Lyrics & Knowledge Personal Pages Record Shop Auction Links Radio & Media Kids Membership Help
The Mudcat Cafesj



User Name Thread Name Subject Posted
Piers BS: Changes? (37) RE: BS: Changes? 21 Sep 05


Socialism in its original conception was a system of common (social) ownership (de facto possession - control, not just legal title), direct democratic control of production and free access to goods and services - the so-called socialism and communism systems of Asia and Eastern Europe had none of these attributes. Production was/is controlled by centralised state authority (as state-owned industries in mixed economies). The purpose of production in these countries was to create surplus (as in the west) for the bureaucratic elite who constituted the ruling class. In real socialism there is no state, no centralised bureaucracy, and no classes because there is common ownership and free access to all goods and services. The economic system of the USSR has much more in common with the mixed economies of USA and UK. The USA so hated the USSR and other state capitalisms (and fought militarily, ideologically and economically against them) not because of a clash of civilisations but because they were in competition. The USA does have state-owned industries and services and controls markets, therefore if Russia was socialist then so is the USA and UK by your definition.

Capitalism is the system of production for profit, minority (state, corporation or individual) ownership of the means of production and allocation of goods and services according to ability to pay. Capitalism is the main mode of production throughout the world.


Post to this Thread -

Back to the Main Forum Page

By clicking on the User Name, you will requery the forum for that user. You will see everything that he or she has posted with that Mudcat name.

By clicking on the Thread Name, you will be sent to the Forum on that thread as if you selected it from the main Mudcat Forum page.

By clicking on the Subject, you will also go to the thread as if you selected it from the original Forum page, but also go directly to that particular message.

By clicking on the Date (Posted), you will dig out every message posted that day.

Try it all, you will see.