Reply #9: Well see, that another thing about the here and now......... [View All]

[socialist_n_TN]

We've now had about 150 years of Marx and Engels and several stabs at socialism/communism. What most people don't realize is that there's NEVER been a socialist/communist state that hasn't been the victim of a reaction by the capitalist/bourgeosie class. And ANY time you get a violent reaction it warps the WHOLE process. Even if the reaction is relatively nonviolent (Cuba) it STILL results in economic sanctions that warp the development of socialism. Because the capitalist system is a FULLY developed economic system it will be more powerful than any budding replacement system (socialism) UNTIL THERE ARE MORE SOCIALIST SYSTEMS THAN CAPITALIST ONES in operation. And this is ESPECIALLY true when the replacement system is being warred on by the replaced system. This is a tough go.

However, in THIS country, we're a fully developed capitalist society. This which means that the productive means FOR socialims are also fully developed. AND as I said in the first paragraph, we've had 150 years of attempts. Folks, WE'RE SMART ENOUGH TO LEARN FROM OUR MISTAKES. I don't think that a socialist USA would go through the same pattern as the USSR did. Or China. Or Cambodia, Cuba or any other socialist attempt in the past.

What I would like to see is a socialist system come into being somewhere where the capitalists left it alone to develope as it would. I think in a relatively short time the advantages of a non-combative socialist system would show itself strongly to the world. And I think that the USA could be that showcase.