Sta.sh
Who Owns What?
Socialism is the collective ownership by all the people of the factories, mills, mines, railroads, land and all other instruments of production.
Who Benefits?
Socialism means production to satisfy human needs, not as under capitalism, for sale and profit.
Who Runs Things?
Socialism means direct control and management of the industries and social services by the workers through a democratic government based on their nationwide economic organization.
Under socialism, all authority will originate from the workers, integrally united in Socialist Industrial Unions. In each workplace, the rank and file will elect whatever committees or representatives are needed to facilitate production. Within each shop or office division of a plant, the rank and file will participate directly in formulating and implementing all plans necessary for efficient operations.
Local and National Government
Besides electing all necessary shop officers, the workers will also elect representatives to a local and national council of their industry or service—and to a central congress representing all the industries and services. This all-industrial congress will plan and coordinate production in all areas of the economy.
Democratic Control
All persons elected to any post in the socialist government, from the lowest to the highest level, will be directly accountable to the rank and file. They will be subject to removal at any time that a majority of those who elected them decide it is necessary.
Such a system would make possible the fullest democracy and freedom. It would be a society based on the most primary freedom—economic freedom.
Individual Rights
For individuals, socialism means an end to economic insecurity and exploitation. It means workers cease to be commodities bought and sold on the labor market, and forced to work as appendages to tools owned by someone else. It means a chance to develop all individual capacities and potentials within a free community of free individuals. It means a classless society that guarantees full democratic rights for all workers.
What Socialism is--- and is Not
Socialism does not mean government or state ownership. It does not mean a closed party-run system without democratic rights. Those things are the very opposite of socialism.
"Socialism," as the American Socialist Daniel De Leon defined it, "is that social system under which the necessaries of production are owned, controlled and administered by the people, for the people, and under which, accordingly, the cause of political and economic despotism having been abolished, class rule is at end. That is socialism, nothing short of that." And we might add, nothing more than that!
Remember: If it does not fit this description, it is not socialism—no matter who says different. Those who claim that socialism existed and failed in places like Russia and China simply do not know the facts.
Socialism will be a society in which the things we need to live, work and control our own lives—the industries, services and natural resources—are collectively owned by all the people, and in which the democratic organization of the people within the industries and services is the government. Socialism means that government of the people, for the people and by the people will become a reality for the first time.
Socialism Never Tried
Socialism has never existed. It did not exist in the old U.S.S.R., and it does not exist in China. Socialism will be a society in which the things we need to live, work and control our own lives—the industries, services and natural resources—are collectively owned by all the people, and in which the democratic organization of the people within the industries and services is the government. Socialism means that government of the people, for the people and by the people will become a reality for the first time.
How We Can Get Socialism
To win the struggle for socialist freedom requires enormous efforts of organizational and educational work. It requires building a political party of socialism to contest the power of the capitalist class on the political field, and to educate the majority of workers about the need for socialism. It requires building Socialist Industrial Union organizations to unite all workers in a classconscious industrial force, and to prepare them to take, hold and operate the tools of production.
You are needed in the ranks of Socialists fighting for a better world—to end poverty, racism, sexism, environmental disaster and to avert the still potent threat of a catastrophic nuclear war.
When you put it like that you make it sound like we can create a perfect world, simply by adopting a different government ideology.
If it's possible I support it, but I'm pretty sure USSR, China, and North Korea are all failed examples of an attempted Socialist system, resulting in Communism. I'm well aware Socialism and Communism are completely different. I have to sigh whenever I hear them call themselves a "Democratic, Socialist People's Republic." Then again China is sortof "Communist." Why I use the "" is because it looks like they've taken to some pretty capitalist practices.
To me it sounds like a gamble. A gamble with world changing rewards if we succeed, but less than good results upon failure. Then again, USSR, China, and North Korea never really adopted or knew how to manage a democratic system where as United States and Canada have and do. I think we've got a better shot at it than the others, but, if you've ever read a novel where the hero has to slay a dragon in a dungeon where 10000 people have died before him trying to do the same, it wouldn't make me so confident to try my luck.
Ugh... I'm really trying to choose, but I'm stuck!!!
Note: I'm a highschool student who's almost failing Social Studies. If anything I say turns out to be incorrect, please point it out, but don't demolish me.
That only applies to A Republic state. And everyone gets what they need, doesn't work. People will be poor, no matter what you think, because the government will run everything. If you want to have it where the people have the power over the government you can't have the government dictate what you should have. It will just backfire on you and you'll be wishing that you guys didnt put these people in the government in the first place.
You can't compare Socialism without Communism. You just can't. The same thing goes with Fascism. You can't put them on the opposet side of the political spectrum. The political ideals of Communism, Socialism, and Fascism are one in the same. No matter what you think otherwise, they are still the same. Which is why I find this, pretty ironic. Because you are trying to say that Communism and Socialism are diffferent, and that both the U.S.S.R and China aren't socialism, when in fact everything that Socialism stands for are also the same belifs that Communism stands for.