Was Socialism the tragic failure of the 20th Century, will the trend continue into the 21st Century?

As a system, it did not work, but all the proponents of communism hear are the complaints of former communists concerning how they did not have to work so much or, worry so much about paying their bills and they, the proponents of communism, determine that it is a system we must make it work!

Seems to be working well in Western Europe, Scandinavia, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, Cuba, Venezuela, and South East Asia. Most of the above are quite socially permissive, and some of the above have faired better through the economic crisis than countries that maintain a delusion of strict capitalism. Japan's solution to its decades long financial problems has been to adopt more socialised public policy over constant capital works projects, despite the immediate implications for already staggering debt. The US, despite poor centralised social services, has managed to amass a 10 trillion dollar debt bill, and the budget isn't predicted to be in surplus for some years yet, after which the debt will only begin to be repaid. This doesn't even consider personal, household, and business debt.

The tragic failure was in totalitarianism, not socialism, which is alive and working quite well both socially and financially in plenty of countries. Less successful nations are even now trying to emulate the institutions of socialised countries in order to prevent the next financial disaster.

Why do people take a few bad examples of Socialism and claim it's all bad? That's a fallacy.

In many ways, a lot of the European countries that are Socialist are more efficient than the USA.

You argument is about like me taking the bad effects of the US version of Capitalism and claiming it's all bad. It's a fallacy as well.

And as you said before, if Capitalism was perfect Socialism wouldn't exist. Nearly ever country that turns into more of a Socialized state does so because of the failures of Capitalism and Corporatism.

I'll be barbequing and going to a baseball game and to a Blues Festival this weekend. The Blues Festival benefits the Food Bank. I'll be singing the Star Spangled Banner with thousands of other Patriotic Americans, who mostly voted for Obama, then watching fireworks. I'll leave the tea bagging and protesting to those who hate America.

Socialism still does work in Sweden, Denmark, China, and Israel. The socialized health care systems of Great Britain and France are very successful. Socialism, like Capitalism, is not a bad thing or even a negative thing. It is how each system is operated that brings about trouble.

Socialism is a failure and it shall eventually burn it self out, hopefully very soon!

Happy New Year, May God bless you, and May God save the USA

Anytime you make promises of getting something for doing nothing, the uneducated and lazy will support it.

Being that so many other Countries have failed so miserably under Socialism, our politicians seem to have some fatalistic desire to prove that America can fail bigger and better.

If one fails, they all will fail.

Capitalism has failed too; but few accept that truth today.

A new combination might soon be discovered.