And Alex Replies:
Ok, that's better.
I wanted to address the topic of the shortcomings of socialism, viz abuse and general impracticability.
I think that it is true that any system you and I devise, be it ever so Utopian or austere, will be subject to abuse. Such is the nature of human ingenuity. In a population of 300 or 300 million souls, you're going to get some bad apples. But I think it's a bit like our justice system when it is functioning properly. Better that a few crooks go free rather than one innocent man be imprisoned (ask Jeff). Similarly, I would rather help the poor generally knowing that there will be an undeserving few gaming the system. Our economy can absorb it. All we can do is guard against corruption becoming institutionalized (maybe better skip Illinois) and teach folks to respect the system. Stigmatize misuse of the system instead of the class of people who must avail themselves of it.
Is there is something in one of your favorite texts about human fallibility? Amen to that, sister.
I think it is possible to make the "just human nature" argument to admit, pardon or deny any human enterprise. Our current economic woes may be chalked up in part to unscrupulous banking types practising a species of "human nature", Similarly, the dark satanic mills of the laissez faire capitalist19th century;"human nature". (sorry about the plague of nouns in that last sentence)
But it if it is human nature to exploit and abuse our fellow human, it is just as human nature to behave cooperatively and to help each other out. We are a social animal, not a bunch of opportunistic cheetahs on the Savannah. Look around you. Everything that you can see and touch and think about is the result of human cooperation.
The winners in our capitalist system like to tell you the lie that they won the game because of something greater than all of us. That their political ideology is somehow encoded in our genes.
But I know that when I look in my heart, it just ain't so.
Your Comrade in Our Struggle Against Capitalist Oppression and the Bourgeoisie Running Dog of False Consciousness,
Che
5 comments:
I think this 'Alex' guy is onto something.
I would like to subscribe to his newsletter.
Get your own blog, Alex!
Anyhoo, I am not a socialist fan as a form of government- I prefer to see hard work rewarded by financial wealth. (So I am a capitalist pig)
I think if God ran things on earth, socialism would be the simple rule because He alone knows ability and need. And I'd hate to just leave it up to mere mortals (or a government) to make that call. I'd prefer the system where someone proves their ability through hard work and financial gain, and is then compelled by altrusim to care for those who are in need.
Nothing is perfect- we live in a fallen world and the result is promised to be imperfect-
I of course base these assumptions on a belief in God as found in Judeo- Christian heritage of which I participate and believe in...
I also disagree with the statement that "Everything that you can see and touch and think about is the result of human cooperation"
Some of it is the result of terrible uncooperation, ie war, and some of it is the result of grace- undeserved favor.
Most of it is just rooted in the human condition, which is imperfect.
Hmmm...socialism works in Europe because of tight constrained populations wherein the national identity allows the people of that population to agree, nevermind the fact that they are a homogenous population that doesn't have to deal with the 'mind job' of having to support those who don't contribute to the system.
In the United States, enabling such a bureacracy would be an enormous undertaking simply based upon the sheer geographical distribution of our nation; even other large nations like Russia and China have vast spanses of unpopulated land, thereby reducing their geographic population distribution substantially (Siberia, Himalayas, Gobi, etc...)
Having said that, socialism is a very contentious issue in this nation and rightfully so; our very nation was founded and grew to what it is today upon the shoulders of capitalism which rewards hard work, and [almost literally] punishes laziness.
I'm with Jane. [obviously] I'm a capitalist, but I am no pig. I believe in the American dream; that if my wife and I work hard enough, we could retire at 50. That we have the integrity to be charitable when we are successful, and the graciousness to accept help when it is offered. That we have the unequivocal right to own property and a weapon with which to defend our family and property.
Socialism is the Robin Hood answer of Europe, but strangely, we live in no fairy tale.
lets not take that comment about Europeans 'agreeing' to seriously either.... what I meant was that it required some form of democratic consensus to bring themselves into the 'welfare state' that they [collectively] have become.
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