Don't be foolish, Riginslinger...a great many socialists have also been religious people, in fact some of the greatest socialists of all time have been religious people. Even Jesus appears to me to be preaching a decidedly socialist gospel!!!!!! (regardless of what some of his so-called "followers" are espousing these days on rightwing talk shows) Furthermore, Baptists are not necessarily all drooling idiots, however much you would like them to be. Your usual process of stereotyping people is taking over, that's all. ;-)

Count me in as a strong believer in socialism...in a general sense...although that does not mean that I think everything in a society should fall under the umbrella of socialism! It's not an all or nothing proposition. No, I figure it is best to have about a 50/50 mix of capitalism and socialism in a society.

Socialism is good for providing universal health coverage, universal educational facilities, libraries, museums, a scientific and medical research community, a government (at all levels), a judiciary and legal structure, a military, some large transportation and communications networks, some large energy regulators, a police force, and a number of other things that are there for the whole community and which are, in effect, public services (when used properly). (they are not always used properly)

Capitalism is good for stimulating a huge variety of businesses, large and small, to market various profitable forms of goods and services that people want and/or need. This is also good.

Together the two can work very harmoniously and very well...as they do right NOW in all developed societies...and there is no reason whatsoever to demonize either socialism or capitalism in an all or nothing fashion.

You can have too much of either in a society. You can have too little of either. You can use either inappropriately or destructively. And I could say that about absolutely ANYTHING, couldn't I?

Fanatics and zealots always want all-or-nothing solutions. Sensible people integrate opposites and find ways of harmonizing them to the benefit of all.