Thursday 30 August 2018

The New Socialists | NYT


Millenials think these are socialism, nice, fluffy and warm

If Socialism means loving your kids and honouring your parents, a fondness for apple pie....then I'm a Socialist!
If Socialism means raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, then colour me Socialist! Yay, Socialism rocks!
What's that you say? That's not what socialism means?  But... but.. that's what they're saying in the comments at this article: The New Socialists, in the New York Times. Socialism isn't the horrid Marxist idea that's been tried and failed over and over. It's wonderful things like free medicine, free education, free everything.  That's what they're saying, at the New York Times. To the approbation of all, including the Times itself.
Meantime back in the real world... Socialism has a definition. Like most words, it has a meaning. In simplest terms, this is the definition of Socialism:
State ownership of the means of production
(Wikipedia.  Mirriam-Webster.  OED). 
That's it.
And that's the way it's been done (attempted) in practice too. 
And that's what's failed everywhere it's been tried.
It's not a good idea that's been implemented badly.  It's a bad idea that's been implemented well.
And therefore failed.  From Albania to Venezuela.  Via North Korea, China and Vietnam.
And for sure it's not "What the socialist seeks is freedom" as Corey Robin claims in the article here. 
And it's not even "Democratic Socialism".  The Democratic Socialist Party of America -- to which the likes of  Bernie Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez pledge their troth, is at core pure socialism, as I showed here.
And it's not bright copper kettles and warm woollen mittens. 
Those are just millennials' favourite things. 
And while I get why millenials would be drawn to them, I don't get why adults would.  What's wrong with Bernie?  I'm guessing he's never visited a country labouring under the wonders of Socialism.