Define Socialism... IN YOUR OWN WORDS.

In its basic form, socialism is a pooling of individual resources to address the collective needs of society.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, but I also think it tends to quickly lead to a trampling of individual rights in favor of the collective, as the collective will constantly invent new 'problems' to address, which in turn requires more and more individual resources and rights to be sacrificed in order to address them.

Taxes being used on the people rather than the horse poo they're using it on now.

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: face23785

Didn't they say at some point that they had to ration the replicators or something to keep people from going hog wild?

That was in Voyager, and they only did it because they were lost on the other side of the galaxy and had to conserve power.

originally posted by: eManym
a reply to: face23785

They just fired up the replicator and produced a few million gold Tringees.

They got the idea from the Obama Fed.

Anything that our taxes are spent on to help everyone in a society. Such as.

Police
Firemen
medicaid
military
social security
welfare
infrastructure spending
All government programs funded with tax money

This is why I wish we could decide on an individual bases what our tax money is spent on.

a reply to: intrepid

Shouldnt YOU have to also define "socialism" IN YOUR OWN WORDS?

a reply to: scraedtosleep

Except not all those things help everyone.

Some of those things help only a select group at the expense of everyone.

a reply to: vor78

In its basic form, socialism is a pooling of individual resources to address the collective needs of society.

I used your words here, because I think it's a really good explanation.

Collective needs, like education, roads and other transportation routes, some social programs, like disability payments to those unable to work

In most first world countries, medical - if everyone pays in a little bit every month, it's like insurance without the privatized for profit insurance agency.

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
a reply to: intrepid

Shouldnt YOU have to also define "socialism" IN YOUR OWN WORDS?

Yup but as the OP I'm keeping my views out of this for now as I don't want to influence people's thoughts.

ETA: I'm looking for opinions, not arguments.

originally posted by: Lab4Us
At it’s core, socialism is wealth redistribution, taking funds from those that earned it to distribute to those that didn’t.

Socialism is also accepting the citizens of other countries and feeding/clothing/housing them indefinitely, though they’ve contributed nothing to their cause.

We could argue that social security is socialism and in some cases it is; many, however, paid into it, just like investing in a 401k, throughout their lifetime, earning the pittance they receive on the backside. That is not the case for the scum scamming the system claiming disability social security.

Reading that made me think of a giant parasite that bites, feeds, lays eggs and replicates a slow lingering death to everything it's attached to.

originally posted by: intrepid

originally posted by: IgnoranceIsntBlisss
a reply to: intrepid

Shouldnt YOU have to also define "socialism" IN YOUR OWN WORDS?

Yup but as the OP I'm keeping my views out of this for now as I don't want to influence people's thoughts.

ETA: I'm looking for opinions, not arguments.

Like your words have that kind of clout......lol

Sorry, had too...

I do not see socialism as the opposite of capitalism, so much as I see it as the result of capitalism.

Capitalism allows those that strive to gain and therefore succeed. When this goes on over a period of time the society benefits from these gains, eventually those that do not "strive" want to SHARE with those that do. Hence, socialism is a result of capitalism.

Capitalism = working for what you have
Socialism = taking from those with and giving to those without, regardless of contribution

Hard times create stong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. Weak men create hard times.

or to paraphrase:

Hard times create capitalism. Capitalism creates good times. Good times create socialism. Socialism creates hard times.

I am my brother's keeper.

That's what socialism is.

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
-Winston Churchill

A liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money.
-G Gordon Liddy

Socialism is taking from those who work and produce and giving to those who do not.... always with a strong elite at the top sucking off everyone.

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul.
- George Bernard Shaw

The problem is we have to many Paul's now..Paul, the have not.... Generations of free loaders who's only contribution to society is their daily tirade of how they expect and need more from someone else while they get their government hand outs... But some body gotta pay for all these babies..

National Park Service, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, asks us "Please Do Not Feed the Animals." The stated reason for this policy is because "The animals will grow dependent on handouts and will not learn to take care of themselves."

See even the national park service can be right sometimes ...

Only in America could the rich people who pay the largest percent of all income taxes be accused of not paying their "fair share" by people who don't pay any income taxes at all.
jonrappoport.wordpress.com...

Socialism is:

The taking of money (taxes) from some people who work for it and giving it to others who don’t work for it. On a grand scale.

The vast expansion of freebies doled out by central government. In order to create and sustain dependence.

The government protection of favored persons and corporations, permitting them and aiding them to expand their fortunes without limit, regardless of what crimes they commit in the process. (Monsanto would be a fine example.)

The squeezing out of those who would compete with the favored persons and corporations.

The dictatorship by and for the very wealthy, pretending to be the servant of the masses.

The lie that the dictatorship is being run by the masses.

The gradual lowering of the standard of living for the overwhelming number of people.

The propaganda claiming socialism is the path to a better world for all.

In other words, socialism is a protection racket and a long con and a heartless system of elite control, posing as the greatest good.

It is just another form of top-down tyranny—as old as the hills.

Government seizes the means of production, no material possessions and everyone is on someone else's schedule.

a reply to: intrepid

We are all pretty much basing our opinions on our individual experiences.
Many people see Europe as a paradise because of the health care system and extra vacation time they enjoy but the don't see the lifestyle differences.
Much higher taxes.
Great dependance on public transit.
Vastly smaller living spaces.
Not that these are better or worse things they are just different.

Taking away things that belong to me and sharing them with others
without reimbursing me for them.We have to make sure that everyone
is equal so no ones' feelings are hurt.

Legal robbery.

a reply to: intrepid

So I'm asking...what is socialism to you and why this reaction?

Socialism is just one more word salad made to sound pretty (or not) to rationalize the gross violation and abuse of our natural inalienable rights... giving the power of the many to the few... who will inevitably be corrupted by said power.

And that's all that matters. Define anything any way you want. What matters is the end result.

originally posted by: LesMisanthrope
Legal robbery.

"Mandatory Charity"