With the economic turbulence in Venezuela, socialism is once again under fire by conservatives. Venezuela is unfortunately experiencing some economic turmoil as a result of the oil price. But top scholars believe that this is more the fault of capitalist oil companies colluding to squash their competition, than a failure of socialism. And as usual, critics of socialism focus only on the most distressed socialist countries, while ignoring the abundant examples of socialist success.
You don’t have to look very far from Venezuela to find cases of socialist achievements. Nearby Cuba is renowned for its efficient health care system that is the envy of the developing world. Despite its limited resources and sanctions by the US, Cuba’s healthcare system offers complete coverage of the population and ranks well against developed countries in terms of infant mortality and life expectancy.
Perhaps the most shining example of socialist success however, is Scandinavia. Nordic countries enjoy some of the highest living standards in the world, while providing universal healthcare, generous welfare states, strong labor union laws, and lavish state pension plans. According to capitalists, these countries should be bankrupt and derelict, but instead they rank among the highest in the world for education, happiness, worker satisfaction, and a variety of other economic measures. Scandinavia proves that socialism can work – it just needs to be managed professionally.
The financial crisis of 2007-08 demonstrates that capitalism is not at all impervious to economic shocks, especially if left unregulated. Maybe, instead of listening to free market economists about how to fix our economic woes, it’s time to look across the ocean at some of the world’s outstanding socialist success stories, such as Scandinavia, the UK National Health Service, and Cuban healthcare. Maybe it’s time for us to get off our high horses, stop lecturing the world about free markets, and start gleaning the best aspects of socialism to implement here in America.
High standards of living obtained by the constant exploitation of cheap black labor in IKA manufactures in Africa and now the expoitation of immigrants
I agree that exploitation of people of color is the basis of prosperity in the west, and that’s why we need reparations, affirmative action and paths to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. But this applies to ALL western countries. What Scandinavia demonstrates is that socialism can work.
How about trying to tell that to the now-oppressed citizens of Sweden who are being raped and abused under this “great system” that’s crushing the economy?? No doubt you don’t want to hear this so just label me and tell me not to believe my lying eyes as usual.. You cretins make me sick!!
Yes I am because I see it happening and it’s being done by racists alright – racist fundamentalist Wahhabism adopters.. And then we have the racist BLM, (who only care about black lives when they’re being bought by self-confessed nazi sympathisers), movement who never do any good for genuinely struggling blacks nor ever have and purposefully isolate themselves to try victamise innocents whilst playing both the victim and the race card.. Hiding behind your nonsense “progressive” label and your pseudo-liberal rhetoric doesn’t make you as invisible as you hope!! Try and turn things however you want but your phoney game is up – people are wise to that gig now – time to retreat back to your slime pit kid, leave the adults to sort out your mess!! <> Have a nice day 😉
Fully agree! We shouldn’t be discouraged by a few failed socialist countries or a couple of hundred million dead in the process. As long as we fight patriarchy it’s a win for the world! Viva la Regulación!
Socialism did not fail. Capitalism failed! Venezuela’s rulers simply followed the absurd capitalist logic about what a resource-rich country should do in a time of high prices.
The only thing the capitalists would have changed was letting the poor get a share! Today’s crisis would be far worse in a Venezuela with no food subsidies or price controls.
We will get a glimpse of what socialism is really about—**workers fighting capitalist priorities to assert their own interests.**
Part of the problem is the price controls haven’t been properly enforced. And guess what the minimum wage is in Venezuela – only $22 a month! No wonder people are starving!
Agreed. Chile has been an absolute disaster since that Capitalist pig Pinochet took over. And as you point out, socialism takes care of the environment, unlike capitalism. Socialist countries are known for having the highest environmental standards.
In your Utopian dream, you left out the primary cause of nearly every war in the history of mankind: religion. Socialism may not permit religious practice, but I’m sure curious how you’re going to convince billions of people to drop the one thing that has gotten them through difficult times and lives.
No, Socialism failed; it ALWAYS fails. Read “Debunking Utopia”, a new book from Nima Sanandaji.
Get off your lazy ass and go to work. Do something productive and make your own way in the world, you greedy parasites.
Exactly.. Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it – never a truer word spoken!! It’s failed every single time as its meant to, it’s a pre-cursor for communism yet these regressive ‘progressive’ fools are supposed to be intelligent?? Arrogant more like – so special that they have to prove everyone wrong by playing with other less fortunate people’s lives smh.. Don’t even get me started with this Global warming hoax that goes against all known scientific models!! Yet they’re so special and arrogant they can prove us wrong and it doesn’t matter who gets ruined or killed disproving this nonsense.. Unbelievable..
Yes, one should learn from history! For example Capitalism **always** leads to Oligarchy. Socialism has only “failed” to replace capitalism. Once capitalism is fully removed, socialism can flourish. The bankers and corporations have managed to sabotage any attempts to implement socialism, which is not the same as “socialism has failed”.
Ikr this article is garbage absolute BS – the UK national health service was formed 70 years ago it’s nothing new – what is new with all the socialist/globalist agenda and all the associated problems is that it’s been on our national news the last couple of days that the NHS is on its knees and our pensioners are at risk of being unceremoniously being kicked out of their nursing homes with nowhere to go.. Despite having served their countries for decades and paying taxes & NI to afford them comfort in their twilight years all this is being pulled from underneath them.. Despite what we are being told that the economy is booming since brexit vote, standards of living are drastically being impacted!! But we’re once again being told to disbelieve our lying eyes – this is just the tip of the iceberg!! Sweden is far from the idyllic utopia this clown is trying to portray in his highly-biased piece of fiction!! I have friends and family there but never mind that, there’s thousands of examples of this oppressive regime on social media!! They’re practically living under a Commie dictatorship like most EU countries that steadfastly refuse to listen to their citizens so they can bring the chaos they yearn for!! The author of this work of fiction should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves – but we know that won’t happen, like all good fascists, the response is to ignore by labelling, shaming or projecting – the usual tools of oppression..
The NHS has to deal with capitalist corporations and a banker-controlled economy. Socialism is only “failing” to replace capitalism. Once capitalism has been replaced, a socialist system can flourish.
yes, they can.
I lived in Sweden for a summer, what an eye opener.
What a gene pool, they have some of the best looking flickas on the planet.
a centralized city/suburban utopia, bike paths to trains straight to down town.
you don’t even need to lock you bike, just take whatever is there.
and, nobody breaks the law,
they love the rules, while they do drink like fishes, there is always a designated driver, the server will always ask who is driving, to avoid breaking the rules of society.
you get to live off the state once you retire, no need to save a dime.
taxes/smaxes – who cares if you have to pay 70% income tax, it is all for everyone, so be happy.
The best part is the pharmacy’s over there, they have only a few items, as the state does health care, so it is so easy to shop, you can buy contact lens cleaner, tampons or both.
but you can’t get cough medicine or anything stronger than asprin without first seeing the Doctor, which you must schedule in advance.
no biggy, just don’t get sick, that’s how I roll.
oh, one more thing, you don’t have to worry about getting heart disease either, as you can’t find a good steak, no worries, plenty of pickled herring for all.
Sounds like paradise! The only people who’d be unhappy there are overly-ambitious aspiring capitalists who want to start businesses and exploit people. Good riddance I say!
One SMALL problem: Scandinavian socialism succeeds because it is highly homogeneous. There is a huge middle class and a very small lower and upper class. Those who pay into it get it back, and so there is every incentive for professional management of resources at every level. Basically, Scandinavian socialism is unique to Scandinavia and will not succeed elsewhere — certainly not in the United States, where the middle class is shrinking, the lower class is inflating, and the upper class is shielding its massive wealth accumulation with tax havens and offshoring. Any imposition of Scandinavian socialism on the dwindling middle class will utterly bankrupt both the citizenry and the system. B
Socialism “works” if the cultural matrix under is compatible.
Why was Est Germany the most prosperous country of the Warsaw pact? Work ethic where doing a nice job and being efficient was more important than becoming rich.
Would helicopter money work in Japan? Not if most people bring the cash that they found on the street to the police station in order to find the legitimate owner.
Apply socialism to an individualist society/culture and most people will try to play the system/government to get richer at the expense of someone else.
The rape of muslim male refugees by Swedish women is, indeed, a problem, neverthless the EU will probably take some measures in the future
What a load of leftist propaganda. For the truth about how socialism FAILS EVERY TIME, especially in Scandinavia, read “Debunking Utopia”, a new book from Nima Sanandaji.
Don’t believe leftist lies about how their totalitarian dreams of control over your life and assets would make everything wonderful.
Lazy, greedy, totalitarian socialists produce NOTHING to benefit mankind – you just steal and lie to gullible morons, like democRats.
Socialists, greedy?? All we’re asking for is a FAIR wage and a FAIR share of the world’s resources. Capitalism gives some people obscene amounts of money while leaving others poor. THAT’S greedy and unjust.
Ever sign the front side of a paycheck, you greedy parasite? Ever hired people with your own money? Ever actually produced a useful product or service, or are you just a greedy, lazy socialist parasite?
Now, consider what you’re going to do if you’re not WORTH $15/hour? Would it be illegal for you to get a job? Would you just want to steal money from others to live on, via useless politicians?
Socialism kills.
Only capitalists sign the check on the front. We donT need any banking checks from your capitalist, banker’s system.
We need fair distribution of goods and services.
Take all those demands, especially your vegetarian idiocy, and shove them up your barack, you lazy socialist parasite.
You want them? EARN THEM.
“White privelige” is the code word – give it a rest.. Try getting a job instead of playing the victim and hurting innocents you racist scum.. To think great men like MLK and Mandela gave their lives to get us to the point we’re at today for scum like ‘Black lives don’t Matter’ to sell out to Zionist Nazi-lovers.. Tell me, what’s happened to the hundreds of millions from Soros & Ford?? Used to rebuild Louisiana?? Donated to starving Africans?? Apportioned to enriching ANY black lives around the world?? Or just for sharpton & his co-conspirators to funnel to their offshore accounts whilst his racist thugs go pissing on the reputations of their great ancestors who gave so much so the ungrateful little parasites didn’t have to?? Fk MLK and his vision & Fk Mandela and his decades of solitary confinement huh?? Which, incidentally is where the BLM hierarchy should end up along with their Nazi & Zionist masters!! Pffffttt…
Hearing greedy, lazy socialists bleat about how much more control they want to seize, and how much more of our money they want to steal, all to bring about a utopian perfection just makes me remember how many people there are who are as gullible and stupid as Hillary Milhaus Felon’s democRats.
That rusted-out crap has been around for 120 years, starving, stealing from and murdering people. Enough poverty, death and misery from this ignorant nonsense.
To believe it, you have to be stupid, greedy, feeble-minded or just evil.
Go get a real job and stop your greedy demands, you parasite.
#BlueLivesMatter
#ClarenceThomasMatters
#ThomasSowellMatters
#CondiRiceMatters
#OdumbassDoesntMatter
#TravonsDontMatter
We’re not taking control of anything. We’re simply claiming what is rightfully ours. How come some people get to be billionaires while others can barely afford to eat?? If you think this system is fair, then maybe you’re too privileged to see how much others are suffering.
Define “rightfully ours”. What’s your “rightful” share of what other people earn?
Lazy, greedy socialism kills.
Capitalists donT earn anything. Businessmen employ workers in order to enrich themselves. The workers earned what the capitalist businessman has.
The hypocrisy!! You’re all being controlled by Zionist Billionairres you mug!! Whether you know it or not; whether you accept it or not, that’s the way it is!! At best you’re a naive and miseducated fool – at worst you’re greedy, entitled scum!! We know it and that’s why we won’t accept it!! By ‘we’ I mean us hard working, independent, critical-thinking, right-minded people who actually work to pay our way!! Pfffftt
If you want real improvement, push Islam into the sea. It’s time for Allah (pigpiss be unto him) to die.
#TravonsDontMatter
Bill has #privilege
Those are salient points BLM. It’s impossible to ignore the fact that these countries were build upon the oppression and exploitation of people of color. But they demonstrate that capitalism isn’t the answer either. Agreed – true socialism is returning to a natural way of life, without property or industrialism. These are tools of oppression and environmental destruction. ‘Property’ is another myth invented by whites to justify the exploitation of others. All land and resources should be shared.
I don’t know why some people always ask to BLM “get a job!”, as if they “know” if she/he has a job or not. First in one of his post he already said that she/he was employed by the notorious philanthropist George Soros for sometimes. She/He has also a university degree and may teach Critical Race Theory to the young Americans who want to check their privilege
More than the article, I enjoyed the comments!!!