socialist or not?

[canadageek]

today i heard some people refer to canada as a red country....
simply because we have, amongst other things, socialized health car.
what do you guys think?

 

[sandorski]

Not even close.

 

[canadageek]

bump

 

[Kibbo]

canadageek, welcome to the cesspit.

If you click on mine and Sandorski's avatar, you'll see we're both fellow 'nucks. There are a couple others on here, good guys.

You will find this place enlightening, frustrating and interesting.

Did I mention frustrating?

I almost feel like calling up Dissipate and Mongoose and calling out "new fish on the line."

Have fun!

 

[ntdz]

Originally posted by: canadageek
today i heard some people refer to canada as a red country....
simply because we have, amongst other things, socialized health car.
what do you guys think?

Red here in the United States means Republican

You guys aren't Red, I'd say more of Pink

 

[colonel]

I dont think in this forum people knows the difference Comunims-socialist, and if they know they will be surprise

 

[PatboyX]

Originally posted by: ntdz

Originally posted by: canadageek
today i heard some people refer to canada as a red country....
simply because we have, amongst other things, socialized health car.
what do you guys think?

Red here in the United States means Republican

You guys aren't Red, I'd say more of Pink

my family used to be a "red" family.
the the whole communism scare ended and my family was told they were "blue" again.

 

[cwjerome]

In the grand scale I'd put Canada as more socialist than the USA but less socialist than France. Of course France is more of a welfare-statist nation than socialist, but they are quite similar concepts.

 

[Infohawk]

This is a poorly done poll. The question is whether Canada's socialism is bordering on communism, already a loaded question. But then if you answer no, that means you think socialism is good. Many people might think it doesn't border on communism but that socialism is bad.

 

[smc13]

Your subject asks whether or not Canada is socialist or not (it is). Your poll asks whether or not it borders on comunism (it doesn't). Why doesn't your poll match your subject?

 

[DragonMasterAlex]

Originally posted by: canadageek
today i heard some people refer to canada as a red country....
simply because we have, amongst other things, socialized health car.
what do you guys think?

I voted no, but that does NOT mean I think "Socialism=Good". As Socialist societies go, Canada is pretty mild to date.

Jason

 

[Stunt]

This poll blows...

 

[daveshel]

Don't get too hung up on the names of ploitical systems - they usually don't live up to their billing. Communism wouldn't have such a bad rap if it wasn't for Stalinism, and Castro's version is closer to capitalism than anything Marx envisioned. The map does not closely correspond with the territory, so you are really just mincing words.

 

[Stunt]

So i said the poll sucked, but i was bored, i've put together a little data sheet for americans and canadians to compare our two forms of government.
The data was collected from each respected government site, and can be found here

The conclusion is nothing more than expected, actually the Canadian Gov't says it well here

We find that the most important category in explaining the gap in program spending between the two countries is income security, which includes, among other things, all social assistance and public pension benefits. Spending on health and education relative to GDP is virtually the same in both countries. Over time, the gap between program spending relative to GDP in the two countries has been reduced substantially. The main categories in which the gap was narrowed were income security, economic affairs (which includes, among other things, transportation and communications, and natural resource conservation and industrial development) and education.

 

[Stunt]

The important thing to take away from my data sheet is the Canadian Gov't spends 36% of GDP, the US spends 20%.

So answer is yes...Canada is fiscally more social, and socially more progressive.

*An interesting point to note for all those who think the US economy is in shambles atm. Canada's debt to GDP is 77% relative to the US's 63%. Also Canada spends 3.7% GDP on debt interest next to the US's 1.5% GDP.*

 

[canadageek]

thanks for the replies guys...
my second thread, firs in politics.
anyway, personally, i think socialism=good because it's like communism, but without the bloody revolution, dictators, and anti-capitalism. there are downsides of course, but hey, what doesn't? i'm sure theres a downside to owning a 6 000 dollar gaming rig, or a ferarri enzo...maybe not a fair comparison, but if you think about it long enough....

anyway, just figured i'd poke my head up and say hi
Lucas

 

[canadageek]

oh, and btw, the poll probably DOES suck, it's my first ever *sniff* so proud...

 

[3chordcharlie]

Canadian socialism is not anything like communism.

But I refuse to vote that it is also good, although some parts of it I agree with.

 

[wchou]

communism is not evil and it has never existed where everyone benefits
no profits involved, all shared equally
I hate capitalism cause it sucks to be poor
The rich prefer it that way cause they enjoy eploiting weak minded and less intelligent people.

 

[Colt45]

Nowhere near socialist enough

 

[Abraxas]

Canada has social programs, not socialism.

 

[dmens]

Read it. Now.

It's amazing how some people will still believe in socialist bs even after all that's happened in the past century.

 

[canadageek]

Originally posted by: dmens
Read it. Now.

It's amazing how some people will still believe in socialist bs even after all that's happened in the past century.

so what's so bad about canada's socialist policies? i break my arm, i get it fixed up for (almost) free!

 

[gordanfreeman]

im not an expert on the subject, but as far as i am concerned, the only problem w/ socialist/communist states is human nature, not the structure of the state itself.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Canada == Socialism
Bush government == 'National Socialism' (well, closer to a Taliban clone than to Nazis, but still)