Interesting exchange between O'Reilly and Juan Williams last night as they discussed who the President is--is he a socialist????--and what socialism actually is.
In a nutshell, socialism is government owning or controlling the means of production, and in Marxist socialism is also the 'redistribution of wealth' philosophy. In Marx's '1875 Critique of the Gotha Program', he coined the phrase: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs".
The socialist minded among us believe the rich should be taxed more and forced to provide more because they don't 'need all that wealth' and the little guys 'needs' it. And they see the government as the vehicle to take from the rich and provide to the 'poor'.
What they leave out of that equation, however, is Marx's philosophy that everybody would contribute as much as they were able. Somehow that part always gets swallowed up in a socialist system though just as soon as folks figure out they don't have to put in much effort in order to have as much as those who do. And then the system begins breaking down so everybody has less except those in power who can take whatever they want.
I prefer the American system.
I do to
The American system has had a "socialist" progressive tax for over 75 years
Which kind of system requires someone living in poverty to contribute the same in taxes as someone who is mega wealthy?
A flat tax doesn't make someone living in poverty pay the same as a billionaire.
Details, details.....