Quote Originally Posted by Askthepizzaguy View Post
Which, might I add, is not that different from our "free market" economy here in the United States, where we have food stamps, public water and sanitation, government housing, and Medicare.

So... you know there's not a whole lot of difference. Our so-called free market is almost exactly halfway between free market and state control. So when people hyperventilate over returning to Clinton era tax rates and call it the end of capitalism, I feel like shipping them off to Cuba so they understand the difference between socialism and communism.
Thank you for admitting that we are indeed turning into a socialist country.
You yourself, sir, do not understand the difference between a socialist and a communist country. Cuba is NOT a communist country, it simply is trying to pursue Communism. It is an extreme socialist country (as was the USSR). One of the key ideas of the American system of government is that you could not allow too much power in a small number of hands, because it would lead to abuse. That is what happens in "communist" (no such thing) countries, regardless of whether it started peaceful or not. When a group of people take control, they can do whatever the heck they want. It may be simply economic exploitation, or it could be massacres. Government and economy are inseparable, as they define each other, which is why I refer to the economic system in the States and the government in the States as the same thing. Your right, pure Capitalism IS an idealist thing, and it has never and can never be realized because people are not perfect. The closer we are to that ideal though, the better. We may know we can never attain it, but we should always strive to keep as close as possible, not say "It is impossible! Let's become socialists!". It is Capitalism that has improved living for people across the world and take us to the state where the poor now adays for most part live better than most people 100 years ago, not socialism.
Communism is idealistic also, but the ideal of communism is to give the government power instead of limiting government power. It comes down to which ideal is better. Evil people find their way everywhere, but they can do a heck of a lot more damage and have much more control in a communist or socialist country with concentrated power. The Federal Government should ensure fair play, but nothing else in the economy. Bad businesses should fall, and good businesses should rise. Poor people over all live a LOT better today than 100 years ago, and it is Capitalism that has done that. If you want to help the poor, socialism is not the answer. Socialism only makes/keeps them dependent on the government, and gives ambitious people great opportunity to exploit and enslave them.