[geeks] Socialized medicine [was Re: nVidia 8800GT for Apple Mac Pro]

[Mike Meredith]

On Fri, 23 May 2008 14:08:37 -0400, hike wrote:
> 
> The USA government no longer teach the difference between socialism
> and communism.  You might want to give your definition.  It would be
> helpful. My simple chart shows the differences that I know.

I'm not sure I have a proper definition, but I guess communism is more
a form of government whereas socialism is more a principle driving
policies that can prosper in a democracy.  Or to put it another way, it
takes a revolution to get rid of a communist government; a socialist
government would (in a democracy) give way peacefully to the elected
party.

> Socialism: nationalistic; government controls industry;
> peaceful/political takeover
> Communism: intenational; government ownership of industry; violent
> takeover

I'd more or less agree with that, but how the government is changed is
probably more revealing than how it takes over.

> My socialist friend tries to persuade me; the Communists want to kill
> people like me.

Nah! Just a bit of friendly re-education :)

> By the way, what EU country (other than Ireland) isn't squarely
> socialistic.  The governments may have non-socialist names but the
> government infrastructure is socialistic.

I guess looking from the US they all look socialist; it's really a
matter of degree. For instance the UK Conservatives opposed the
establishment of the NHS tooth and nail in 1945, but no Conservative
government since has ever tried to get rid of it.

(Although Mad Maggie's chronic underfunding of the NHS for the years
she was in charge would have in effect done that if it had gone on for
much longer)

-- 
Mike Meredith (http://zonky.org/)
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