Debunking the socialist myth
The problem with the west in my opinion, is that its swung so far towards the left and political correctness, that anything other than socialism and an unhealthy dose of Marxism is considered right wing. Questioning mass immigration makes one a racist; the accumalation of personal wealth is now considered anti-society and mass welfare of millions who don’t work is considered an entitlement.
I work in the biggest (so-called) communist country in the world where favouring that sort of destruction of your country is a criminal offence. Now that might sound more right wing, but remember this; Marxist ideologies have a habit of ending in tears and the question is, how long can the west keep it up before it implodes, both financially and socially? Remember the communist countries of yesterday, the ones that collapsed? They’re capitalist now and it’s the west that adopted cultural Marxism that are collapsing.
…show more content…
Race and religious riots are now commonplace (we call them ‘summer riots’), when the inner city youth come out to do a bit of plundering. Direct/indirect taxation now takes around 50% of a salary – our sales tax (VAT) alone is 20%! Diseases previously thought erradicated are making a come back, specifically TB and Polio and our wonderful socialised medical health care is on the brink of bankruptcy and has been for many years. Pumping more and more money into a bottomless pit hasn’t solved the
Socialist Beliefs in An Inspector Calls by J.B. Priestley No man is an island, entire of itself. Everyman is a piece of the continent a part of the main * * * Any mans death diminishes me for I am involved in man kind. Therefore do not send to know for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee."
Sociologist Views on the Means and Ends of Socialism Socialism is a very broad ideology, encompassing many different ideas and viewpoints. Different socialists have disagreed on both the ways in which they believe socialism should be achieved and implemented, and on what exactly it is that they want to achieve. The two main viewpoints I am going to look at in terms of the means of achieving socialism are revolutionary socialism and evolutionary socialism, and in terms of the aims of different socialists I am going to discuss Marxism, including orthodox communism, and also social democracy and the 'third way'. Because socialism tends to have an oppositional character, and be seen as a force for change, the means in which socialism is achieved are quite significant, and tend to determine the form of socialism which results from this change. Early socialists believed that socialism could only be brought about through a revolutionary movement - the overthrow of the existing regime.
Karl Marx 's writing of ‘The Communist Manifesto’ in 1848 has been documented by a vast number of academics as one of the most influential pieces of political texts written in the modern era. Its ideologically driven ideas formed the solid foundation of the Communist movement throughout the 20th century, offering a greater alternative for those who were rapidly becoming disillusioned and frustrated with the growing wealth and social divisions created by capitalism. A feeling not just felt in by a couple of individuals in one society, but a feeling that was spreading throughout various societies worldwide. As Toma highlights in his work, Marx felt that ‘capitalism would produce a crisis-ridden, polarized society destined to be taken over by
roots and is by no means as socialist as it was. But is it still
Schumpeter, J.A. (1942). Capitalism, socialism, and democracy. United States of America, USA: Harper and Brothers Publishers.
Karl Marx never saw his ideals and beliefs, as the founding father of communist thought, implemented in the world and society because he died in 1883.1 The communist ideology did not rise to power until the beginning of the 20th century. Then it would be implemented and put into practice in the largest country in the world producing a concept that would control half of the world’s population in less than 50 years. The Manifesto of the Communist Party, written by Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels, searched for a perfect society living in equality and united in freedom. According to Marx this could only be accomplished in an anti-capitalist society.2 When their ideals where implemented in the 20th century, their message became warped and disfigured by the leadership of the worlds’ communist powers. Communism became in some ways more and in others less than Marx had first envisioned so many years before in 1848. Marx’s sought a social “Utopia,” while modern communist thought became a view of world domination.3 Many of the centralized governments of modern communism have fallen apart toward the end of the 20th century, confronted with concepts of self-government and revolution. Therefore, it is vital to document the rise and fall of modern communism throughout the world, and review the modern communist thought as it contrasted with that of Marx and Engels over 150 years ago.
that was going on in our nation. Tom Joad, Jim Casy, the camp and a
Turner’s thesis concerning western civilization highlights exactly what I pictured to be western culture. The western world was simple. It allowed endless freedom. It provided opportunity for something new. It provided religious and educational opportunities. The movement toward the west was the beginning of something great.
Equal work, equal wages, equal food, equal opportunities, equal power. On the outside, a society where every one of its citizens was completely equal sounds and appears like a good thing, even a great thing. No one had too much power, everyone seemed to be happy, and most importantly everyone worked to better the community instead of themselves. This is what Socialism was portrayed as: a system in which everyone worked together to benefit the state. Contradicting this fabricated image, life under Socialism did not succeed in equality for men and women, and it caused people to do whatever necessary in order to gain some sense of individualism. While equality for all people in all aspects of life sounds appealing, it was an unachievable goal
Both socialism and democratic socialism overlap and interact with a few different ideologies. The most notable are the intersection between democratic socialism and liberalism. Both liberals and social democrats advocate for a relatively large welfare state, in order to take care of the poor and offer a social safety net. Both ideologies also believe in a sort of collective responsibility to society. They believe the purpose of people is greater than just the individual. Socialism and Liberalism also both see flaws in capitalism and have strategies to address them. Whether it’s replacing them or preventing the downsides.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Marxism was revived and Marxists were no longer held responsible for the sins of the new Soviet empire, which allowed the focus of debate to shift to analyzing the failures of global capitalism rather than the shortcomings of socialism. Global capitalization had developed a system of production that involved sweatshops, outsourcing of employment and usage of temporary employment. Financial crises at the time had led to countries bailing out and nationalizing backs, which were not free market principles. With wars being fought over oil and resources and severe economic inequalities, Marxism became the “common sense of our epoch” (Halliday, 1994).
in The United Kingdom has increased at an alarming rate over the past few decades. There are some issues, which should not be ignored and should not be disregarded, for instance
"SOCY 151 - Lecture 12 - Marx's Theory of History." Open Yale Courses. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
...ased greatly over the past few years due to factors such as: high rates of poverty, income differentials, illiteracy, gendered cultural practices, discrimination and homelessness.
Today, more than ever, there is great debate over politics and which economic system works the best. How needs and wants should be allocated, and who should do the allocating, is one of the most highly debated topics in our current society. Be it communist dictators defending a command economy, free market conservatives defending a market economy, or European liberals defending socialism, everyone has an opinion. While all systems have flaws and merits, it must be decided which system is the best for all citizens. When looking at both the financial well being of all citizens, it is clear that market economies fall short on ensuring that the basic needs of all citizens are met. If one looks at liberty and individual freedom, it is evident that command economies tend to oppress their citizens. Therefore, socialism, which allows for basic needs to be met and personal freedoms to be upheld, is the best economic system for all of a country’s citizens.