The Meeting Report's Definition of Socialism

Post Reply
GeorgeKunath
Site Admin
Posts: 16
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2007 12:24 am

The Meeting Report's Definition of Socialism

Post by GeorgeKunath »

.
---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: One thought for now
From: George Kunath
Date: Sun, August 16, 2015 11:00 am - EDT
To: John Karls
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear John,

I suspect that when most Americans speak of socialism they are referring to social democracy, that is, as in M Thather's words: The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people's money. In other words, a redistributive policy of tax and spend. Just my immediate reaction.

George


---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: Re: One thought for now
From: John Karls
Date: Sun, August 16, 2015 2:42 pm - MDT
To: George Kunath
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear George,

Most Americans may have misunderstood what Margaret Thatcher was saying.

But Margaret Thatcher was quite clear!!!

And she was using the Classical Definition of Socialism!!!

She was addressing the fact that following WW-II, Britain had nationalized more than a dozen major industries, including steel, coal mining, electricity, gas, ship building, sugar, transport, etc., etc.

And what she was saying about THE GOVERNMENTAL OWNERSHIP OF THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION in those industries was that --

(1) BECAUSE COMPETITION HAD BEEN ELIMINATED BY GOVERNMENTAL CONSOLIDATION OF EACH NATIONALIZED INDUSTRY, each nationalized industry was relatively free to pile up gigantic losses;

(2) the nationalized industries were in fact doing so with increasingly-greater aptitude, and

(3) the losses had to be financed by taxation of other areas of the economy THAT WERE NOT GOVERNMENT OWNED.

And, by implication, she was saying that it was indeed fortunate that the Post-War Labor Party had not nationalized virtually everything (they in fact had had long lists of industries that they wanted to nationalize but only got as far as their FIRST PHASE of nationalizing the key dozen or so major industries) BECAUSE IF THEY HAD NATIONALIZED EVERYTHING, THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTHING LEFT TO TAX IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE LOSSES OF THE NATIONALIZED INDUSTRIES!!!

So if your point is that Americans are ignorant about such matters, I agree.

But if your point is that Margaret Thatcher didn't know what socialism is, I violently disagree!!!

Your friend,

John K.

Post Reply

Return to “Suggested Discussion Outline – Joan Walsh’s “What’s the Matter with White People?” – Aug 12”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest