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Judi Lynn

(160,217 posts)
Sun Jan 27, 2019, 01:10 PM Jan 2019

Norway Is Far More Socialist Than Venezuela


Matt Bruenig January 27, 2019



As the United States begins its effort to depose Venezuelan president Nicholas Maduro, the discourse is plagued by the perennial question: what is socialism? Venezuela helps illuminate this question because many pundits commit to the claim that Venezuela is socialist before committing to a specific definition of socialism. This unfortunate order of events then requires them to retroactively identify specific things that they say make Venezuela socialist, but then those things exist in other countries that they refuse to call socialist.

The weekend provided two prime examples this. To start things off, Bryan Caplan wrote, in reference to those claiming Venezuela is not real socialism, that:




Caplan does not elaborate on how he distinguishes the Nordic countries from Venezuela or even what he considers socialism. But anyone who objectively compares especially Norway to Venezuela would find the two countries are quite similar and that in fact Norway is far more socialist under conventional definitions of that term.

More:
https://www.peoplespolicyproject.org/2019/01/27/norway-is-far-more-socialist-than-venezuela/

Editorials and other articles:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1016225085
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Norway Is Far More Socialist Than Venezuela (Original Post) Judi Lynn Jan 2019 OP
Well Bryan, whatever the FUCK they "are" Ferrets are Cool Jan 2019 #1
There will not be consensus on what socialism and capitalism are. David__77 Jan 2019 #2
Venezuela is a shining example of what Marxism is GatoGordo Jan 2019 #3
Most people seem to have no idea what socialism is. EX500rider Jan 2019 #4

David__77

(23,218 posts)
2. There will not be consensus on what socialism and capitalism are.
Sun Jan 27, 2019, 01:38 PM
Jan 2019

And of course there are many varieties of political socialists. I think that the state should guide the economy and control the main levers of the economy while leveraging private initiative. Socialist? Capitlalist? Perhaps both.

 

GatoGordo

(2,412 posts)
3. Venezuela is a shining example of what Marxism is
Mon Jan 28, 2019, 12:56 PM
Jan 2019

Norway is Capitalist with socialist elements.

Socialism cannot exist in a vacuum. It needs wealth that capitalism creates. Good intentions do not pay the bills.

Venezuela is an example of what happens when socialism loots the national treasury. The Chavistas have turned the economic envy of Latin America into a shit show.

EX500rider

(10,531 posts)
4. Most people seem to have no idea what socialism is.
Tue Jan 29, 2019, 11:06 PM
Jan 2019

Socialism: State ownership of the means of production.

What the Nordic countries have is capitalism with governments that provide strong social safety nets, which is not socialism.

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