Comments on: Dear Politicians and Zealots: I am not a Conservative. Or a Liberal. Or a Libertarian, or a Socialist. I am a Realist – I Want What Works and is Fair. http://www.briangordon.ca/2010/02/dear-politicians-and-zealots-i-am-not-a-conservative-or-a-liberal-or-a-libertarian-or-a-socialist-i-am-a-realist-i-want-what-works-and-is-fair/ Go Local, Go Sustainable, Now Tue, 24 Jan 2012 17:22:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 By: elasticsoul http://www.briangordon.ca/2010/02/dear-politicians-and-zealots-i-am-not-a-conservative-or-a-liberal-or-a-libertarian-or-a-socialist-i-am-a-realist-i-want-what-works-and-is-fair/comment-page-1/#comment-320 elasticsoul Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:16:35 +0000 http://www.briangordon.ca/?p=496#comment-320 Libertarians would also say that Libertarianism comprises "a huge variety of possible systems"; I even had an email from a Libertarian Socialist site asking for me to promote them. The reality is that state socialism with a centrally-planned economy has been shown to be a disaster in many regards. The reason I included Social Democracy was to distinguish systems with some measure of central state planning that have been shown to work; perhaps you consider social democracy one of the possible socialist systems? Libertarians would also say that Libertarianism comprises “a huge variety of possible systems”; I even had an email from a Libertarian Socialist site asking for me to promote them.

The reality is that state socialism with a centrally-planned economy has been shown to be a disaster in many regards. The reason I included Social Democracy was to distinguish systems with some measure of central state planning that have been shown to work; perhaps you consider social democracy one of the possible socialist systems?

]]> By: NonHomogenized http://www.briangordon.ca/2010/02/dear-politicians-and-zealots-i-am-not-a-conservative-or-a-liberal-or-a-libertarian-or-a-socialist-i-am-a-realist-i-want-what-works-and-is-fair/comment-page-1/#comment-318 NonHomogenized Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:05:07 +0000 http://www.briangordon.ca/?p=496#comment-318 Look, I'm a socialist (but not a communist), and, while I think you made some good points in this article generally, your treatment of socialism was at best shallow and, more realistically, downright insulting. Virtually no socialists (or communists) advocate a system like those of the various "communist" governments that have existed. Nor, historically, has most communist or socialist thought had much in common with those systems. I understand that they called themselves "communist" or "socialist", and that they are what many people (most of the US and Canada) think of when they hear either term. But North Korea calls itself the Democratic People's Republic of Korea - do you believe that what they have is democracy or a republic? There are plenty of instances of countries calling themselves something they clearly are not in order to associate themselves with a term that is thought well of. You should actually read what socialists (which is a collection of a huge variety of possible systems, both with or without states) say socialism is - not what propaganda says it is. Look, I’m a socialist (but not a communist), and, while I think you made some good points in this article generally, your treatment of socialism was at best shallow and, more realistically, downright insulting. Virtually no socialists (or communists) advocate a system like those of the various “communist” governments that have existed. Nor, historically, has most communist or socialist thought had much in common with those systems.

I understand that they called themselves “communist” or “socialist”, and that they are what many people (most of the US and Canada) think of when they hear either term. But North Korea calls itself the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – do you believe that what they have is democracy or a republic? There are plenty of instances of countries calling themselves something they clearly are not in order to associate themselves with a term that is thought well of. You should actually read what socialists (which is a collection of a huge variety of possible systems, both with or without states) say socialism is – not what propaganda says it is.

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