The Legacy Of A Socialist Economy

Socialism in America has progressed substantially and is not bettering The United States. Socialism is a political theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole. In much lighter terms socialism is where a government owns and runs everything in the country to, in theory, better the nation for the people. To increase the growth and help the economy in America the people need to learn what socialism is, learn why socialism does not benefit America, limit the federal government’s power, and look at statistics of the poor people in America.

“ Foner means that the main question of ‘ Why is there no socialism in the United States?’ has been layered down into very little distinctive questions. But this does not explain why the United States has not became a socialist , the problem is generally defined as the absence in the United States of a large avowedly social democratic political party. For example the Labour party of Britian, the French Socialist party, and the Communist party of Italy. American writers generally infer a mass socialist consciousness among the working classes of these countries. So the question ‘ why is there no socialism?’ really means, why is the United States the only advanced capitalist nation whose political system lacks a social democratic

The term socialist comes from the Latin word "sociare" which means to share. Socialism was born out of the concerns developed as a result of the Industrial revolution. As Liberal individualism and capitalism had failed to address issues of social inequality and poverty; Socialism was projected as an alternative way forward (Germov & Poole, 2015). Socialist in general prefer cooperation before competition. They believe in social equality and suggest that if material needs and personal developmental needs are satisfied this will assist in guaranteeing social stability, cohesion and ultimate freedom. (Heywood, 2017). The five core values of Socialism are community, cooperation, equality, class politics and common ownership (Heywood, 2017). They believe in moral incentives and not merely economic incentives. In addition, Socialist believe that formal equality in and of itself is insufficient to combat the structural inequality that society and the capitalist system have produced (Heywood, 2017). Inequality for a socialist is an inevitable curse that fosters competition and weakens solidarity (Bresser-Pereira, 2014).

Throughout Europe, people of all different classes and moralities had different views of socialism and how it should be achieved/expressed throughout time in that area. An economic and political system based on collective or state ownership of the means of production and distribution is known as socialism. Socialism branched from Republicanism in the early 19th century, because people came to disapprove unequal distribution of wealth and goods. Socialists wanted equal rights for all, but they were opposed to upper class people who received more income for less work with little impact on society. A socialist economic system is the representation of attempting to eliminate economic inequalities and exploitation. Goals of this would be ending

This is yet another example of the incredible ignorance of society. Many countries such as China, Cuba and Vietnam continue to practice socialism. Socialism can be an attractive option to many people – even Americans – because it eliminates the division in society that is created by the typical class system. Every person is considered equal, and each is entitled to the two distinct kinds of property: personal and public. The state collectively owns all public property, such as factories, but production is controlled by the workers. All profits are pooled and distributed amongst the public based on the principle of individual contribution. Anti-discrimination laws are passed when needed, and every citizen is permitted freedom of religion, marriage and of work; equal and free education and healthcare is provided by taxation. This system looks great on paper, but crumbles when implemented in real life because human nature does not allow for equality. In some ways, yes, humans have a desire to be treated equally; but when equality is taken too far, people are left feeling stripped of individuality. This causes a rebellion against the system, and it falls beneath the

Quotes like Winston Churchill’s have become part of the political rhetoric when leaders discuss the idea of socialism. In current events you can see the exact same argumentation being used against legislation such as the Affordable Health Care Act. Conservative talking heads such as Bill O’Reilly equate it to socialism because, as Mr. O’Reilly says himself, “[i]n order to provide for the have nots, the far left wants the federal government to seize the assets of solvent Americans. That’s what ObamaCare [the Affordable Health Care Act] is all about — taking from those who can afford health care to provide for those who cannot” (O’Reilly). This simplification of socialism does not do justice to the actual paradigm itself. Instead, in this paper I will try to refute our current idea of socialism because of a lack of understanding. The explanations and descriptions by Michael W. Doyle in his chapters on Marxist and Leninist socialism paints a picture that allows one to see how socialism could be beneficial to the common man while also critiquing the negative myths held by modern society.

“From each according to ability, to each according to his contribution”, is socialism’s slogan. Socialism is a social and economic system characterized by common ownership, democratic control, and production for use only. Common ownership means that the resources of the world are owned by everyone thus, nobody can take control of resources beyond their personal belongings. The concept of democratic control means that everybody in a society has the right to participate in the social decisions that affect them. Production under socialism is directly and entirely for use. For example, everyone receives their share of production based on how much they have contributed. After a percent of their share is deducted to go to the common good, workers receive their share of production. Examples of common good is transportation and education, but common good is also used to help those who cannot directly play a part in production like elderly people or children. Socialism works under the assumption that everyone is willing to

However, believers in socialism would completely disagree with this ideal. Socialism is the economic system in which the workers, instead of a rich minority of entrepreneurs, own all industry. Workers receive the full fruits of their labors instead of being given miniscule compensation for backbreaking labor. Since the people are paid well for their work, work becomes a cooperative entity where people come to rely on one another and people actually are more inclined to do their fair share to help the advancement of society as a whole.

Socialism provides equal opportunities to all of the working class. In other words, socialism sees a persons work as a contribution to the great social good. This system tries to even out the great difference between the wages among different classes. One of the basic principles of socialism is that of public ownership and natural resources. If everyone works, everyone will gather the same benefits and prosper equally. Therefore everyone earns equally and receive medical care and other necessities. The idea of socialism is that all individuals should have access to basic articles of consumption and

(2) There also exist opportunities for private wealth and ownership. Essentially, socialism is a less extreme version of communism. In the 2016 presidential race, the nation responded with shock and heated discourse over the candidate Bernie Sanders, an admitted democratic socialist. But this concept is not new to America, in fact it has been present since the early 20th century. We even have socialist programs existing today such as Medicare and Social Security. Those who support this ideology argue that a government of the people must provide basic necessities as well as equitable opportunities such as higher education, healthcare, and child care to its citizens. These all seem like fair and beneficial requests of citizens for their government. However, it still receives high criticisms and objections amongst Americans. That is because capitalism is considered a staple of the U.S. We value our individuality, our free market, and our opportunities for social mobility. That, after all, is the very idea of the American dream. Unfortunately, that dream is often crushed by the harsh realities of inequality, discrimination, and social class. The gap between the rich and the poor is widening rapidly, with 51.4% of income earned annually going to the richest 20% (3). The middle class is disappearing, the poor are getting poorer, and the rich are profiting. This leads many to the conclusion that a new political and economic system is the answer

The answer does not have to be socialism or any other economic policy, but reform is necessary to save the lives of millions of Americans currently suffering in poverty. The current economic and political policies are creating class inequality so dramatic that families cannot survive no matter how hard they work. That is not the “American Dream” children learn in social studies classes year after year. Students in the United States grow up learning about the many accomplishments the country has made over the centuries and that in the United States, the right amount of drive and determination can guarantee success. Coming out of high school and college, young adults learn fast that establishing a life in the United States is difficult without reliable resources to aid them in becoming independent. That is not feasible when the majority of wealth is only available to the upper class. There is not enough wealth to create opportunities for everyone to thrive and those at the bottom suffer for just not being fortunate enough. They are not given the same opportunities and are preyed upon for being “gullible” and “desperate for cash.” In reality, it shows that those who are at the

Socialism is criticized for its lack of private property. A central power owns and distributes all goods, so individuals do not have any items to claim as their own. Therefore, individuals may lose or be deprived of certain goods simply if the state sees fit, and this total dependence creates criticism of a socialist rule.

For those who do not have opportunities that others do have, socialism allows everyone equal access to those various resources. Those who can afford college and vocational education

Democratic socialism could be the correct path for America’s future. In a time where income disparity is at an all-time high, racial tensions mount and a presidential candidate can entice voters with little more than money, isn’t it time for a bit more equality? The use of Democratic socialism that is being used in the current round of politics is one of economic reform rather than the complete economic replacement of a capitalism system as the original use of socialism.

Because the government controls and regulates what is good for the society and how much money each citizen receives, socialism is very inefficient. When those who work hard get the same as those who do not work, it builds the incentive to work less. There is no reason to work harder than anyone else because the rewards are shared. “Under this kind of economy the winners and losers are reversed: the winners are those who scream the loudest for a handout and the losers are those quiet citizens who work hard and pay their taxes” (Thompson).