Socialism

[Nilsen]

ALL nations practise socialism...some more than other tho.

I have asked americans several time what they can do that we over here in "socialist" norway cant.....it always boil down to the same thing......nothing.

[beet1e]

Originally posted by Capt. Pork
Who thinks it could work in a nation this big

Well, it "worked" in the former USSR, which is considerably bigger than the USA. But socialism sucks.

[cpxxx]

Actually to correct Leslie, Socialism was not Russian. It was more German. In fact Karl Marx never envisaged an agrarian peasant based culture like Russia as a potential Socialist utopia. Germany was the ideal country being heavily industrialised with a large proletariat. It didn't quite work out like that. They had quite a different form of Socialism.

The whole Socialism thing is a red herring. As Nilsen says everyone practises a form of Socialism anyway. Most of the western democracies have a balancing act between the right and left. Republican/Democrats, Labour/Conservatives etc. Both overlap their policies to some extent. Most people are happy with the balancing act except for the extreme right or left who are never happy but luckily are a minority and are unelectable. Those guys only get into power by revolution or coup.

In my opinion in the United States even the Democrats are relatively right wing. Shocking though that concept might be to conservatives on this BBS.

Pure Socialism doesn't work because it runs contrary to man's capitalist instincts.  But elements of it are needed to keep those capitalist instincts in check.  Plenty of South American countries are good examples of how bad it gets when the rich are unrestrained. A few rich people  surrounded by masses of poor.

[beet1e]

Good post, cpxxx.

Originally posted by cpxxx
In my opinion in the United States even the Democrats are relatively right wing. Shocking though that concept might be to conservatives on this BBS.

Yep, that was my opinion when I went to live work in the US - in the last year of the Carter administration. When I came to do my taxes (or rather have them done for me) I was amazed at the number of things that were tax deductible. Of course, the comparison I was making back then was against Callaghan's Labour Govt., 83% income tax and all that...

[lazs2]

socialism is evil.  

Pongo.. everyone in America is guarenteed health care if they pay for it.  Even anyone who won't will get health care which is probly wrong.

The government can't guarentee anything.   They have no money and earn nothing.   The only way they can "give" anything is to take it from someone else.

Socialism appeals to young people starting out and with a head full of mush because it sounds noble "to each according to his needs, from each according to his ability"   and life seems overwhelming to them untill they wake up and realize it is they that are paying for inefficient government programs

nielson... mexican women... Good mexican food...  deserts.... $2 a gallon gasoline... A safe full of handguns and the right to carry them.. cheap hot rods.   The best heart surgeons in the world in abundance....  Drive 10,000 miles without a passport.   The right to chose any doctor I want.   Shopping malls.   More of my money to spend.   The sun.

lazs

[Nilsen]

Originally posted by lazs2
nielson... mexican women... Good mexican food...  deserts.... $2 a gallon gasoline... A safe full of handguns and the right to carry them.. cheap hot rods.   The best heart surgeons in the world in abundance....  Drive 10,000 miles without a passport.   The right to chose any doctor I want.   Shopping malls.   More of my money to spend.   The sun.

lazs

we dont have less hart surgeons than you compared to the population. Dont need a passport to drive 10000 miles. We have plenty of shopping malls. Same amount of money to spend.

yes....you do have more mexican woman.

[lazs2]

so you are saying that you pay the same amount of taxes that we do?  Are you counting fuel taxes?  ours are 34 cents a gallon.

in any case... you don't have most of the things I need.  

lazs

[Capt. Pork]

Originally posted by Nilsen
ALL nations practise socialism...some more than other tho.

I have asked americans several time what they can do that we over here in "socialist" norway cant.....it always boil down to the same thing......nothing.

How many Norwegian millionaires do you know?

How easy is it to become one?

[slimm50]

Originally posted by Capt. Pork
Socialism is when you put a highly taggable asian chick on your avatar and then refuse to tell Capt. Pork where you got it.  

She's Asian??? (sorry, I never got past her hooters)

[Capt. Pork]

Originally posted by beet1e
Well, it "worked" in the former USSR, which is considerably bigger than the USA. But socialism sucks.

It worked?

I must have missed something.

I guess it is pretty neat when you have to wait in line for 2 years to get a new refrigerator or 4 years for a crappy little car.

I wonder if we also take into account that Russian government authority, as well as whatever benefits it may have brought with it,  barely spread past the major cities. Take a trip 100 miles from Moscow or Leningrad and the brave new world of Socialism became the brave old world of post-feudalism. It did spread in one key way, however--nobody had any money.

[lazs2]

yep... norway would work for the socialists in our country who don't really want opportunity or freedom.   It would work for those who can't drive or hate cars and are afraid of handguns...  Those are the people that you probly have talked to.

It has been my experiance that every foreighner that has lived here for a while have all said the same thing...  That they can't believe all the freedom and opportunity they have here.   But... the ones who come here are probably not typical... they tend to be more "individualistic"

lazs

[mosgood]

So what's the problem with Norway and oppurtunity?  Someone can't open a business there?  I'm asking because I have NO idea.

[Nilsen]

Originally posted by Capt. Pork
How many Norwegian millionaires do you know?

How easy is it to become one?

Plenty and there are more every year. If i dont mess up ill be one (in dollars) in some years and i am now in norwegian currency (not cash but my total value)

It is not hard to become a millionare if you work hard....same as for most people i guess.

[Capt. Pork]

What I want to know, Nilson, is how much do these heart surgeons make, and how many hours a week do they have to work to get there?

How many hours do they put in during residency?

I'm not trying to lead you with this questions, I'm asking out of curiosity.

[lazs2]

he still hasn't even admitted that the things I said are ones that you can't do/have in norway.

We have more purchasing power and more of our money is ours with fewer real taxes.   Goods are cheaper.  

Their population is allmost entirely white... I don't know if that is because they keep people out or no one wants to live there but... why don't poor euros sneak in to get all that great living?

lazs