realizations

[Ganj]

I realized recently how incredibly stupid I am. That's always a good one.

[xblackdogx]

but if you use China and the U.S.S.R. as examples of socialism, you can see how it's easier said than done. In a very idealistic sense, socialism sounds great -- but there's no practical way to implement its tenets. In practice, socialism is a far better tool for those who seek to control us than capitalism is. In the U.S.S.R. you had people rioting in the street over loaves of bread, in the PRC you have the most inefficient country imaginable. Internal corruption in these countries was/is higher in those countries than it ever was here. Additionally, people as individuals had far fewer "rights" than we have.

I expect there to be some form of nat'l health insurance within the next 5-10 years anyways.

thanks for the thoughtful response,
true, ideally socialism>capitalism for masses...
but capitalism, in its IDEAL form, also produces a population happily ignorant.
they have FALSE freedoms and are actually stopped from growing spirtually.
Materialism leads to disappointment, never being satisfied, and allows a few select to get ahead, yet the masses don't realize it's capitalism oppressing them. THEREFORE, capitalism is a hidden path to destruction yet its own people would swear by it.
Today, we don't have ideal Socialism, but we have an ideal Capitalistic Society, America.

[higher4hockey]

i've realized that for ME. weed was an inhibitor. i would sit around and get stoned all the time and think about what i wished i could do and say oh im gonna do this some day. and then one day i quit smoking weed, this was about a year ago, and ever since i've been on the right track. maybe some day i'll go back to smoking weed, but probably not. weed made me a dreamer, instead of a do-er.

[dkeltz]

I would just like to say that this is turning out to be a very high quality thread. I am very intrigued by everyone's realizations

[BizzleLuvin]

Unfortunately Socialism works even less well. Capitalism is by far the best economic ideology that has been implemented, but it has negative attributes. The shithole commie countries are way worse off than we are, though I couldn't say from personal experience. ideally I'd like to take 50 people to a deserted tropical island, build shacks, and fish, farm, play music, smoke and fuck all day.

And what's "tripping vagina"? I have 2 guesses....

you make me angry. i'm proud to be a socialist. i dont want to argue with you. just read 'Democracy for the Few' by Micheal Parenti. clearly you are a victim of capitalism, you just dont realize it because that is what the establishment has greated. a society of 'have'.

[bud luv]

you make me angry. i'm proud to be a socialist. i dont want to argue with you. just read 'Democracy for the Few' by Micheal Parenti. clearly you are a victim of capitalism, you just dont realize it because that is what the establishment has greated. a society of 'have'.

All I said is that U.S. > China or the former U.S.S.R.

If you don't agree, I don't know what to tell you. I have studied both of these countries and while we have plenty of negatives here, there is no question which of these three is/was the best to live in. And by best to live in, I mean best human rights, least poverty/starvation, least disease, etc.

I fail to see how I am "clearly a victim of capitalism," but I do see that you yourself are pretty irrational and presumptious. You've never met me, but because I say the U.S. is a better place than the U.S.S.R. was, I'm immediately branded as a sheep to you? Ok, whatever... You don't like capitalists. If you read back to my first post on this thread you'll see that it was a harsh critique of capitalist society.

And you repped me down? I hope you were REALLY baked when you did that.

Get a life!:S4:

Peace.

[FreeVenice]

I have created my own form of govornment which I follow. . .


I have come to realize that money doesn't grow in trees, but herb comes from a bush. . . if you know what I mean

[bud luv]

The capitalists want you to believe that socialism works even less well. Who does it work less well for? You have to wonder if the 42 million without health insurance would be covered if this was a socialist society, of course they would be. Socialism is worse for those who seek, and do, control us and better for the masses of people.

Does China have a nat'l healthcare system? Harvard Gazette: Health care reform in China discussed

Did the U.S.S.R. have a nat'l healthcare system?
The Crisis of Russian Health Care and Attempts at Reform

The healthcare in the U.S. is better than in any of these countries, so your point is what?

If you're going to be adamant about something, maybe you should do your homework.

[bud luv]

Marxism (other than the violence) is heavy shit, his ends were admirable, even if not all his means were. I certainly agree with many of them, and you can see that my original post on this thread was in the Marxist spirit.

Still, Marx was but a philosopher. His tenets have proven difficult to implement, and when used in actual practice thus far have resulted in Stalin's Russia and Mao's China. And If you're down with Maoist or Stalinist politics(propaganda, genocide, total censorship), I don't know what to tell you. Stalin makes GWB look like friggin' Ghandi.

peace.

[Reefer Rogue]

I've realised my meaning of life is inner peace and outer harmony.