Minimize

Welcome!

Socialism has never worked. Why should it start now?

Click download link to listen on this device: Download Show

We were originally going to use this  for Segment 1 of The Weekend Show, but the audio was not studio quality. We would all like you to weigh in on this one if your would. Thanks

Discussion
72 Comments
    May 09, 2014 09:20 PM

    There’s no audio.

      May 09, 2014 09:43 PM

      Just fixed it. Sorry

    May 09, 2014 09:38 PM

    it will start now becuase that’s how all empire falls.

      May 09, 2014 09:43 PM

      Just posted the audio after some problems. Sorry

    May 09, 2014 09:13 PM

    The foundation of socialism is the society where a number of individuals draw upon each other’s varied capabilities for their collective benefit. When the first Neanderthals figured out how to band together to hunt a mammoth to provide food for an entire tribe for a month instead of every man having to hunt a rabbit to find food for his family for a day, that was the beginning of socialism.

    If you prefer to live in a society where you can call a carpenter to make your furniture, a plumber to fix your faucet, go to a mechanic to repair your car or go to a doctor for medical care and so on, you are subscribing to socialism whether you realize it or not. In other words socialism has worked for mankind for thousands of years and will continue to work till the end of civilization.

    In fact, in a capitalistic enterprise, a number of participants pool their resources (i.e., capital) to make a profitable product. Therefore capitalism is nothing but socialistic principles applied to the world of business. Which is why a business is called a Company and is seldom run entirely by a single individual and even then that person relies on countless products made by others so the invisible hand of socialism still remains very much in action.

      May 09, 2014 09:17 PM

      Let’s talk about government and not society.

      Sure we all have to work together. But do you want the government to tell you what you have to do?

      I don’t! I want to continue helping others because I know that it is the right thing to do.

        May 10, 2014 10:27 AM

        The heading of this article was “Socialism has never worked. Why should it start now?” which was the point I was making. Too often people hold very strong opinions about things they never thought through or even bothered to define.

        As for the government telling you what to do, the simple example of traffic rules comes to mind. I don’t know about others but I would certainly prefer to live in a city where traffic rules are clearly laid out and enforced and only a government can do that. Ditto for financial institutions and the list goes on.

        As for “helping others because I know that it is the right thing to do”, most of us do it because we tend to believe that others will do the same to us when we are in trouble and that misfortune is no one’s monopoly. The example of coming to the aid of a drowning man comes to mind.

        Enough said.

          May 10, 2014 10:07 AM

          Good point Ulysses.

          I simply hate corruption and dishonesty and that seems to be a large part of our govt.

          I guess maybe I have to simply accept and realize that most people are simply in it for themselves. Doesn’t make it right though, does it.

          C
          May 12, 2014 12:31 PM

          Ulysses, do you want to be subservient to the State (collectivism), or do you want the state to serve You (individualism) through the rule of law? As far as I am concerned socialism is a form of collectivism where the state is a monstrous bureaucracy with no trace of humanity and thus the individual becomes a simple social security number destined to be enslaved to the will of the collective… Social rules based on natural law and moral principles are not to be confused with collective dictatorship. So now, what about Liberty, do you care? Or do you prefer “imposed freedom”? The state cannot stand it when someone is self-reliant because it eliminates their influence. In other words, socialists = parasites.

          C
          May 12, 2014 12:24 PM

          Traffic rules and other social codes are adopted for convenience in all political systems. These rules are “social contracts” based on voluntary agreements (and even originates from the family unit for the care of the children, as defined by John Locke, and the “Law of Nature,” which is on Locke’s view the basis of all morality). On the other hand, “socialism” is an ideology that attempts to redefine the role of Man in society as utilitarian and thus negates Man’s individual conscience, creative power and spiritual nature. Knowing that, it is easier to understand why under socialist regimes, children become the property of the state, gender does not need to be defined, and the family unit is thus no longer needed and rendered meaningless or utterly destroyed.

          C
          May 12, 2014 12:01 PM

          The cornerstone of all social contracts: “honor your father and your mother.” Only parents can teach this most fundamental and moral principle to their children. Because socialism denatures Man to its core, it cannot work and never will…

        May 12, 2014 12:26 PM

        The foundation of FREE ENTERPRISE is the society where a number of individuals draw upon each other’s varied capabilities for their INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT. When the first Neanderthals figured out how to band together to hunt a mammoth to provide food for an entire tribe for a month instead of every man having to hunt a rabbit to find food for his family for a day, that was the beginning of FREE ENTERPRISE. Why? Because they did not need a government permit to do so! Therefore, freedom of association and the sharing of capital, or the means of production, to maximize efficiency and productivity and thus increase INDIVIDUAL wealth is NOT the foundation of socialism, lol.

      bb
      May 09, 2014 09:35 PM

      Excellent points Ulysses.

        May 10, 2014 10:58 AM

        I know (very big grin). Thanks.

          May 10, 2014 10:11 AM

          I thought socialism depended on government impossession. I was simply under the impression (very big frown) that under socialism the government told people what to do; how to live their lives; and, generally rule.

          Here is the definition that I lifted from the net:

          Merriam‑Webster
          a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government rather than by individual people and companies …

          Maybe we both have a point. By the way, thanks for the comment. You seem like a pretty smart guy.

        May 10, 2014 10:47 PM

        Great comments Ulysses.

      May 12, 2014 12:24 PM

      The foundation of FREE ENTERPRISE is the society where a number of individuals draw upon each other’s varied capabilities for their INDIVIDUAL BENEFIT. When the first Neanderthals figured out how to band together to hunt a mammoth to provide food for an entire tribe for a month instead of every man having to hunt a rabbit to find food for his family for a day, that was the beginning of FREE ENTERPRISE. Why? Because they did not need a government permit to do so! Therefore, freedom of association and the sharing of capital, or the means of production, to maximize efficiency and productivity and thus increase INDIVIDUAL wealth is NOT the foundation of socialism, lol.

    May 09, 2014 09:32 PM

    BIG AL,
    Here is the great line about socialism -paraphrased – Socialism is great until you run out of other people’s money to spend………

    bb
    May 09, 2014 09:33 PM

    I lean to Chris and Doc.

    I would like to ask, when has capatilism worked? For the average guy?
    When we look at the U.S., the leader of capatilsm, we see genocide, lots of profit there.
    But there would be under any system. Up until the 60s? we still had segregation etc.
    So much for capatilism working for “the average guy”.
    Today, about 50 years later, we have a crumbling nation moving towards facism with millions unemployed etc.
    So, when has capatlism worked for the average guy?
    Maybe its just me but I don’t see capatilism working to well.
    Should I mention we are now threated with total extinction as well?

    I understand the theory, but the way I see it, that theory has nothing to do with reality.
    It might be just human nature getting in the way.

    Ultimately, what is needed (imo) is a change or expansion in consciousness if you will.
    Maybe it comes as we move to the stars.
    My daughter told me the other day, a moon has been found that rains diamonds.
    We are going to find things unimaginable to us today.
    I actually think, that any system would work well, if we just changed our thinking.

      May 09, 2014 09:31 PM

      Free market capitalism produced the plastics and electronics industries in the 1960s. This was one of the most productive periods in human history it raised global life expectancy from about 45 years to 60 years.

      The personal computer and the Internet of the 1980s and 1990s also produced a tremendous explosion in human productivity and a significant increase in the quality of life across the planet.

      The only countries that didn’t participate in either one of these quality of life leaps were socialist.

      There’s nothing wrong with capitalism. It’s the single greatest method ever found to improve the general quality of life for the average man.

      The problem is that capitalism also has a cleansing phase. When human nature goes to extremes, and it always does, Then capitalism has to be allowed to cleanse the excesses. Up until the 1930s governments generally allowed the cleansing phase to run its course unimpeded. That didn’t mean that we avoided recessions and depressions, just that they tended to be short in duration. It wasn’t until Hoover in the 1930s that governments decided they could improve on capitalism and avoid the cleansing phase. What we got was a 15 year depression that we didn’t come out of it until after World War II.

      We used those same policies in the 70s with the same result. On-again off-again recessions for 14 years and a general global economic stagnation.

      Now we are trying to use the same model again. The overproduction and excess created during the tech bubble was not allowed to cleanse in the early part of the last decade so now it’s 14 years later and we have only compounded the problems and made them bigger. Ultimately the end game is going to be much worse than if we had just allowed the free enterprise system to cleanse the markets. If we had we would’ve had a much more severe recession from 2000 to 2003 but our problems would have ended at that point and we would now already be into the next Golden age.

        bb
        May 09, 2014 09:53 PM

        Gary, you make good points.

          bb
          May 09, 2014 09:24 PM

          There is the possibility that these advancements would have been discovered without capatilism as we know it today.
          The Romans gave us the arch, ancient Arabia had steam engines and understood the geography of the world, ancient Myans? built an irrigation system some consider the 8th wonder. We still don’t understand how steal was poured into pyrimids on top of mountains. Obviously engineers, skilled labour and the educational system required was needed to build them.
          Batteries thousands of years old found just south of Bagdad, Franklin did not discover but rediscovered electricity. I mention only a few examples of course.
          My point , maybe it wasn’t capitalism so much as having had previously discovered the information required to move further. nothing says we wouldn’t have found these things out without capitilism.

          Your point of the economy being interfered with, I totally agree with.

          There is also tho. the other side, plastic might have come from the workings of capitilism, but plastic may yet kill us all. The debris found over and over again when looking for the recent missing airliner for example, was plastics, garbage, which is killing us.
          So the pursuit of profit could be a 2 sided coin, like fracking, sure, oil is graet, no water isn’t.
          Another system might not put profit as the most important priority.

            May 10, 2014 10:49 AM

            Yes but none of that improved the lot of the average man. These were merely extractive societies that were built on slave labor. None of this raised the living standards of the slaves.

            Free market capitalism does produce increase in living standards for everyone.

        May 10, 2014 10:21 AM

        Always wondered why I had a lot of respect for you. (Aside from Breaking Bad!) Now I know why.

        Great comment!

      CFS
      May 09, 2014 09:13 PM

      Henry Ford is a good example of working capitalism. He preferred to pay his workers more than the minimum he could get away with, so they would have money to be able to afford his cards.

      The maximum pay ratio back then was 40:1 Boss to Worker base pay.
      Nowadays that ratio can be much greater.
      Bosses may be greedier; taxation is more confiscatory at high incomes.
      Government was much less wasteful.

        May 10, 2014 10:39 AM

        Henry Ford was far from the best example of the right way for “capitalism” to work (more so, I prefer to distinguish it as free enterprise; capitalism, frankly, is just the obverse side of a coin which has communism on the other.)
        THE best such story in American history is of the Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company. It’s dated, but many years back I wrote a brief history of its virtues, which you can read on the Commentaries section of my web site, at http://www.nationalinvestor.com.

      May 10, 2014 10:18 AM

      I don’t really think that the social injustices of the past, which unfortunately continue to this day, have a lot to do with capitalism. Remember that racial injustice was supported by the governments in the past.

      Of course “human nature is getting in the way”. Remember that God gave us free will. I believe that He did that believing that we would work things out in a just manner. A bit of “tough love” if you will.

      I personally believe that capitalism is what made us economically great. Are we there today? Probably not and that is a great example of the free will that I mentioned above.

      Deceit, sadly, is an outgrowth of free will. Will those who engage in that eventually pay? I believe so.

      Great thought provoking comment on your part, my friend!

    CFS
    May 09, 2014 09:48 PM

    I would point out that “socialism” appears to partly work in some Scandinavian countries.
    It appeared to me the Pope was advocating Marxism, based on his South American Marxist roots.
    We all know how well it has worked there!
    I guess I do not have the same understanding of economic definitions as you guys, because I totally distinguish between Capitalism and Free Market economics.

      May 10, 2014 10:24 AM

      Call me ignorant Professor, but I make that same distinction. I equate true capitalism with a free market economy and always have!

    CFS
    May 09, 2014 09:01 PM

    I would also tend to dispute whether fractional banking is a problem in itself;as opposed to government over-spending and greed/waste that seems to go hand-in-hand.

      May 10, 2014 10:25 AM

      And again Professor, I agree with you.

    May 09, 2014 09:03 PM

    Topics like this one, “ capitalism” vs “communism” mixed in what something as insulting as the Pope is so damn frustrating to talk about because the masses of the earth have been completely overwhelmed by mass brainwashing to the point that they will vote to be enslaved. Individualism, discernment, responsibility, critical thinking and a deep desire to live as a free human will not be allowed.

    The real truth is unfettered and organic honest capitalism has never been allowed to actually be implemented throughout nation state economies. The PTB in collusion with all forms of religion have always facilitated and desired a draconian form of “crony capitalism” or a soft glove form of socialism on the masses and the greater financial architecture governing everyday citizens because true capitalism and the rule of law would limit or relinquish some of the power of control by an oligarchical few.

    At the end of the day that ridiculous man the “Pope” that masquerades around in costumes and provides phoney words of wisdom to the ignorant and clueless masses serves a master in human form. The average individual may not want to hear that sobering reality, but it is categorically true. The Pope is nothing more than a political religious front-man that carry’s out the talking points and agendas of the worlds top powerful bankers and their hand picked political worker-bee’s degenerates that run our daily lives and control us all through unspeakable acts of force.

    This is all a societal deprogramming and reprogramming plan of unrelenting control implementation on a grand scale. So epic, that if it takes hold, it will consume every fiber and fabric of life and reduce every persons life importance and desire to achieve to the lowest common denominator.

    The oligarchical power structures that exists everywhere in modern times and dispenses its socialism talking point through a fraudulent and deceitful religious cover of influence has honed these diabolical schemes for centuries. Now its becoming ever more dangerous to fight these evil agendas.

    All of this is about power and control with the worlds wealth remaining in the hands of a few. The PTB and the church love a socialistic system because it allows them to consolidate power and wealth and control the message with little blow-back and it is best achieved through the wholly corrupted powers of religious indoctrination, financial plundering, warfare death and devastation with legislative treason and corruption closing the deal through the power of the pen and edict brought to bare by the law makers who serve no nation or a benevolent good outcome for the human race.

    The human race is owned and the same people that run the show today and have all of the worlds wealth and power will still run the show and still control and own vast sums of the worlds resources and make laws to ensure you never challenge them.

    Mans only real chance is a true awakening and the acceptance and acknowledgment of the grand lie you have been sold and will continue to be sold until which time you say no more. Don’t hold your breath though.

    I’m not optimistic!

      CFS
      May 09, 2014 09:17 PM

      Vortex, I believe the Pope has good intentions, but is not particularly knowledgeable about economics.

      And, myself not being a Christian, definitely do not believe he has divine inspiration.

        May 10, 2014 10:39 AM

        I think some would disagree with you on this one CFS. I personally agree with you.

      May 10, 2014 10:46 AM

      The best analysis by far.

      May 10, 2014 10:31 AM

      All of this is about power and control with the worlds wealth remaining in the hands of a few. The PTB and the church love a socialistic system because it allows them to consolidate power and wealth and control the message with little blow-back and it is best achieved through the wholly corrupted powers of religious indoctrination, financial plundering, warfare death and devastation with legislative treason and corruption closing the deal through the power of the pen and edict brought to bare by the law makers who serve no nation or a benevolent good outcome for the human race.

      On this one, I don’t disagree V.

      Is the Pope a terrible person? Perhaps some were and some weren’t.

      You know man, I practice Catholicism and I simply don’t believe that the Pope has any more of a line to God than I do. He is simply the elected (granted by a few) leader of an organization.

      What you talk about above is simply another result of the concept of free will or what I believe is a test instigated by God. (That many have definitely not passed to this point in our history!)

        May 10, 2014 10:40 PM

        Big Al, great show as usual. Thank you for the excellent dialog.

          May 10, 2014 10:20 PM

          It was really fun V!

    bb
    May 09, 2014 09:15 PM

    excellent post Vortex.

    bob
    May 09, 2014 09:37 PM

    “Cathy and I”?

      May 10, 2014 10:32 AM

      I stand corrected. “Kathy and me”!

        bob
        May 10, 2014 10:04 PM

        I think you should have said Cory and i.

    May 10, 2014 10:42 AM

    Why does not the pope liquidate the massive wealth of the Vatican and redistribute that?

      May 10, 2014 10:25 AM

      great point especially when most of the valubles are stolen……religion = hypocricy

        May 10, 2014 10:33 AM

        Not necessarily “religion” my friend I prefer the term “the action of men”.

    May 10, 2014 10:09 AM

    The National socialist view of capitalism and communism is that communism is the mailed fist of capitalism and is used to smash those who resist debt slavery and zio masonic supremacy over all. Capitalism in actuality is not about private property and free enterprise at all. It is solely about the supremacy of those with large amounts of the official currency exercising control over the nation and government.
    That is what capitalism and communism is all about. Today this unholy combination is at work trying to cow and smash nation states like Syria and Russia.
    So what is National Socialism? National Socialism is for the nation and its founding people or in short it is for the people. It deals with the question of what is good for the nation and its founding people. WW2 was started by those who could not bear the thought of there being an independant german nation and people or that there could be a successful alternative to the capitalist- communist world view for others to try out. WW2 was an effort to crush the revolt of the nation state against the new world order and its fans for.

      May 10, 2014 10:55 AM

      Kudos — Steven’s is the most insightful response so far, IMO.

      The whole capitalism vs. communism “debate” is a put on, scripted show controlled by the same people. Just like the “left” of MSNBC and the “right” of Faux News, we are all intended to argue among one other using information that has previously been spoon fed to us chiefly by the circus performers in the media and elsewhere. These issues can never be seriously discussed, though — nor can we even begin to contemplate what the solutions are — unless we break ourselves from these mental shackles.

      For anyone who seriously wants to understand all this, I recommend you read a book I have also turned Big Al on to: it’s entitled “Catholicism, Protestantism and Capitalism” by Amintore Fanfani. Among other things, you will discover that a tragically ignorant (if well-meaning) new Pope doesn’t even know his own Church’s/Faith’s nearly 2,000 – year teachings on economics. I doubt he has ever read the many encyclicals on economics and social justice by the late Pope Leo XIII of barely over a century ago. These should be considered required reading for anyone calling themselves a Christian who wants to understand Christian economics.

      May 10, 2014 10:45 AM

      World War Two was an effort to crush the revolt of the nation state against the new world order? Do you actually believe that?

      Your definition of capitalism: Capitalism in actuality is not about private property and free enterprise at all. It is solely about the supremacy of those with large amounts of the official currency exercising control over the nation and government.

      Here is the actual definition: an economic and political system in which a country’s trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

      Common Steve, you are much, much smarter than that.

        May 10, 2014 10:48 AM

        By the way, this discussion is fascinating.

        We are now on our way to Spokane to attend a graduation ceremony. I will definitely be back with all of you later today!

        May 10, 2014 10:31 PM

        Al that is what it really boils down to. Did you think George Bush invented the new world order? No he merely started to talk about it openly long after his zio masonic peers created the concept long ago. The enemy are long term thinkers and planners like it or not. As for there being a revolt of the nation state I think there is such a thing. Also the NWO is an elite attack on the nation state in favor of a global slave state ruled by the elites that control capitalism and communism.

        May 11, 2014 11:03 AM

        Here is the reality Al. Under capitalism and communism the state and everything is owned by wall street oligarchs and special interests. The strategic objective is total control and blood sucking and also to hide behind the masses by getting them to join in. This mass blood sucking is done through the real estate market and the result is mass homelessness and poverty for the working classes as they get priced out of the country they were born into. Real estate markets are anti white genocide.

        Do not confuse private property and free enterprise with capitalism. They are not the same. Capitalism is when monied interests own not only the economy but also the state itself and they dictate policy. In such a system everyone is a slave to money as well as to the thoughts and intents of a small group of dominant people who are accountable to no one but themselves. Read the 25 point plan of the NSDAP.
        The Socialism of the NSDAP is not about marx’s theories. It is about the promotion and propagation of the interests of the nation and founding race only. That also means that predatory parasites with prosperity and power who are enemies of the nation and race have to be cut out and destroyed. That isn’t capitalism or communism. It is the defense of the nation and race It is a biological and moral imperative.

    May 10, 2014 10:56 AM

    CORRECTION — In the above, I should have said the DISinformation provided us by the media, etc.

    May 10, 2014 10:01 AM

    One more thing (can you tell I’m passionate about this subject?) — There has IMO never been in the 2,000 years since the time of Christ a national government on this Earth that better exemplified Christian economics and the benefit of the entire population than was seen during the reign of King St. Louis IX of France in the 13th century. If you really want to roll up your sleeves and understand how a Christian nation is supposed to be run, you could do little better than to study this period.

    May 10, 2014 10:43 AM

    Realy? So “Germany” doesn’t work, Big Al? How about Austria? Norway for that Fact? Denmark or Sweden? Socialism has nothing to do with the inability of a Government or a Society to “work”! A corrupt Military Budget 10x the Size of the next Country has! How about the Nederlands? Socialisem has never worked? Come on…..

    May 10, 2014 10:38 AM

    socialism , is the idea of letting the other guy work, while, they watching the worker bee,
    ever , go on a construction site,,,,,,,,,,,,,one guy working, and three leaning on shovels watching the other guy, but, all get a pay check on FRIDAY……….

      May 10, 2014 10:41 AM

      sorry, correction……….watch……not” watching”,,,,,,,,I wasn’t watching what I was typing………..

      May 10, 2014 10:03 PM

      You got no Idea what Socialism is, Buddy!

        May 10, 2014 10:24 PM

        Socialism runs on theft and threats. It is unsustainable but, sure, it “works” for some.

        “A society that chooses between capitalism and socialism does not choose between two social systems; it chooses between social cooperation and the disintegration of society. Socialism is not an alternative to capitalism; it is an alternative to any system under which men can live as human beings.” —Ludwig von Mises

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNtyV0CXfzU

        May 12, 2014 12:16 AM

        Who is Buddy?

          May 12, 2014 12:29 AM

          Lets see……………SWEDEN………….constitutional MONARCHY, with parliamentary democracy…………..HIGH TAXES……….Tax bite amounts to 52% of GDP, while USA is 32%……………

            May 12, 2014 12:31 AM

            I always love a MONARCHY…………someone to pay that is obsolete……..

            May 12, 2014 12:33 AM

            I will have to say , we are working on A MONARCHY ,….with BUSH AND CLINTON….

            May 12, 2014 12:50 AM

            Denmark………….constitutional MONARCH., with representative democracy with unicameral parliament………….sounds fair to me…more govt…………more money to be sent on the monarch, with the King in charge of special meetings………

    May 11, 2014 11:00 AM

    The people aren’t choosing socialism….the international banking Elite are forcing socialism on the people through their governments. Why? Because this is the easiest way to indebt the greatest number of people….through their government! The bankers discovered years ago that the greatest profits come from putting a government in debt not individuals, and socialist governments spend more and go farther in debt than any individual ever could. When it comes time to repay the debt, the socialist government simply taxes the people. Very efficient. If you think the people choose their government you are mistaken. Keep in mind what George Orwell said: ‘The “proles” don’t matter’. You are quite irrelevant to the Elite decision makers; they give you your government; your religion; your entertainment; your heroes; and even your hobbies…..you’ve actually decided very little in your life that wasn’t given to you through the mass media and American culture, much less decided the form of government you think you have.

      May 11, 2014 11:13 AM

      Exactly.

      “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. …We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society. …In almost every act of our daily lives, whether in the sphere of politics or business, in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons…who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires which control the public mind.”
      —Edward Bernays, Propaganda

        May 11, 2014 11:24 AM

        Thanks Matthew, that is interesting!

      May 11, 2014 11:31 AM

      I really believe that those of is who truly think do not fall into that category, Mark. I would bet that the majority do though!

      May 12, 2014 12:29 AM

      GOOD FOR YOU for posting this, “C”!