Reply #121: I'm confused by them actually. My mom taught me that [View All]

[Colorado Blue]

Socialism is #1, evolutionary, but #2, is primarily concerned with economic issues, such as ownership of the means of production, economic justice and safety nets for people, and above all, the maxim: to each what he needs, from each what he has to give. Thus, the individual's contribution to his culture is maximized, his essential needs are met. People don't starve, they have the opportunity to excel, to do their best work.

Under pure capitalism, for example, artists are often hungry, people with doctorates drive cabs. Only wealthy people have good medical care. True socialism would eliminate many of these problems and indeed, good social programs exist that try and compensate for some of life's misfortunes.

I don't know from this new Socialism, which seems more like Communism, and which is now selecting certain nationalities or peoples for salvation and damning others.

That seems highly discriminatory, it seems to suggest that violence is acceptable, and it does strike me as being in conflict with progressive values.

Another point - I have met victims of communist takeovers. I had a Cuban Art History professor who'd lost all to Castro. At the time, I was waving the red flag myself a bit, and didn't really understand his sorrow and his anger. Now, almost 40 years later, I'm beginning to GET IT. And too, time is making me understand the Palestinian situation better as well, and it's making me want to find good, practical, creative ways to help make things better.

Maybe people really do have to live, work, suffer and experience loss? Does each generation have to learn this for itself?