SmokinAces wrote:
Are you joking? Handing out free healthcare will indeed ruin the quality of service that you have come to enjoy.
First off, SmokinAces...I believe in Socialism because I believe in Humanity. I might need that free health care down the road...you never know what circumstances may arise that if I am unemployed and have no healthcare, shouldn't I be able to go to the doctor and get the same level of care as say someone who is wealthy and can afford private jets and corporate kickbacks. You say, then who should pay for all this - and I turn to my government. This brings up what is the role of government...and this is an interesting debate.
--- From Jerry Kahn - "Capitalism - What's wrong with it" --- this makes a compelling point that pure capitalism is inherently flawed on more than one front. However, I don't agree with him 100% but I do entertain some of this theories and ideas toward a socialisitic society.
A pure socialistic society fails on many fronts, yes, but some aspects of socialism are very appealing:
The Virtue of Selfishness
One of the fundamental faults of capitalism is the basic axiom that “if everybody tries to accumulate as much property as possible the general interest of the people will be served.” All this seems to create is exploitation. Hughie Newton said,
“Show me a capitalist, and I’ll show you a pig.” The factory owners try to reduce as much as possible their expenditures on employees. The factory and storeowners try to profiteer as much as possible without any concern for the public. It has often been said that such a piggish axiom is needed to motivate people. But it is not the workers that grow fat from owning the means of production and the means of distribution. There are other motivations besides greed, such as, travel, interesting work, extra vacation time, shorter hours, a feeling of importance, and the feeling of happiness which comes from doing a good job and
helping build a better community. And these rewards can be applied to the work and those who supervise the means of production and distribution.
Reasonable rewards for those who direct manufacturing and distribution ought to be set at no more than 10 fold that of the common laborer. Are we that much on an island that we have no compassion for our fellow man, for there are only so many loaves of bread in our country? I think a system which is based on an assumption that man is basically piggish and therefore only fit to look after his own needs, such system impedes rather than promotes the good within each person.
Under capitalism
insensitivity to human needs has developed. For example,
Canada and the United States worry about overproduction of food, and actually pay for the reduction of crops while people starve throughout the world, including on our own doorsteps. Also the production of goods is determined by its market and not by human need. At all levels of development industries are run as if they are a good in themselves and should be maintained for their own sake and not for the welfare of mankind. I would like to see a system where production is determined by human need. So in reply to a question by my American friend “What would replace it (capitalism)?” I would suggest a world government dedicated to seeing that: (a)
everybody was properly fed, clothed, and housed](b) everyone worked and received a fair return for their work with none receiving too much; (c) intellectual development for all to be encouraged; (d) businesses are the servant to man; (e) the production of war materials end; (f) the ending of all exploitation, including one region by another or one class by another; (g) and the ending of a press which is controlled by those who make up the ruling class.
So as you can see, socialism is a philosophy, a systemetic extension of compassion and genuine care. Capitalism rewards the wealthy at the expense of the poor. We need more empathy in this country, less greed, and perhaps we will have more people helping others, rather than competing for another dollar or more fame...it's inherently corrupt. I love your opinions and encourage you to adopt a more empathetic approach to all people, and situations in life regardless of their economic and social standing.
That's all I have to say on this issue. I apologize for straying off topic in the original thread because it was simply intended as a Presidential Match Game. I think these ideas and discussions could go on and on and would, but I will end my argument here and place an emphasis on humanity - living out everyday with compassion and sincere respect for not only our friends and family, but strangers, the eager, the hungry, the dire, the addicted - we need to not only think about ourselves and our place in society, but the cares and needs of others.
