Venezuela, proof that socialism rocks

It's great for the people at the top, not so great for the serfs and peasants at the bottom.

Isn't Venezuela awash in illegal guns?

Couldn't the students arm themselves and fight? Better than being tortured to death in the basement of some police station.

Socialism is the public or state-based redistribution of economic resources.

That's the most simple explanation that I've ever heard. One also always finds some degree of social engineering in socialist countries and increasing control of the citizenry by the government depending upon the type, but the standard definition is primarily about economics.

Services like public roads, libraries, Police/Fire/EMS aren't the redistribution of wealth, so they can't really be considered socialist. On that note most of the current Western Democracies are socialist to one degree or another

There are also at least seven different types of socialism. The varying degrees within those types are based on governmental expenditures and control. What socialism looks like in one country isn't the same thing in another.

It's ironic that you'd mention Norway as an example of a socialist country that works. Due to their lax laws regarding asylum seekers and refugees the Norwegian government allowed a large number of North Africans and Arabs in. Because of vast differences in culture and religion to say that it hasn't gone well is an understatement.


Culture Crisis : Norway tackles Muslim immigration

So socialism can do more than just mess with the economy.

At least in countries like Norway they can vote those governments out (which they did in the last election) and they aren't getting arrested, tortured in the police station or murdered by death squads. The standard of living is still high in Norway, but now there's a violent crime epidemic, vast unemployment among the refugees/asylum seekers and because of this the government (meaning the taxpayers) is largely paying their bills for the privilege of higher crime rates and rioting in their cities.

Norway is also one type of socialism (Democratic Socialism) and Venezuela is another type (Revolutionary Socialism).

At any rate back to the topic : With Venezuela the problems that they're experiencing aren't a matter of differing cultures, but an issue of a looming economic collapse due to instituting failed socialist economic principles and ever increasing governmental control to the point where it's well on its way towards becoming a dictatorship.

www.cato.org/publications/commentary/is-venezuela-dictatorship


Socialism is one stop of a nation on its way towards Marxism.

Seriously, look it up. It's the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society towards communism and it's 'characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles'.

So I'm pretty sure things are going to get a whole lot worse in Venezuela.

Personally I think that socialism sucks. There might some short term benefits for the people living under such a system, but the long-term disadvantages outweigh those considerably.

You're kind of hinting around that many people don't understand the definition and that its become somewhat of a buzzword to try to get people to oppose it. I completely agree with you there. However I believe that the majority of Americans would oppose it once they understand what it means and it's no longer just an emotional word meant to get a negative response.

[Edit : Sorry about the epic War and Peace length post Dannus, didn't mean for it to be this long]

dictionary.reference.com/browse/socialism?s=t&path=/

1 & 3 are quite telling.

I like France but the loose immigration policy of their progressives is killing them but they also support a easy social net. I believe the easy social net IS the problem. People will accept low standards of living just not to work.

Immigration policies are killing much of Europe now imo. The Swiss all but locked the doors and said "GO AWAY!" and the rest of Europe is chastising them for it. They see the decline of much of their continent due to the large ethnic cultures wanting their own state within a state. They want to police themselves and not fall under the nation's law.

I applaud the Swiss. They are taking it slowly to see how other European countries handle it and imo many of them are handling it poorly.

I'm still amazed Germany hasn't collapsed under the large number of guest workers who came to Germany after WWII to help rebuild and never left.

That's the thing, the net is not just a net. It's a weapon to whip and control people. It's used by progressives to manipulate, they say it's to uplift but NEVER does. It only allows people to accept a minimum for compliance to the whims of other and their votes. It's too dangerous a tool for govt. to have. Civic and churches are far better at up lifting.
Look at the people who accept the handouts, they rapidly degrade in moral fiber and civil behavior. Without the workplace and other responsibilities you have to have to maintain your civil behavior they will degrade because there is no motivation to behave. Without consquences such as job loss or lack of food keeping people from acting with good citizenship they will not. There is no motivation to do so. Charity is always better kept private and in the hands of the people, not the govt.
Govt. handouts have created a permanent entitlement class that acts at best an ambigous fashion towards their fellow citizens, that's horrible. Poverty has only increased under the entitlement system.