Quote Originally Posted by Ramulux
I think that a lot of you are unfairly bashing socialism.
it has never been my intent to "bash" socialism. it is a perfectly viable alternative to the free-for-all of capitalism and there are many people in this world that are content with its restrictions. i do, however, think we should be honest about the ramifications of living under such a system. socialism is about the destruction of the individual. it is a system which demands by its very nature that an elite few maintain control over the masses. all this talk of the corporate elite and the undue influence of the wealthy may have some validity, but socialism does not change any of that. it merely codifies who maintains that power. the concepts of democratic socialism and a classless society are pipe dreams or even outright lies, there will always be an elite. it is merely a matter of how we determine who is in control.

the beauty of capitalism and a free market is that anyone, no matter their background, may attain the power needed to influence the society. of course few will, but the possibility is always there. there are no guarantees and the risks are great, but there is no artificially imposed ceiling on how high one might rise. the downside is that failure is a possible outcome. without government's parental hand to even out the playing field, the vagaries of a market in the control of the people may squash the budding entrepreneur and send him into poverty. with such freedom comes risk.

the positive side of socialism is that risk is eliminated and mediocrity becomes the standard of excellence. for most of the society it is a straightforward existence, with little demand and a guarantee of survival. within such a society everyone has his place and poverty may even be eradicated, but at the loss of the individual and his potential. only the extremely driven few ever seek excellence under such a system and they are usually shunned unless their work provides some immediate use for the society.

the entire purpose of this poll is to see how many of you believe that the possibility of excellence is worth the risks involved. i have my doubts as to whether its outcome will be of any use, so many seem not to understand the meaning of the term "individual" and others are too involved with the details of our political mess to see a broader picture.