If you feel that capitalism is on the way out or in some sort of late stage, I would love to hear why you believe that. From where I sit, capitalism may be in for some deep seated changes, but I don't see it leaving the world stage, not by a long shot.

Overlooking the flaws of socialism and communism would be just as problematic as ignoring the issues that need to be addressed within capitalism. I believe the goal is to have a balanced conversation in an attempt to look at some of the good and bad aspects of each economic system.

There is no doubt that change is coming, and it would be helpful to get a handle on it,

The MIC (Military Industrial Complex) oligarchs have murdered 2 million people through various means in the Middle East, since 9/11. God knows how many have died in Ukraine and Russia due to their stealth interference there.

Since you are keeping score, I believe it’s only fair to consider the number of deaths associated with socialist regimes since World War II. While this list is not exhaustive, it should provide a broader perspective well beyond how many people the America Oligarchs murdered:

• Soviet Union: approximately 45–70 million deaths
• China: approximately 45–75 million deaths
• Cambodia: about 3 million deaths
• North Korea: around 2 million deaths

While these numbers are often debated, they highlight the outrageous numbers of people who lost their lives under socialism.

People in the US are living in misery, barely able to afford to eat and put roofs over their heads. It's a disaster.

Where did you get this information? I'm really curious how you came to that conclusion. Did you see this on TV or the news, or have you actually visited America and seen people struggling to get by, barely able to eat or find a place to live?

Did you know that over 240,000 Canadians emigrated to the United States since Trump became president for the second time (2025-2026). This represents a historic record and a significant "brain drain" because these are almost all skilled professionals. They cite their reasons for leaving as high personal and corporate taxes, outrageous housing costs, much better career opportunities, and extremely poor access to healthcare. Did you know that 29% of all canadain manufactures have moved to the USA in the past two years and 13% more are planning to move down in the next two years.

Canada itself has significantly expanded almost all its policies towards state intervention; the shift towards social democratic policies is real, and people are finally waking up to behemoth government bloat. Did you know that between 30-50% of all new jobs in Canada (depending on the month) are government jobs? The government now represents 22% of all jobs in Canada. This is unsustainable.

If you are talking about the plight of the homeless people in the USA, that is has nothing to do with capitalism. The United States made a massive, deliberate effort to release people from mental institutions starting in the 1950s, a policy known as deinstitutionalization. This is all about civil and human rights and is another discussion entirely.

FYI, the official poverty rate for the USA is 11.1% while the official poverty rate for Canada is 11%. Virtually no difference.

I hope, as it is paralleling Russia before Glasnost, that the US manages a collapse without the horrors Russians experienced.

The idea that the USA is paralleling the Soviet Union's collapse is nonsensical. The truth is that Russia has moved towards a more capitalist economy since the collapse of the Soviet Union. You don't have to be an economist to see that this shift is real; they are increasing their efforts to adopt market-oriented policies despite maintaining what they call a mixed economy. Russia can best be described as state capitalism; it uses the same economic tools, such as profit goals, wage labor, and market trade, all while the government acts like the big overseeing boss.

I smile, watching both Russia and China go to great lengths, almost obscene efforts, to deny any adherence whatsoever to capitalism. Both countries utilise capitalist market mechanisms, private property, and profit generation. In fact, they are minting new billionaires at a historically impressive rate; especially China, they have overtaken the USA when it comes to billionaires.

Greed and income inequality are not unique to capitalism; that is precisely why people need to change, not necessarily the system.If we can't find an acceptable hybrid system, we may very well end up with one world government. That may have been the plan all along.

[AutumnW]

Soviet Union deaths from political repression Post WW2, up until Glasnost

From the end of World War II (1945) until the launch of Glasnost (1986), an estimated 1.4 million to 2.5 million Soviet citizens died due to political repression, forced labour, executions, and state-driven famine.

When looking at the entire historical trajectory, the total number of people who died both directly and indirectly due to the forces unleashed by Glasnost ranges from 7 million to over 17 million excess deaths.

R Gray, Where are you getting your numbers from? Do you have links to original sources of information?

[AutumnW]

A country this steeped in despair, must change. And these are just the deaths. How many Americans feel their lives simply aren't worth living.

https://www.fau.edu/newsdesk/article...pair-study.php

[grapevine]

I’m not sure I know what true socialism is any more, as I’m stuck in the old days of UK’s Anthony Wedgwood Benn, Michael Foot and many others of that era when the political parties had distinct black and white aims, unlike the (more than) 50 shades of grey today.

The Fabian Society is currently pushing its own brand of socialism for the masses but of course members don’t include themselves in their ideals. I can see how this might have worked back in Dickensian times, when there was little education, great poverty and no prospects, and if the poor had been pulled up to the living standard of the middle classes then it could have been ideal. It did work for a while, eg. everybody goes to school now, but it’s gone too far and generally that standard has fallen and is continuing to fall, making daily life a struggle. When you think back to how those times must have been, ie Before Education, it’s easy to realise that Education Is Key – WHAT we’re taught, HOW we’re taught, etc. which largely dictates our work ethos, attitude and opportunities. And now, with the introduction of AI, the only opportunities for people of working age will be in the military, thereby continually culling the world with endless wars until we aren’t allowed to breed any more.

When forum members look back to their childhood and how things were, and the steady decline to how they are now, there can be little doubt surely that all this has been planned from way back, probably when the “elite” looked at the throbbing mass of uneducated degenerates and wondered how they could make use of us.

The United Nations could have done more to make the world a better place, whether socialist, capitalist, communist, etc. Mandatory education of third world countries would have stopped mass immigration for starters, and given all the countries a fairer hand in which to deal with other countries. But of course it’s not in the ptb’s interests to do that, although who knows what may happen in the next few years? Everything seems to be going according to (their) plan, but it’s not over yet by a long chalk, and will I think continue to fluctuate between socialism and capitalism (and othe other isms) for quite a while yet.

I also suspect that the ET’s visiting this planet are engineering all this for their own gain and are likely the hand/s behind the throne.

[Ernie Nemeth]

The creep of socialism in the west is the reason for its decline. Socialism allows those in power to not only vilify their opponents but directly interfere with their pursuit of happiness. This is how socialism works. Once a socialist program is implemented, any and all who oppose it become the enemy and deserve every cruel infringement on their sovereign rights. Once socialists are deemed "right", any insult or denigration is acceptable and deserved to its detractors. This is how socialism creeps towards full on tyranny of communism.

We have seen that dynamic in the west, as the idea of socialism took hold, how the two systems, capitalism and socialism, do battle, creating a two tier system. The poor and the lower income classes need to be augmented by the "social net" so they can navigate the backwaters of capitalism, swirling in the mire of jobs that do not pay a living wage. This is the major problem with the capitalist system - there is money left on the table, to be made only if the companies can convince or coerce workers to take jobs with a non-living wage.

The basis of this is the power of "compound interest" - money making money because it is money. No work or labour need be applied to that money. If you have enough of it, it will keep multiplying, making more and more of the same, without any extra input. This makes the money the working man earns far less impactful. In fact, the working man finds his dollar shrinking before he can even spend it. This leaves him behind the curve, forever chasing an ever-shrinking dollar, dollar bill, ya'll. If he is lucky, he gets a raise that puts him back in the game for a while, or he applies for government subsidies if he can't raise himself out of the muck.

All the while the government spends money it doesn't have on programs that interfere with the capitalist system even further, further eroding the buying power of money already in the hands of the public. The working man agrees to $20 but the twenty is only $19.95 by the time it hits his bank account, and $19.25 by the time he goes to spend it. But he doesn't know that, the bill he was paid with says $20!

This is socialism at work, interfering with capitalism and then blaming capitalism as the culprit.

And that's just the over-view.

[sdv]

Posted by Ernie Nemeth (here)
The creep of socialism in the west is the reason for its decline. Socialism allows those in power to not only vilify their opponents but directly interfere with their pursuit of happiness. This is how socialism works. Once a socialist program is implemented, any and all who oppose it become the enemy and deserve every cruel infringement on their sovereign rights. Once socialists are deemed "right", any insult or denigration is acceptable and deserved to its detractors. This is how socialism creeps towards full on tyranny of communism.

We have seen that dynamic in the west, as the idea of socialism took hold, how the two systems, capitalism and socialism, do battle, creating a two tier system. The poor and the lower income classes need to be augmented by the "social net" so they can navigate the backwaters of capitalism, swirling in the mire of jobs that do not pay a living wage. This is the major problem with the capitalist system - there is money left on the table, to be made only if the companies can convince or coerce workers to take jobs with a non-living wage.

The basis of this is the power of "compound interest" - money making money because it is money. No work or labour need be applied to that money. If you have enough of it, it will keep multiplying, making more and more of the same, without any extra input. This makes the money the working man earns far less impactful. In fact, the working man finds his dollar shrinking before he can even spend it. This leaves him behind the curve, forever chasing an ever-shrinking dollar, dollar bill, ya'll. If he is lucky, he gets a raise that puts him back in the game for a while, or he applies for government subsidies if he can't raise himself out of the muck.

All the while the government spends money it doesn't have on programs that interfere with the capitalist system even further, further eroding the buying power of money already in the hands of the public. The working man agrees to $20 but the twenty is only $19.95 by the time it hits his bank account, and $19.25 by the time he goes to spend it. But he doesn't know that, the bill he was paid with says $20!

This is socialism at work, interfering with capitalism and then blaming capitalism as the culprit.

And that's just the over-view.

You are still not understanding socialism!

Capitalism creates these boom and bust cycles.

The social welfare programmes introduced by Western governments are not socialism. They are a way to appease the masses so that the political and billionaire class can accumulate wealth and the control of the use of force (not power), until there is a revolution or a Great depression or wars ... then capitalism resets itself under the false promises of democracy.

I just have a feeling that those who control the capitalist system are working toward a final solution. If you are not a connected and protected politicians or a billionaire, you are in or on the periphery of the group to be discarded.

Food stamps and all the social welfare programmes are not socialism. They are appeasement of the masses to keep them under control, while they are still needed as workers and consumers.We can give it to you and we can take it away! And our greatest trick is to get you to support the political and economic systems that cause your suffering!

The trick is to get the suffering masses to believe that the very changes that will enable them to survive and thrive are the cause of their suffering! And that you are not Elon Musk is your fault because you have had the same opportunities he had! For a start, do not want to be him ...

[sdv]

Posted by grapevine (here)
I’m not sure I know what true socialism is any more, as I’m stuck in the old days of UK’s Anthony Wedgwood Benn, Michael Foot and many others of that era when the political parties had distinct black and white aims, unlike the (more than) 50 shades of grey today.

The Fabian Society is currently pushing its own brand of socialism for the masses but of course members don’t include themselves in their ideals. I can see how this might have worked back in Dickensian times, when there was little education, great poverty and no prospects, and if the poor had been pulled up to the living standard of the middle classes then it could have been ideal. It did work for a while, eg. everybody goes to school now, but it’s gone too far and generally that standard has fallen and is continuing to fall, making daily life a struggle. When you think back to how those times must have been, ie Before Education, it’s easy to realise that Education Is Key – WHAT we’re taught, HOW we’re taught, etc. which largely dictates our work ethos, attitude and opportunities. And now, with the introduction of AI, the only opportunities for people of working age will be in the military, thereby continually culling the world with endless wars until we aren’t allowed to breed any more.

When forum members look back to their childhood and how things were, and the steady decline to how they are now, there can be little doubt surely that all this has been planned from way back, probably when the “elite” looked at the throbbing mass of uneducated degenerates and wondered how they could make use of us.

The United Nations could have done more to make the world a better place, whether socialist, capitalist, communist, etc. Mandatory education of third world countries would have stopped mass immigration for starters, and given all the countries a fairer hand in which to deal with other countries. But of course it’s not in the ptb’s interests to do that, although who knows what may happen in the next few years? Everything seems to be going according to (their) plan, but it’s not over yet by a long chalk, and will I think continue to fluctuate between socialism and capitalism (and othe other isms) for quite a while yet.

I also suspect that the ET’s visiting this planet are engineering all this for their own gain and are likely the hand/s behind the throne.

It is complex, and the trick so many fall for us to make it a black and white issue of socialism is bad/does not work vs democracy and capitalism are good. As you said, the isms are not the solution! They are useful frameworks, but don't make them unquestionable religious belief. Not only are countries and populations different, but each country goes through different trials and tribulations.

Education is not the problem in Third World countries. A poor country like Cuba with basic classrooms produces a higher standard of critical thinkers than the US. Iran has a higher standard of education for girls and young women than the US does.

Personally, I think as a start, that no law should last more than ten years and then it must be reviewed by the whole population. Any law passed must be useful for those ten years, and no law can be renewed after 10 years without a full and thorough review involving the entire population

[Ernie Nemeth]

And you still don't understand people. Socialism causes people to loose their heads and believe they are endowed with a noble dignity to mete out "justice". "Socialism" is not "what we are", it is "what we do". And people are not altruistic. They will always want more, more than their neighbours.

Capitalism is the only arbiter that rewards merit. Socialism rewards those who are "right". That requires a one who "is right". That is almost always arbitrary and often a self-serving opinion, nothing more.

People, all people, cannot be trusted. That is why the system must not play favourites.

[sdv]

Posted by rgray222 (here)
I think most people in the West have a pretty realistic sense of what socialism and communism are all about; they may not understand all the nuances, but they get the big picture.

There is a systemic problem, or you could even call it a fatal flaw, with socialism and communism: a small group of elites, usually members of the socialist or communist party, tends to monopolize access to scarce resources, decision-making power, information, and political influence. They almost always become a new ruling class in a country that aims to be classless. When power is centralized in the hands of bureaucratic elites, it may start with good intentions, but over time, these leaders become disconnected from the working class. They begin acting in their own self-interest, accumulating wealth, maintaining their power, and enjoying access to the best products and services.

Anyone who has spent time in Poland, East Germany, the Soviet Union, etc, can see the palatial homes that the privileged few and the ruling elite occupied. While socialist ideology promotes equality and modest living for the masses, in reality, the elite classes often enjoy special privileges that set them apart from ordinary citizens. Over time, these privileged bureaucrats and elites become entrenched in corruption. Socialism as an ideology and practice has appeared in various forms, but it has never lasted beyond a few decades. Communism, as an official state ideology, lasted for about 70 years in the Soviet Union before it collapsed.

Somehow people believe that socialism is going to work if we just had the right people to run the show. The truth is that power tends to attract self-interested and corrupt people regardless of intentions. No matter what checks and balances can be put into place, history has proven time after time that no matter how virtuous the leaders, these economic systems are rife with abuse of power, corruption, and even genocide.

That’s why socialism and communism, in their current forms, tend to fail and must be rejected.

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"
This saying is attributed to Lord Acton in England in 1887

All political systems have human flaws. All can produce what I will call monstrous leaders (Idi Amin, Donald Trump, Hitler, Stalin, Mao all fit in that basket ... got some things right but what they got wrong caused immense suffering and death).

Do not say the West is better because it kills less people. It is not a numbers game, especially to the people in Iran who had their children killed at school, the people of Gaza .... If it is your child, mother, wife, teacher it is the whole world to you.

[Ernie Nemeth]

You've resorted to emotional arguments, which means the argument is over. What you have claimed is an opinion, not fact. Also, you yourself have just proven exactly what I am saying. Socialism leads to those who think they are "right". If you get power I am finished.

If I get power you still survive.

I don't want to change you. You want me dead. (socialists in general, of course)

[rgray222]

Greed is a human trait and not a trait or a peculiarity of socialism, capitalism or communism. Some psychologists believe that it is a survival instinct and that it is hard-wired into our brains. Some believe it is even a genetic predisposition that is written into our genes. It is widely recognized as a stable personality trait that exists on a spectrum in nearly everyone.

This trait is considered part of human nature, rooted in evolutionary programming that once rewarded hoarding scarce resources for survival, though it is now amplified by modern psychological insecurity and environmental factors.

And so it begins: Hasan Piker is a far-left political commentator and Twitch streamer. He delivered the speech at the College Democrats of America convention in Washington, D.C., wearing a Mao Zedong-style jacket to criticize moderate Democrats for not being extreme enough.

Piker is described as a multi-millionaire who owns a $2.7 million home in West Hollywood, drives a $120K car and has accumulated significant wealth through his streaming career, which has given him more than 5 million followers.

This is not the same as the global warming elites taking their private jets to Davos to preach about global warming; this is far worse. Hasan Piker is part of a group of people who want to force socialism on a country whether they want it or not, and global warming will only be a small item in their overall agenda.

The point of this post is to say that pure socialism is no more the correct answer than pure capitalism is the correct answer. The wannabe elites like Hasan Piker should be dismissed out of hand.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=JhQp0I_5Cu4