In your opinion,what is the better economic system...Capitalism or Socialism?

Oh gee, let me think...let's see...

Let's contrast two examples of those systems, the United States and Russia...which country historically has had happier people who are better off?

That's a hard one. Which one, which one...

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say, Capitalism GOOD, Socialism BAD. President Obama might want to reassess. But then again, common sense and liberalism aren't close friends, so I'm thinking he isn't likely to rethink things.

Just because Socialism has never been successful in the real world to date doesn't mean it isn't the ideal system that will really work someday in an ideal way, right? Socialism may historically have made people terribly miserable, but really, it's the secret to happiness for everyone that will improve people's lives. Really.

All that capitalism and free society stuff--well, the government is so good at running things and looking after people's liberties and well-being, they should be allowed to run everything. A sure way to a better society. Trust us. We're the experts; we know what we're doing.

...Riiight. It's kind of scary to think that anyone can still believe that Socialism is a good idea.

Do people understand that Capitalism means you have more control over your life and Socialism means you have LESS control over your life?!

The less power a person has to "steer their own course," the more depressed they are likely to be. Who wants to sign up for that?! Not me, thank you.

Capitalism is by far the greatest economic system.

Socialism Simplified for you:

"An economics professor at Texas Tech University said he had never failed a single student before, but had, once, failed an entire class. That class had insisted that socialism worked and that no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said, OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.

All grades would be averaged and everyone would receive the same grade so no one would fail and no one would receive an A. After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. But, as the second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too; so they studied little. The second test average was a D. No one was happy.

When the 3rd test rolled around the average was an F.

the scores never increased as bickering, blame, name calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the benefit of anyone else. All failed, to their great surprise, and the professor told them that socialism would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to succeed is great; but when government takes all the reward away; no one will try or want to succeed.

Could not be any simpler than that . . . THINK ABOUT IT!

I really like how God simplifies it in 2 Thessalonians 3:10 KJV "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work neither should he eat."

The best thing is a combination of both. Obama is not a socialist as labeled by angry Republicans, but the failed policy of allowing corporations to monitor themselves as advocated by the Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush administrations who never factored in what greed can make corporations and people do, was dumped in Obvama's lap. And the only way to clean up the financial mess was for government to come to their rescue with massive financial bailouts. The government doesn't want to be in the automobile business., but under the circumstances, it was the only choice as opposed to this country going through a depression worse than the 1930s. The government takeovers are not permanent.

Capitalism most definitely......is the better economic system if only the bleeding heart liberals would stop hacking/sueing their way through our faught hard for corporate america.....democrats have committed the ultimate crime against our fine country....they have torn away at everything that meant stability, a future, and a brainwash free education in our country.....Obama was on the right track about the single parent (moms) being persecuted by our country for tooooo long....he had a good point there.....stop punishing the women who decide to KEEP their children.....and by all means stop sending these children into FOSTER care just for the profit and the funding......Children have the right to be raised by their parents......except in cases of neglect or endangerment and of course abuse......lay off the single moms...........

Obama is not a socialist, as he is not against the current class system. Socialism is better on account of being a classless society, and hence allowing democracy, rather than dictatorship, in the workplace, as well as the absence of a parasitic class that gains wealth through ownership of the means of production and expropriation of the surplus labour of the majority. As well as the fact that, as I'm sure many have realized recently, crises suck.

Yes he has heavy socialistic tendencies.

Socialism fails alone. It is a parasite of capitalism. It destroys economic growth, innovation, and rewards mediocrity.

A few, small social programs are ok. Socialism looks good on paper but it doesn't actually work.

These are not mutually exclusive.

Yes Obama has made mostly 'socialist' decisions.

The key is to maintain a balance between a republican democracy and social programs

A balance between laws and programs the benefit those that need and not impeding capitalism and ambition.

The difficulty is that many people see no need to work or strive for more or better when the same items are being handed to those that have no ambition or drive.

Social programs need go to the qualified not because a person won't.

There is a great difference between can't and won't. Socialism without hard and fast rules allows people that won't - to have, to have what people that do - have but is given without effort.

At what point does the government self limit the acts it takes in the redistribution of wealth?

This is not my opinion rather it is factual. Capitalism is the greatest wealth producing economic system in the world. Socialism is nothing new and it has been implemented in many countries. It has failed. Cuba, North Korea, China, various European countries have all tried Socialism and are worse off because of it. A capitalist society should still have public education, such as the U.S. The biggest problem with equalizing wages and nationalizing every business, is the government has an overwhelming amount of power over the people. When they control every aspect of life, what freedom do you have? "Elected" officials can suddenly turn tyrannical when the people are no longer feared by the government.

"The problem with socialism is eventually you run out of other people's money" - Margaret Thatcher

Edit: You people don't get it. You are naive and have no idea what ramifications come with Socialist governments. I have been to Communist and Socialist countries and I have seen the restrictions enforced on the citizens. Not once did they brag about how their system was superior to that of America. It is less an argument about economics and more about civic liberties. The goal of Socialism is power. You must realize this.

Capitalism is economic freedom, and it depends on private ownership and individual choice. Socialism is state ownership of business and industry with the aim of taking according to ability and giving according to need.

Free enterprise, rather than state control, has always enriched nations that practice it. Given the freedom to profit from their ideas and energies, people work unflaggingly to provide for themselves and for their families. Most importantly, they invent new machines and medicines to raise the standard of living for all.

Under socialism, people keep only a small part of their earnings, if anything; the rest is taken by government to go to those that politicians feel deserve it better. In its bleakest and most complete experiments, governments in Russia, East Germany, China, and Cuba have driven prosperous countries into near complete poverty.

Most of all, capitalism is better because God endows us with the rights to liberty and ownership of private property. When governments take away our freedom and property, they not only fail as economies, but fail in their duties to secure our human rights.

Barack Obama is an enthusiastic socialist who in a mere six months has managed to socialize the automobile industry and who threatens the takeover of health care. Unemployment has risen from 6% to over 9% since he has taken office. He and the Democratic Congress have spent about $3 trillion, which is burying us in debt and inviting Carter-era inflation.

Cheers,

Bruce

I noticed that most people do not know the difference between socialism and communism.

Socialism is based on the principle that the state has responsibility with the respect to the welfare of the people. Communism is based on the common ownership of means of production.

Communism existed in Soviet Union and still exists in China.

Socialism exists in countries like Sweden and, to a certain degree, Germany.

No system is inherently superior. It all depends who is in charge. Soviet Union collapsed because hardliners were in charge. (Hardliners were communist equivalent of conservatives) In China reformers got upper hand and China is doing better under communist system than it did when there was capitalism in China.

Obama is ultra conservative, he has not changed any policy of the previous administration. Nothing he has said indicates slightest inclination towards socialist ideals.