Question for socialists

[Mich the Tester]

Incoherence

A better idea is an economic system that meets people's needs.

There's one of those in Amsterdam around Oudezijds Voorburgwal and it's not very tasteful at all.

[Old Greg]

So you can grab the wrong end of another stick as well?

It sold canes as well? It's worse than we thought.

[LisaContractorUmbrella]

Incoherence

A better idea is an economic system that meets people's needs.

If an economic system does nothing other than meet needs then how long will it survive - people need a reason to succeed and often that reason is money and success and all those things that go with it. Altruism does not come naturally to most people until they feel comfortable with their own financial position and trying to force it upon them by laying a guilt trip on someone wanting to do well for themselves achieves nothing

[Old Greg]

If an economic system does nothing other than meet needs then how long will it survive - people need a reason to succeed and often that reason is money and success and all those things that go with it. Altruism does not come naturally to most people until they feel comfortable with their own financial position and trying to force it upon them by laying a guilt trip on someone wanting to do well for themselves achieves nothing

I didn't say it should just meet people's needs, but that it should first meet people's needs.

Not sure what altruism and guilt trip has to do with anything. Are you thinking about charity?

[DimPrawn]

[doodab]

If an economic system does nothing other than meet needs then how long will it survive - people need a reason to succeed and often that reason is money and success and all those things that go with it. Altruism does not come naturally to most people until they feel comfortable with their own financial position and trying to force it upon them by laying a guilt trip on someone wanting to do well for themselves achieves nothing

If people need a reason to succeed and the economic system doesn't provide it then it isn't meeting their needs, is it?

I think we are better off with a system that meets people's needs than one that doesn't.

[KimberleyChris]

Why do we still label everybody who believes in Social Security, state-funded education, a free-to-use NHS etc as 'Socialists'?

I know that many of these things were originally introduced by the 'Left' or the 'Centre', but I wouldn't really class myself as a Socialist, and yet I still believe in them as a force for the national good.

I've never even heard any tories clamouring for the abolition of the NHS for example, and even the most right-wing of their PMs in living memory immediately distanced herself from any suggestion of it.

[Old Greg]

Why do we still label everybody who believes in Social Security, state-funded education, a free-to-use NHS etc as 'Socialists'?

Because they're cretins.

HTH

Sas

[d000hg]

Why do we still label everybody who believes in Social Security, state-funded education, a free-to-use NHS etc as 'Socialists'?

In DA's case, calling someone a socialist is the same as calling them gay - a low-level generic insult.

[KimberleyChris]

In DA's case, calling someone a socialist is the same as calling them gay - a low-level generic insult.

Well, at least DA has a brain and uses it, and if you read through his posts he is not really as right-wing as he likes to pretend. He just plays 'devil's advocate' to himself sometimes.

It's some of the others, they seem to be brainwashed with a simplistic 'four legs good - two legs bad' mindset, as though there is no middle ground with values that both Labour and Conservative share.

Even though I hated her guts, even MrsT didn't abolish what many less happier breeds regard as Britain's real crown jewels.