> Reading phrases like "economic flaws of capitalism" in a discussion about
> "socialist unions" makes me wonder. Are we still entertaining notions of
> socialism being a better system than capitalism after the upheaval of the
> last ten years caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union? My comments do
> not stem from a familiarity with Chomsky's theories. They are more a product
> of working with people who have fled socialist tyranny around the world and
> who scoff at any attempt to convey respect for anything socialist. These
> people are simply relieved to be in a capitalist society - with all its flaws.
>
> I would have thought that it was abundantly clear - and again this is not
> from a theoretical standpoint - that socialism has failed in practice and
> that capitalist societies have shown themselves to be remarkably resilient
> in providing comparatively better lives for their citizens. People can
> debate the advantages of one against the other on a theoretical level, but
> in practice the answer is clear. Socialism has failed.
>

>
To me, socialism is the simple idea that people should control their
economic destiny to the greatest extent possible, through meaningful
participation in economic decision making, control over the means of
production, etc. Socialism is simply economic democracy--the notion that
average people have a right to control their own lives, most notably how
they make their livelihood. It assumes that when the means of production,
capital, etc. are in private hands, that this by necessity results in a
corresponding concentration of power and absence of democracy. The
current plight of electoral democracy in the U.S. is a prime example.

It should also be noted that the "capitalist" world includes, not
coincidentally, some of the most repressive and impoverished societies on
the planet. Haiti, for instance, has long been a part of the capitalist
world, serving (as does much of the third world) as a place where people
and resources are exploited for the benefit of foreign capital. The
Haitians currently making clothes for Walt Disney, at .30 per hour, are as
representative of the capitalist system as the  CEO of any large corporation.

That some have, in the name of socialism, created tyrannical social and
political systems says nothing about the worth of the socialist ideal. It
is one of the most common, and monstrous, non sequiters to dismiss the
ideal of socialism because of the failure of the USSR, etc. One could
with equal validity dismiss the IDEALS of Christianity because of the
inquisition, or the ideal of democracy because of the corporate tyranny
currently existing in the U.S., or modern medicine because of the work of
Mengele. The failure to put ideals into practice only suggests we should
try harder, or seek alternative means.

Robert Goodby