This has been bugging me for quite a while, and I need to rant. Americans in general seem to think that socialists are either a: evil b: fascists or c: being duped. Very, very few people in my experience have an accurate knowledge of what socialism is. In a true socialist state, in other words, the transition point between free markets and communism, there are no deathsquads or medical rationings. The government is not determined to seize power for themselves. These are situations which happened in the USSR, which many people automatically apply to all socialism. In fact, the USSR was neither socialist nor communist, as in both situations the society is run by the working classes, not a small group of powermongers.
An actual socialist state is one wherein the means of production of goods are owned by the people who produce those goods, not by a small portion of the populace that manages factories and the like. Each worker works for the common benefit of society, not to line the pockets of their employer. Socialism is used as a derogatory term, despite the fact that the vast majority of people are better off in a socialist society than under capitalism.
The concept that capitalism is more fair is completely false as well. The success of your parents greatly affects your prospects for success- access to higher education is by far the biggest determining factor of income, and many individuals simply cannot afford this. Grants aren't sufficient in many cases, and these unfortunate individuals are simply left to float. It's better that some lazy individuals should receive more than they deserve, which admittedly will happen in socialism, than deserving people get less.
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Topic: Misconceptions About Socialism (Read 4820 times)