Questions for Americans ONLY: Why are you against socialism?

Mostly those who will answer you have no real reference to judge it by.Those who say it has failed, what of Norway? Finland? Switzerland? Venezuela?

Not surprisingly, political ideologies which seek to empower the poor and working class have been heavily vilified by those who hold a vested interest in keeping wealth and power in the hands of a few. Americans are inculcated with the belief that men like Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, Salvador Allende, and Evo Morales are (or were) our enemies. It is anathema, we are taught, to our "free market system" and "democracy" when leaders of other sovereign nations end the persistent grip of an entrenched oligarchy and raise a majority of their people out of abject poverty. With such beliefs, perhaps America's moral deficit exceeds its fiscal one.

If Capitalism is so much better , what of this article ?http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/10-signs-the-... clearly much of the world rejects the propaganda Americans readily accept.

I believe leaders of the business community, with few exceptions, have chosen to wage a one-sided class war today in our country --a war against working people, the unemployed, the poor, the minorities, the very young and the very old, and even many in the middle class of our society....I would rather sit with the rural poor, the desperate children of urban blight, the victims of racism, and working people seeking a better life than with those whose religion is the status quo, whose goal is profit and whose hearts are cold.I intend to reforge the links with those who believe in struggle: the kind of people who sat down in the factories in the 1930's and who marched in Selma in the 1960's.

While the ruling elite have done an exceptional job of employing the concept of divide and conquer in human society (gay vs. straight, pro-life vs. pro-choice, red state vs. blue state, Christianity vs. Islam), a majority of the global population shares at least one common interest. Almost all of us need to trade our labor for our means of sustenance. A global unification of working people of all stripes is what we of the poor and middle classes need to overcome the tyranny of the moneyed ruling class. These modern day monarchs thrive by keeping their peasants in a perpetual state of unnecessary poverty, ignorance, war, and human suffering.

Contrary to the lies of the elite, human nature does not doom us to high degrees of injustice and misery. Human beings are blessed with free will. As individuals, and ultimately collectively, we can choose to act in mostly reasoned, honest and just ways. We can avoid resorting to impulsive, reactionary responses to primal emotions like fear, lust, and anger (feelings propagandists love to trigger and manipulate). No one will make reasoned, fair choices all of the time, but I know from my own experience that through conscious effort, it is possible to do so much of the time.

I am not opposed to socialism because I am aware of its existence all around us everywhere. I know that the true definition of socialism is behind the public highway system, the public school system, the police and fire departments, the military, and half a gazillion other things we take for granted every day.

But as with any political ideology, it can be taken to extremes. Socialism taken to extremes can lead to communism, which as much as I would like to believe could work, I'm not foolish enough to believe we can overcome human nature. What succeeds best for everyone is a mix of socialism and capitalism. You can see this all over the Western World, even in the US, although we're not the best example. We are rapidly dropping to the level of a third world country in which most of the country's money is controlled by a very small group of people at the top and the rest is left to be fought over by the majority. Many countries in Europe have higher living standards than we do, but the people who make the noise here don't believe that because their standard of living is fine.

I completed an AS in Vocational Nursing about 30 years ago.

Socialism is meant to be a society wherein actually everyone seems to be equivalent in all issues. even though it never works because of the fact those with the ability insure they are extra suitable off than something. Lenin got here the closest to having a competent equivalent society. He and his spouse lived in a small house interior the Kremlin in basic terms like many others residing in substantial cities. yet as quickly as Stalin won power each little thing replaced. All one needs to do is seem on the Congress and how they take care of themselves--unfastened precise notch medical care, for existence; substantial each year salary will enhance, back for existence; particular places to park at Reagen Airport and a "contributors in basic terms" subway device. What could they do if we became Socialistic? Addition: when you consider which you think of that the US is incorrect and that we are no longer a super as we've been, enable me factor out which you're suitable in that regard. yet, bear in mind that our test with Socialism began interior the 60's. when you consider that then we've slipped in lots of components. Why, via ideals of Johnson's super Society and courses instituted when you consider that that factor. as quickly as a central authority decides that they understand extra suitable, then evrything is going downhill from there. i in my view choose wew ought to return to the previous whilst human beings took care of themselves and others. That suitable--as Jesus taught--is the superb.

America was founded on the idea that you could come here and work hard and make a life for yourself.

You were not limited by your station in life, your success was limited only by your ability and your desire to achieve. With hard work and determination anyone could succeed. Not so with socialism, those with the drive and determination to make a better life for themselves are held back by a glass ceiling. ONLY the elite may achieve, only they may move beyond what the government deems good enough for the little people. You work your whole life in the job the government assigns you, never making more than the ration they deem appropriate to the task and living were ever they tell you. You live your life as a brick in the wall, a small piece of the machine. That’s what’s wrong with socialism.

1) The more control the government has the less freedom the individual has.

2) The government has squandered the money that was placed in the social programs that we do have. They have given us no reason to trust them with other social funds.

3) A failure on the part of a government run program impacts the entire country instead of small scale failures.

4) Socialism provides no incentive to try to advance your situation.

5) Socialism creates a two class system. The social elite and the "everybody else" class.

While I agree with some aspect of socialism, it is idealistic at best. Human nature will cause it to fail every time.

American founder Ben Franklin said it best and it describes the US''s views on socialism...

"A nation that exchanges freedom for security deserves neither"

See the founding of our nation is rich in individual freedoms. The Constitution spent more time and energy determining fundamental rights of individuals than how the nation would be ran. That right there shows that the American people are quite different. Most other nations have a rich history that stems over a few thousand years......the US doesn't. (at least the European US since we won't go into the Native American issues) With that, there is no large history of monarchies and single rulers. We were raised under English Magna Carta and demanded it be followed when it clearly wasn't. This is our unique attitude that extends to each citizen to some degree or another.

I'm against socialism. We are a nation of "rugged individualists." We believe it is our duty to provide for our own families and that every citizen has this same duty. We believe that when the government leaves us alone, we operate at our highest and best personal good, but that when the government infringes on our property rights and gets into our businesses, incentive is reduced.

I notice you did not ask for our education levels if we are against socialism, but I have a JD and am a practicing attorney. My undergrad degree is in Psychology and my minor is in Social Work.

Socialism is bad because it destroys personal initiative and because of this it doesn't work. People want to work for themselves, not for the state. When the state becomes the only reason to work personal initiative suffers. So does productivity. Massive alcoholism like in the USSR results.

Look at Cuba, China and North Korea. Cuba and China have to institute capitalism to make their economies work. North Korea, unwilling to do this has to blackmail the world with nuclear bombs

Government and Sociology double major, college.

Personally I dislike socialism because it requires the existence of a massive State composed of myriad bureaucracies and requiring far too much centralized organization and control.

I am also of the opinion that capitalism and socialism have become a false dichotomy and both utilize control and exploitation to discourage independent living.

I support only a voluntary, regional, resource-based, free barter system with an ethical communitarian outlook.

Humans have a basic human right to liberty, Socialism steals that right.

I have a right to choose which school my child goes to and what curriculum I support, Socialism steals this right.

I have a right to contol my own retirement plans, my own charity, my own business, etc. Socialism steals these rights.

I have the right to keep what I EARN, Socialism steals this right. It is my money, I have the right to choose whether I spend it on my child's education, your mom's medicine, or my new Xbox. Nobody has the right or authority to control my wealth except me.

The problem with socialism is that it is not voluntary, it is enforced at gun point. Should I give money to the needy? Yes, of course. Should the government put a gun in my face and force me to do it? No, that is evil, and that is why socialism is evil.