It could. Particularly in America. If politicians would stop using those tax dollars to fund special interest groups, pet programs, etc, etc, and focus on what was actually important. Those 2 items in this country would have been resolved already.
Everyone understands that Socialism is not Communism, right?
- Thread starter Jarod
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T. A. Gardner
Serial Thread Killer
No, because it is for the common good. You can use them if you want to. Other roads are built for purposes like defense (the interstate highway system), for example. Again, a common good.
Into the Night
Contributor
Nope.
Gasoline taxes, car tabs, and property taxes pay for roads. That means the users of the roads are paying for the roads. The roads themselves are built by capitalists. They are maintained by capitalists.
Right nearby is a solids materials plant. They sell all kinds of stone, concrete, and asphalt to build and maintain roads.
They also recycle old concrete into gravel and wood stumps and debris into Beauty bark (topsoil mulch).
They provide the trucks to move it as well, every one of which is also built by capitalists.
All the heavy equipment is build by capitalists. Every part they use to be maintained is built by capitalists. The projects themselves are private contractors (capitalists). Even the lane striping and turtles are done by capitalists. Capitalists also made the paint and the turtles. They made the cement used for the concrete. They made the aslphatum used to make road asphalt.
A city, county, or State may have bought it, but the capitalists provided the product.
We have socialist programs for that reason.
@Into the Night considers taxes to be a theft of wealth. Do you concur.
Should everything be paid of by our own free will? A la unfettered Capitalism.
T. A. Gardner
Serial Thread Killer
Which don't work and cost a fortune for poor results.
Capitalism doesn't try. It doesn't waste everyone's money on a problem that everyone's money can't fix.
Hence socialist programs.
You are free to use aid or not. When you fall on hard times, naturally you'd look for help. Provided by yourself and others, which the Parrot Boy call the theft of wealth.
Paid by who? That's right. The taxpayers. They had no choice.
Into the Night
Contributor
Hence, no one needs socialism.
Never said any such thing, LeftNut.
Go learn what 'capitalism' means, LeftNut.
There is no such thing as 'unfettered capitalism'.
Obviously those are not working for the reasons I stated above. Though as you know they are still paid for by Capitalism. As far as your last sentence, we seem to have managed just fine until 1913.
Into the Night
Contributor
Stop making shit up and misquoting.
Hence Socialist programs. Thank you. It isn't a theft. It aids it. It props it. Makes our country successful.
See above. You were talking about altruism. How about greed? That's human nature.
Ignored.
You agree that the roads, police, ambulance, public schools and such shouldn't be forced to be paid?
T. A. Gardner
Serial Thread Killer
But that doesn't make them necessary, or even desirable. We'll set up a Socialist program to end hunger and homelessness! It'll be great! Ten, twenty years and hundreds of billions spent later there is still homelessness and hunger, and almost as much of it as ever.
A Capitalist would say, These programs have failed. End them. They cost too much and have no positive return on the investment.
A Socialist would say, We haven't tried hard enough. We should raise taxes and spend more. If we do that, eventually we'll succeed in eliminating poverty!
That is doubling down on stupid if you ask me.
Greed is human nature too. People on welfare can be greedy just like billionaires. The difference is with billionaires it's their money. With people on welfare, it's other people's money.
If I am interpreting what you are saying correctly, yes. I agree. The taxes I already pay should be covering all of those to begin with. There should be zero additional charges on top of those taxes. I do not know of any PD services on has to pay additional for though other than details for events or construction,.
Then you agree that Capitalism is theft.
Greedy people exploit people and taking stuff out of their pockets as it were. Stealing lollipops from babies.
T. A. Gardner
Serial Thread Killer
No. Capitalism is earned. Socialism is theft.
Greedy people, or not so greedy people, make a deal with other people for an economic exchange. That is a willing thing.
Socialists steal lollipops from babies then give them to other babies because they think that's "fair and equal."
That is every politician and excessive taxation.
Didn't you say there's greedy people?
Nope. For example, were the children willing participants?
Nope. People pay into it (via taxes) so they're entitled to some of it.
Curious, how do you propose that they be helped under the unfettered Capitalism?
Poor people and children be damned.
So you agree it's theft? That's Capitalism.
QP!
Verified User
Right.
Which is you admitting the choices here are just opinion and there is no real way to judge the counterfactual.
So Terry thinks only pushing money up to corporations and oligarchs is good while a Dem Socialist thinks investing and pushing that money to the MC and below is better.
History strongly suggests pushing the money down and not up is what builds the most over all society wealth.