Important questions for Socialists

[bokuden]

The reason for lack of competitors in certain sectors is because of regulations and taxes creating barriers to entry. Small stores will always exist since there will always be a market for specialisation. The main killer of small business in ireland is regulations, rates, artifically inflated commercial rents(nama), lack of competion in the energy market driving up bills etc. The state has a hand in nearly all of these.

As for large corperations such as wallmart, tesco etc, they can afford to charge lower prices because of economies of scale, so in effect they give people an increase in real wages, otherwise people wouldnt shop in these places.

Do you really believe this? Large corporations actually INCREASE wages? Having Tesco and LIDL/ALDI in a small town doest't put small retailers out of business? Flooding the shops with cheap crap made in Chinese sweatshops doesn't push local craftspeople out of business?

[Nicky O Donnell]

No it isn't, though. The property tax will have exemptions for those on low incomes, Phil Hogan has already made that clear. You should pay a bit more attention.

Has he now? Since you obviously were paying more attention than I was, then you can provide us with quotes and details.

[james5001]

Well I disagree with you on that - but notwithstanding that, which is a different argument, you can't claim that a well-off person paying income tax, and that tax then being used to provide an income for someone whose income would otherwise be zero, is anything other than the well-off subsidising the less well-off.

But it could be argued that its a system whereby some of those well off shouldn't have the money in the first place, so its not theirs to give in the first place.

[james5001]

It is tiresome because we have yet to establish what your oft-repeated mantra "Worker control over production" means. Tell us please.

How much control did Russian workers have over the targets they were set by central plans?

What if workers decided they would rather head out on the bevvy than "produce"?

It means that the workers have control over the means of production. Kinda self-explanatory really.
The workers lost any control of production that they had in the early days of the SovietUnion because the worker councils were destroyed.
Regarding your last question- If they did that in my opinion on a regular basis, as the workers control the factory they would decide what should be done.

[james5001]

Eh? Fact is that your crowd gave out when the Household Charge was announced, on the gropunds that it wasn't progressive. Then when it was announced that the Household Charge would become progressive in 2013....... your crowd gave out. They've been banging on about how wealth should be taxed for decades now, only to then complain as soon as someone proposes taxing wealth.

Face it, they're just a bunch of chancers.

I don't know how this has to do with socialism.

[LiamUP]

And don't forget their insistence on workers controlling the means of production. Which is a nonsense.

im not socialist, but explain why its nonsence

[LiamUP]

Forget socialism. The biggest problem with capitalism is that the bailing out of bank in the world turns true capialism into a fake, crony style of capitalism. The thing socialists forget is that bailing out banks is not capitalism. Taking a risk in investing and if you lose you make a loss, that is what capitalism is in one sence of the word. Only if the socialists could see.

[MacBeth]

What role for individual freedoms?

Well the most obvious curtailment of freedom would be taking a much bigger chunk of my pay to fund projects that I might disagree with. So how much tax will I have to pay?

What about freedom of religon, its all well and good saying the state should not favour one religion over another but will the religion of secularism and anti-clericalism be imposed?

What about freedom of movement, most socialists states require the permission of the police to exit the state, some even require exit visas. Would i be free to travel or even emigrate?

Will I be punished for providing my own means of transport which I can use freely rather than using the state controlled means via "environmentalism".

Will I be able to take decisions for myself that might not be deemed "good for me" such as refusing medical treatment, many socialist states have compulsory medical treatment.

Will there be freedom of speech and assembly whereby I can criticise my governmet and socialist ideas?

To name a few important questions!

What about people's freedom against poverty, homelessness, sickness and hunger? What about the freedom for everyone to obtain quality education and healthcare? What about freedom against unemployment? What about the freedom to not live in a world owned by bankers and capitalists?

[100% right]

the only question i would ask of a socialist is 'why dont you just kill yourself or even better blow yourself up at a socialist meeting as that is all you will vere do that could be considered a contribution? at a minimum we should make all lefties sterile we really dont need any more brain dead idiots now do we?

[cillian32]

the only question i would ask of a socialist is 'why dont you just kill yourself or even better blow yourself up at a socialist meeting as that is all you will vere do that could be considered a contribution? at a minimum we should make all lefties sterile we really dont need any more brain dead idiots now do we?

Back to boards.ie with you.