Washington Times: Opinion: J.T. Young: A Lesson For Socialists: What Socialism Actually Is and Not How Its Stereotyped

YOUNG: A lesson for Socialists - Washington Times

This is an interesting debate and even humorous to me because people who tend to talk about Socialism for one thing don't understand it. And they also mislabel it and treat as something as its not and compare Socialism vs Capitalism like they are squaring off. Like you would compare a Jaguar with a Mercedes which are both cars but problem with comparing Socialism with Capitalism. Is that yes they are different but so are lions and giraffes, yes they are both animals and mammals but they aren't the same thing. Socialism and Capitalism are two different things, Socialism is a political philosophy yes with an economic component. But like every other political philosophy but just different, Liberalism, Conservatism, Libertarianism. Go down the line they all have economic components to them otherwise they wouldn't be much of a political philosophy. Whereas Capitalism is an economic system based on private enterprise rather then the government owning the means of production of society. Which is what Classical-Socialists believe in but thats not the whole range of their political philosophy.

So if you want to compare Socialism with other economic philosophies, you should compare it with Liberalism. Conservatism, Libertarianism and so fourth who by the way today all believe in at least a certain level of Capitalism. As we see in America, Canada, Europe, Asia and so fourth where Socialists all over the World have embraced Capitalism at least to a certain extent. Another thing that people should understand about Socialists is that not all Leftists are the same thing. Not all Leftists are Liberals and not all Leftists are Socialists that Leftism represent a diverse group of political factions. That include Liberals as well as Democratic-Socialists or Progressive/Social Democrats people who are to the left of Liberals. And todays Socialists for the most part don't believe in state ownership at least when it comes to business. That we should have nationalize corporations and so fourth but that they should remain private but taxed and. Regulated to fund the things that Socialists see as the commons, education, healthcare, health insurance, retirement, banking even. Things Socialist don't trust the private sector to manage.

So its helpful when you speak about Socialism like anything you might speak about, to know what you are. Talking it about to know what Socialism is and what Socialism is about and what Socialists believe in. Rather then comparing it with things that it isn't, that Socialism is a political philosophy not an economic system. But a political philosophy that covers all areas of current affairs that also has an economic component to it as well.