Socialism with Democracy

[Wozzeck]

Socialism isn't working anymore, unless democratic systems are also present. This is a good thing. We have learned that many, including myself, still love to hate the oppressers of the poor, but so did Isaiah in the Old Testament. Marx by no means invented the idea, as there were already socialist factions having risen throughout Europe and Russia.

I am excited that the current President of Argentina is a Socialist. I am also excited that France might elect a Socialist. Capitalism could be exceptable in smaller amounts, but if the government also worked harder to give all the same oppurtunities, and picking their civilians up when they fall, I could see a nation being more balanced.

The USA claims to have equal oppertunities, but I wouldn't say a black person born on the other side of the train tracks with a drug addicted parent has the same oppertunity as a middle-upper class white person.

[Janus]

What is the point of this thread? Democracy is supposed to be one of the core tenets of socialism; without it socialism cannot exist.

[Dr Mindbender]

Originally posted by [email protected] 02, 2007 08:06 am
Socialism isn't working anymore, unless democratic systems are also present. This is a good thing. We have learned that many, including myself, still love to hate the oppressers of the poor, but so did Isaiah in the Old Testament. Marx by no means invented the idea, as there were already socialist factions having risen throughout Europe and Russia.


Perhaps not, but marx was certainly the first one to concieve the idea of a bolshevik worker's government.

[IcarusAngel]

The ideas of leftism go back to Aristotle who "invented it" when he talked about democracy and equality together and condemned massive inequality. Marx was merely an expansion of leftist theory into other areas, including a new "class analysis."

Most of the "socialists" in Nicaragua, Chile, etc. are really just advanced capitalist: that is, capitalism with a few nationalized industries. This isn't really socialism at all. It would only be socialism if the people were in charge and the "government" was distributing according to deeds.

I'm not as big of fan as the "class analysis" that Marx was. I believe you can have different classes and have democracy and leftism. I view history as a conflict between various right-wing tyrannies (Fascism, Nazism, capitalism, totalitarianism, aristocracy, etc.) and democracy, which has been around for thousands of years.


Originally posted by Ulster Socialist+May 26, 2007 07:10 pm--> (Ulster Socialist @ May 26, 2007 07:10 pm)
[email protected] 02, 2007 08:06 am
Socialism isn't working anymore, unless democratic systems are also present. This is a good thing. We have learned that many, including myself, still love to hate the oppressers of the poor, but so did Isaiah in the Old Testament. Marx by no means invented the idea, as there were already socialist factions having risen throughout Europe and Russia.


Perhaps not, but marx was certainly the first one to concieve the idea of a bolshevik worker's government.[/b]

Marx was not the first to conceive of the idea of a worker's government nor was he even the first one to come up with the idea of "socialism."