Communism and Socialism

[Chris]

Exactly. Any time something happens - a Supreme Court decision, or some social trend or incident that offends self-identified conservatives - they label it "socialism".

The legalization of same-sex marriage is socialism; legalized abortion is socialism; a movie about the moon landing that doesn't show the astronauts planting the American flag is socialism.

It always reminds me of Buford T. Justice in Smokey and the Bandit, when he said, "She insulted my town! She insulted my son! She insulted my authority! And that's nothin' but pure and simple old-fashioned Communism!"

Who's this they you refer to.

I've never heard of anyone calling same-sex marriage, abortion, or lunar landing conspiracies socialism before you did.

[MisterVeritis]

The term socialist or socialism has become so degraded as an insult and political bickering that it is used incorrectly more often than it is used correctly. It has lost it's meaning in the political polarization of America

Authoritarian Statism is a better term. It includes all of the tactics the left uses to subjugate people. Socialism is a tactic. So are fascism, Communism, Progressivism, liberalism, -- leftism in general.

[pragmatic]

The term socialist or socialism has become so degraded as an insult and political bickering that it is used incorrectly more often than it is used correctly. It has lost it's meaning in the political polarization of America

Tend to agree.

But your summary also applies to most every issue/topic in today's political spectrum. One side or the other is perpetually distorting/labeling the opposition tribe into some unrecognizable demon cartoon.




(okay....now that i got that out of my system. everybody please carry on.)








..

[MMC]

Tend to agree.

But your summary also applies to most every issue/topic in today's political spectrum. One side or the other is perpetually distorting/labeling the opposition tribe into some unrecognizable demon cartoon.




(okay....now that i got that out of my system. everybody please carry on.)








..

Funny how that would be no different for any other parties to come along, huh?

[Standing Wolf]

Many self-identified conservatives tend to forget that the conservative-liberal divide is not across the board; someone can be a liberal or a conservative in terms of economics, in terms of human rights as it relates to society and society's laws, or in terms of religious belief. They like to ignore or discount even the possibility that someone could truly be an "economic conservative and a social liberal" - even though polls consistently show that the majority of Americans' views place them squarely into that category.

[MisterVeritis]

Many self-identified conservatives tend to forget that the conservative-liberal divide is not across the board; someone can be a liberal or a conservative in terms of economics, in terms of human rights as it relates to society and society's laws, or in terms of religious belief. They like to ignore or discount even the possibility that someone could truly be an "economic conservative and a social liberal" - even though polls consistently show that the majority of Americans' views place them squarely into that category.

A Constitutional conservative is not liberal in some areas and conservative in others.

[Common]

Exactly. Any time something happens - a Supreme Court decision, or some social trend or incident that offends self-identified conservatives - they label it "socialism".

The legalization of same-sex marriage is socialism; legalized abortion is socialism; a movie about the moon landing that doesn't show the astronauts planting the American flag is socialism.

It always reminds me of Buford T. Justice in Smokey and the Bandit, when he said, "She insulted my town! She insulted my son! She insulted my authority! And that's nothin' but pure and simple old-fashioned Communism!"

So far youve raged about other peoples opinion of the thread and their responses which is fine.

Do you have an opinion on the thread, do you Agree or disagree ?

Do you Agree with the thread, disagree ?

[Common]

I made no mention of democrats or republicans or conservatives or liberal in my thread. I really only made a simple statement and asked a simple question

[Chris]

Communism is forced on the people, socialism is voted in by the people. The end result for both is the same, failure

Opinions? Agree, disagree

In that vein and attempting to get back on topic, communism is a revolutionary, socialism evolutionary.

[Standing Wolf]

A Constitutional conservative is not liberal in some areas and conservative in others.

I have no idea how you, personally, define a "Constitutional conservative"...but in any case, to be truly liberal in some areas and truly conservative in others is in no way a contradiction or a matter of ideological confusion in the real world. The vast majority of Americans, while they may be aware of the flaws that the capitalist system in their country is plagued with, would not want to live in any other; that is true whether they are social conservatives, moderates or liberals. Many social conservatives are nevertheless atheists, just as many social liberals are staunchly conservative when it comes to their religious Faith. Lumping it all together and saying, in effect, you must believe in this if you believe in that is just intellectually lazy and a denial of reality.