Paulie
Diamond Member
- May 19, 2007
- 40,769
- 6,382
- 1,830
- Thread starter
- #61
I am sure that if I outlined my progressive views about what things should be funded wholly or in part by the government (healthcare, education, infrastructure, science and technology) - you would define it as socialism because I do NOT want to allow the market to dictate the progress of these areas. My point is that the definitions have shifted - and that what used to be moderately left wing is now viewed as socialist or communist. It's important to remember that the computer I am typing on now - and the internet we're using - all would not have been possible without government funding.
I agree with you that definitions have shifted, although saying that you do not want the market to dictate the progress of those areas constitutes a pretty good deal of socialism by its typical definition.
You picked a pretty good amount of sectors that you'd rather the government control, and I'd say by the literary definition, you've moved past even mixed market capitalism, and right into socialism. Even mixed market capitalism still depends mostly on the existence of free market capitalism in many respects, otherwise it's ultimately just socialism.
Of course, you didn't clarify exactly what you'd rather see be wholly controlled, or only partly controlled.