- Capitalism and Alternatives -

Socialism is Democracy, whereas capitalism cannot be

Posted by: Nikhil Jaikumar ( PCC, MA, USA ) on July 16, 1999 at 03:17:26:

In Reply to: socialist systems totalitarian posted by DonS on July 15, 1999 at 10:44:26:

Socialist systems have no government, at least teh type of socialism Lark is talking about. Even for a statist socialist like me, socialism can exist only where the people are the government. Socialism is economic democracy, and is tehrefore impossible in teh absence of political democracy. capitalist systems, in contrast, are thsoe where people do not ahve control over their own labor and produce, since these belong tpo teh capitalist class. Capitalsim cannot eb democratic, saince the means of production are owned not by the people as qa whole but by the capitalists.

Follow Ups:

A socialist system without a government would never work DonS USA July 19 1999 (19)
- Yes it would. Red Deathy Socialist Party UK July 19 1999 (18)
  - Re: Yes it would. DonS USA July 20 1999 (17)
    - No, it wouldn't. Red Deathy Socialist party UK July 20 1999 (12)
      - And why would these people produce free goods? DonS USA July 21 1999 (11)
        
        Because they want to. Red Deathy Socialist Party UK July 21 1999 (10)
        
        Why abolish money? DonS USA July 22 1999 (9)
        
        Coz it don't work. Red Deathy Socialist Party UK July 22 1999 (8)
        
        Congress is a different case, because we *want* them to feel threatened DonS USA July 23 1999 (7)
        
        Eh? Red Deathy Socialist Party Uk July 23 1999 (6)
        
        This assumes socialist society produces everything I want or need. DonS USA July 23 1999 (5)
        
        Coz it does. Red Deathy Socialist Party UK August 02 1999 (4)
        
        world socialism requires people to adjust their desires way down DonS USA August 05 1999 (3)
        
        Coincidence, serendipity, whatever... Samuel Day Fassbinder Citizens for Mustard Greens USA August 06 1999 (1)
        
        I don't doubt this is one of RD's goals. DonS USA August 07 1999 (0)
        
        All desire... Red Deathy Socialist Party UK August 05 1999 (0)
    - One has to wonder Samuel Day Fassbinder Citizens for Mustard Greens USA July 20 1999 (3)
      - I do not claim that Soviet style socialism is the only type. DonS USA July 21 1999 (2)
        
        Wasn't socialism at all. Red Deathy Socialist Party UK July 21 1999 (1)
        
        I can't see how common ownership could work DonS USA July 22 1999 (0)