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Socialism and Armenia


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I'm for socialism when it's defined to mean everyone is guaranteed a minimum standard of living. In Armenia, here in the US and everywhere.

 

The no-private-property aspect of pure socialism is for the birds.

 

Capitalism with social taxes for me. Just makes you work harder so that your net income is high.

 

Are you thinking that some period of socialism will help get Armenia get on her feet? Do you think it could work long-term? I would think there's too much government corruption (there and anywhere in the world) for it to be viable in the long-run.

 

 

[This message has been edited by Pilafhead (edited December 22, 2000).]

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I studied in China for one year as a study abroad student. I have been to Armenia recently. Yugoslavia had a mixed economy that was going well for all sectors of society until the outbreak of nationalism and war. Everyone knows how well China is now doing with a mixed economy, need I mention more. Look at Russia in contrast. Adaptation and conversion overnight from socialism to capitalism is impossible or not smooth in the transition stages. It should be applied slowly and cautiously like China.
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I agree that we should guarantee a minimum standard od living for the population at large. But what Armenian really needs is consensus. We are a small nation, once we can agree on a number of key important issues for the development and security of the nation we will be in a much better footing.

 

The state should be the synthesis of the desire of the people and not a feud controlled by ex apparatchiks or late coming profiteers.

 

We can call it socialism or any other "ism", but it needs cohesion and strngth.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think the socialism and guaranteeing minimum standard of living are very different things. The minimum standard of living is guaranteed in the US, yet it is a capitalistic country. While people live below minimum standard in the socialistic Cuba, for example. I think the minimum standard of living is more indicative of the humaneness of the society, rather than the political system. In my view, the socialism has proven to be an inefficient system. The USSR has failed. The socialistically inclined countries of Europe, such as Sweden, France, etc, and Canada, don't enjoy great economic progress. In my understanding, this European type of socialism is manifested in free education and health care. The health care in capitalistic America is on much higher level (for those who can afford it) than in Europe. The educational system has failed for different reasons, in my view. I attribute this failure to the take-over of the educational system by the ultra-left zealots in the US, and the denouncement of once successful classic educational system, with all their modernizations.

Instead, one can establish a better health coverage and educational system.

Throughout the Soviet history, at least, the socialism has not been an instrument of social equality and justice, as it was supposed to be, but an instrument of equal distribution of poverty.

 

In the case of Armenia, the socialism has been its predominant idea since 1905. Armenia has been frequently sacrificed for the sake of that great idea by the "ism" minded zealots, including the ARF. I think Armenia has seen enough tragedies. Let's spare it from future ones, which might result from a new "ism."

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