: > The Soviet Union was not a socialist country - It was capitalist. Yawn.
: Oh come on! Do I have to get out a dictionary? A capitalist country is not one where the government owns property and gives out the paychecks. Nor is it one where the government runs industries, and names everything "THE PEOPLE'S" this and "THE PEOPLE'S" that. A capitalist state is one in which the government is only in existence to preserve economic and social freedoms, AND GET THE HELL OUT OF THE ECONOMY'S WAY! USSR did not do that! Maybe the money did end up in the upper classes, but it doesn't change the fact that there wer food shortages and other major problems because the people did not feel the need to work as they could not see the direct benefits of their labor. The government always gave them that check, even if it wasn't for very much, so what was the need to continue working?
The Soviet Union may not of corresponded with the form of capitalism that you are used to but what ever way you look at it, you have to agree it was capitalist. The Soviet Union was State Capitalist society, with the government owning the means of production and benfitting from them.
The existence of food shortages was due to the government taking the food from the people and attempting to gain from what was rightfully the peoples (other examples of capitalism causing famine through similar methods can be found with multinationals role in the third world.)
Saying somthing belongs to the people does not mean they own it or even benefit from it. If you care to read any of the many books on the history of the soviet union, it will show you that far from people not feeling the need to work because they were not benefiting from their labour,during the first 25 years of the soviet union, production goals were overfulfilled and Russia effectively industrialised. Why? Because they beleived thy were building communism and were working for the whole community, effectively ending the alienation witnessed under capitalism (not helping to establish a new ruling class which was what the bolshevik government used there labour for).
: in the United States land does not belong to a special class. my mom makes $25,000 a year, my Dad doesn't have a job (I am but a young child, only 15) and we own 64 acres of land (a lot by any any residential standards). We are far from being part of the upper class. Capitalism allows people of all classes to own land, all they have to do is work! That way they feel the responsobility and maintain that property.
Bollocks. How is some one on a slave wage meant to attain property when they have to give most of there money to a land lord?
Property is theft and the land should be for the benefit of all, not so an individual can get rich.
You may own 60 acres and not be rich, but those 60 acres are to small to enable you to become rich when you have to compete with the monopolys of the ruling class.
: But not to look out for themselves? Tell me, when was the last time you took your neigbors car to be washed because it neede it more than yours? Wouldn't any unselfish, enlightened person like you have to do that?
Sharing of prperty would ensure that everyone maintained it.
Or when was the last time you went and bought groceries for your neighbor because he/she neede them more than you? More than likely it wasn't just yesterday.
Do you not help the elderly and sick in your community? Or do you just leave them to rot because they can't buy their groceries?
That is because you feel the instinctive needs to satisfy yourself before satisfying others. Sometimes satisfying yourself involves satisfying others, but not always. Follow your instinct, it has worked for humanity this far.
: Michael
: scared I'll be president? Why, because you are afraid I may be proven wrong? Or maybe you are more afraid that I'll be proven right!
I'm not scared that you will be president because i aim to abolish all governments and you have already been proven wrong, it is just a question of fixing things.
Chris.
P.S. Sorry this is a bit incoherent, but I was tired when I wrote it.
