What is socialism?

[Nimismies]

What is socialism? The answer remains open. The modern Left cannot accept the old Marxist-Leninist concept. Socialism à la Soviet Union was state-owned land and means of production, centralized state planning system, media censorship and the political dictatorship of one (communist) party with the support of secret police and army.

The Prague Spring was supposed to be an introduction to "human" socialism. It declared an end to censorship, but all the other characteristics of socialism were maintained. Today we can be wise after the event and find that socialism à la Soviet Union would not have lasted through even the limited experiment of Prague. The invasion of Czechoslovakia merely prolonged the agony.

[Wiesty]

im not completely sure, but isnt it where the trade union has both political and economical powers? and its like stuff like co-ops?

[Agent provocateur]

All right so you just joined the forum and want to get in on the action without any preliminary introductions? We have been debating the issue in question for many years now. And yes you are right; what they put in place in the USSR was a monstrosity and not what Lenin delineated in his State and Revolution. I prefer anarchism anyday.

[Nimismies]

Ok sorry I was a little thoughtless.

Just that being a noob is hard if you have to check every time you are going to post something if it has allready been done. :P

[redstar2000]

What is Socialism? An Attempt at a Brief Definition (http://redstar2000papers.fightcapitalism.net/theory.php?subaction=showfull&id=1082900868&archive=&cnshow=headlines&start_from=&ucat=&)

:redstar2000:


The Redstar2000 Papers (http://www.redstar2000papers.fightcapitalism.net)

A Site About Communist Ideas

[CaptinAnarchy124]

Originally posted by [email protected] 30 2004, 03:57 PM
What is Socialism? An Attempt at a Brief Definition (http://redstar2000papers.fightcapitalism.net/theory.php?subaction=showfull&id=1082900868&archive=&cnshow=headlines&start_from=&ucat=&)

:redstar2000:


The Redstar2000 Papers (http://www.redstar2000papers.fightcapitalism.net)

A Site About Communist Ideas
I don't really agree with this site's definition, I mean you can have stateless and libertarian socialism.

[ComradeRed]

I've noticed that socialism in certain times means "leftism"(Bakunin's "Anarchism: Stateless socialism") and other times it means the transition period until communism. Redstar2k defined the latter.