France Elects Socialist President

[BG42EDGE]

Today, France kicked their colorful Fascist President Sarkozy out of office and chose instead--a Socialist--Francois Hollande.

Ah, if only we in America could be so wise as the French.

Is it possible that America could elect a Socialist president one day?

If so.......how soon?

[quietmike]

Today, France kicked their colorful Fascist President Sarkozy out of office and chose instead--a Socialist--Francois Hollande.

Ah, if only we in America could be so wise as the French.

Is it possible that America could elect a Socialist president one day?

If so.......how soon?

Where you been the last three years?

[Chocula]

Has history not proven that socialism/communism does not work at a scale larger than a small village?

[quietmike]

When a retired military man asks such a question, you have to wonder what was going through his mind when he took his oath.

[BG42EDGE]

Has history not proven that socialism/communism does not work at a scale larger than a small village?

Short answer is, no......history has proven the opposite.

Socialism has been very successful in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and other nations for hundreds of years.

People of Denmark have been voted the happiest in the world fairly often in recent years.

Communism, of course, is something different.......more like the followers of Jesus of Nazareth and some groups of 60s and 70s hippies--and it didn't work out so well.

[Codger_64]

Denmark is a constitutional monarchy. Sweden is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy. Finland is a parliamentary republic. Norway is a unitary parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy. What are the "others" which you claim are long lived successful socialist states?

[BG42EDGE]

Here's a link to some well-written observations about Denmark's Socialism from a guy who lived there for a year.

Quite interesting perspective, I think.

http://blogs.denmark.dk/winnon/2011/...ish-socialism/

[BG42EDGE]

More from the blog linked above:

I think the attainment of the American Dream, as a way to sum up our national ethos is still very much a driving factor for many Americans. And work is the way to achieve this dream, which is not something I have come across in Danish culture. Denmark has one of the highest employment rates, so it is not that Danes are lazy and don’t like to work, it’s just that work life is taken in moderation. But based on welfare structure, the U.S. has a liberal residual welfare model (but in practice is more pluralistic) which would mean you only get welfare assistance if you really need it. In Denmark, because of the high taxes, ranging from 40-60% which essentially helps maintain the universal welfare state, even the unemployed receive a high level of benefits as well as comprehensive retraining for new jobs.

This shows a lot of wisdom for a young guy.

Therefore, the welfare state in Denmark produces a sense of security and comfort that the U.S. does not have in terms of unemployment. Even maternity leave is about 12 months (paid) and paternity leave is an option. Overall, it seems to me that if you were to take a step back from the U.S. and Denmark, Danes work to live meaning work is meant to be scheduled around one’s life while Americans live to work meaning that life tends to be scheduled around one’s job. However, based on each country’s welfare models and socio-cultural values this might be quite relative. Could the U.S. learn something from Denmark and could Denmark learn something from the U.S.?

[BG42EDGE]

Another view.......against socialism.

http://robertreich.org/post/22542609387

[bulgron]

Today, France kicked their colorful Fascist President Sarkozy out of office and chose instead--a Socialist--Francois Hollande.

Ah, if only we in America could be so wise as the French.

Is it possible that America could elect a Socialist president one day?

If so.......how soon?

If socialism is so appealing to you, why don't you go ahead and move to France so you can live the dream? That way, you can be happy as the government takes the bulk of your labor (assuming you can even find a job or start a business), while us ignorant barbarians here in 'merica can stay behind and laugh at you being broke.

[Preacher Man]

Short answer is, no......history has proven the opposite.

Socialism has been very successful in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and other nations for hundreds of years.

People of Denmark have been voted the happiest in the world fairly often in recent years.

Communism, of course, is something different.......more like the followers of Jesus of Nazareth and some groups of 60s and 70s hippies--and it didn't work out so well.

Explain and substantiate please.

[Preacher Man]

Today, France kicked their colorful Fascist President Sarkozy out of office and chose instead--a Socialist--Francois Hollande.

Ah, if only we in America could be so wise as the French.

Is it possible that America could elect a Socialist president one day?

If so.......how soon?

I don't think so. Thinking France was wise in electing a socialist president is not a statement of fact, but a opinion based on political and ideological preference. My point is that conservatives and liberals see this differently, and neither group is homogeneous. Conservatives would clearly reject socialism, and while some liberals would receive it with open arms, moderate leaning liberals would not embrace full fledge socialism. So the answer is no, not for a long time. As long as the populations is more or less evenly distributed between conservatives and liberals, and a large percentage of both groups lean toward moderate positions, that is not going to happen.

[BG42EDGE]

Thinking France was wise in electing a socialist president is not a statement of fact, but a opinion based on political and ideological preference.

No, it's based on the fact that the Right-Winger had run their economy into the ground by cutting government spending way too much and too fast and now they have hit the second dip of a double dip recession due to his mismanagement.

Were they wise to get rid of that guy? Of course they were.

[BG42EDGE]

The followers of Jesus were socialists.

Explain and substantiate please.

Sure.

Acts Chapter 4:

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Things went swimmingly for a while at the commune.......then greed reared its ugly head and things changed.

The hippies ran into the same thing 1900 years later.

[Codger_64]

The followers of Jesus were socialists.

Sure.

Things went swimmingly for a while at the commune.......then greed reared its ugly head and things changed.

The hippies ran into the same thing 1900 years later.

So you are saying that socialism doesn't work. I agree. And as we are a Representative Constitutional Republic, only a major change in our constitution could facilitate our becoming a socialist republic, slick politicians aside.

[BG42EDGE]

We should all remember that socialism is much different from the communism that the followers of Jesus tried.

These definitions can be hard, which is why I posted the link to the Robert Reich article.

I think Reich usually has some good ideas and I like the way he picks socialism apart.

http://robertreich.org/post/22542609387

[jdm61]

Socialism hasn't existed for hundreds of years. I find it ironic that you wold try to sell Denmark on a knife forum. One of the better known knife makers in that country Jens Anso, cannot sell his one handed opener folders in his own country and had to get a weapons manufacturers permit to make them for sale outside of Denmark. Great place with happy people.

Short answer is, no......history has proven the opposite.

Socialism has been very successful in Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway and other nations for hundreds of years.

People of Denmark have been voted the happiest in the world fairly often in recent years.

Communism, of course, is something different.......more like the followers of Jesus of Nazareth and some groups of 60s and 70s hippies--and it didn't work out so well.

[jdm61]

More from the blog linked above:



This shows a lot of wisdom for a young guy.

I seem to recall that people voted for "security" in 1933 in the country right to the south of Denmark.

[jdm61]

The followers of Jesus were socialists.



Sure.



Things went swimmingly for a while at the commune.......then greed reared its ugly head and things changed.

The hippies ran into the same thing 1900 years later.

Actually, if you want to use a more modern example, the kibbutz movement worked pretty well, at least until the people started having children. I once heard someone say that socialism on works in cloistered religious orders and colonies of social insects. But that is wrong because both of those have VERY strict hierarchies and ultimately, an absolute ruler.

[jdm61]

Gee...i hope that goes as well for France as it did for Spain. Funny that the French were unhappy with the unemployment rate of 10% after 15 or so years of Gaullist "fascists" and look to the 25% unemployment rate in socialist Spain and Greece for inspiration.

Today, France kicked their colorful Fascist President Sarkozy out of office and chose instead--a Socialist--Francois Hollande.

Ah, if only we in America could be so wise as the French.

Is it possible that America could elect a Socialist president one day?

If so.......how soon?