If you think communism makes happy people, you are totally unaware of history.

No disagreement here.

But if you think west Europe is related to communism in any sense, you are totally unaware of western Europe. Social democracies are not, and have never been, stepping stones or slippery slopes toward communism. Communism is not socialism intensified, it is an entirely different thing.

And social democracies are only "social" in areas of caring for one another - they are still dedicated capitalist democracies, and would fiercely defend their capitalist freedoms.

We've been fed a bill of goods by big business lobbies that persuades us something terrible is happening in ...

If you think communism makes happy people, you are totally unaware of history.

No disagreement here.

But if you think west Europe is related to communism in any sense, you are totally unaware of western Europe. Social democracies are not, and have never been, stepping stones or slippery slopes toward communism. Communism is not socialism intensified, it is an entirely different thing.

And social democracies are only "social" in areas of caring for one another - they are still dedicated capitalist democracies, and would fiercely defend their capitalist freedoms.

We've been fed a bill of goods by big business lobbies that persuades us something terrible is happening in Europe, and the only way to prevent disaster is to trust business and shrink government. There is no evidence that backs it up. None.

So American productivity has grown by making workers work longer hours. European productivity has grown by modernization, resulting in more time with their families. Our economy isn't pro-family, it's pro-business.

Yes, communism does make people happy. The few small communities that enacted it have been very happy with it, and continue to use it to this day.

However if you're talking about Communism (big "C"); that's something completely different. There is no communism in Communism. Communism is just the left-wing flavour of Fascism (just as present day America is the right-wing flavour of Fascism). Places like the USSR, China and Cuba just use the label "communist", without truly embracing communism. They might have some socialist tendencies, but they are more authoritarian than left-wing.

Every one of those 10 happiest nations is a Social Democracy. Strangely enough, those nations are also the on...

Yes, communism does make people happy. The few small communities that enacted it have been very happy with it, and continue to use it to this day.

However if you're talking about Communism (big "C"); that's something completely different. There is no communism in Communism. Communism is just the left-wing flavour of Fascism (just as present day America is the right-wing flavour of Fascism). Places like the USSR, China and Cuba just use the label "communist", without truly embracing communism. They might have some socialist tendencies, but they are more authoritarian than left-wing.

Every one of those 10 happiest nations is a Social Democracy. Strangely enough, those nations are also the ones recovering from the global recession that the US caused the best, because they knew that unfettered Capitalism was poison for a nation, and the world.

Social Democracy is where you find true freedom, liberty and prosperity, not in a neofeudalistic country like the U.S.A.

Now let's see. OK, lets pretend that we now have socialism in this country. Everything you make is now evenly shared among your fellow man. How nice and generous. I bet you will work even harder and longer to help your neighbor who refuses to work as hard and long as you. This is sure to make you happy. Our country is the greatest nation that ever existed and it was all built on Capitalism, not socialism. Please go back and review history. Socialism nor communism work nor ever will. Do you know why? Each of us are looking out for ourselves. We are not willing to work hard to benefit someone else (on a permanent basis) unless they are working equally as hard and this will never hap...

Now let's see. OK, lets pretend that we now have socialism in this country. Everything you make is now evenly shared among your fellow man. How nice and generous. I bet you will work even harder and longer to help your neighbor who refuses to work as hard and long as you. This is sure to make you happy. Our country is the greatest nation that ever existed and it was all built on Capitalism, not socialism. Please go back and review history. Socialism nor communism work nor ever will. Do you know why? Each of us are looking out for ourselves. We are not willing to work hard to benefit someone else (on a permanent basis) unless they are working equally as hard and this will never happen. If you think I am wrong, why not go and give some of your money away right now and share your wealth. You do not need socialism to do that.

Only in uplifting your fellow man do you find true strength, and true achievement. What does it matter if you have more money than you know what to do with if your neighbours are losing their home and starving to death?

Socialism is about treating your fellow man like humans.
Capitalism is like treating your fellow man like cattle.

When a person's well being doesn't hinge only on the whims of mercurial bosses and the corrupt market, you're more productive, more creative and more innovative. When you're assured that taking risks won't utterly destroy your family, you have the confidence to start new ventures and invent new technology. In a Social Democracy, there are fewer people just worki...

Only in uplifting your fellow man do you find true strength, and true achievement. What does it matter if you have more money than you know what to do with if your neighbours are losing their home and starving to death?

Socialism is about treating your fellow man like humans.
Capitalism is like treating your fellow man like cattle.

When a person's well being doesn't hinge only on the whims of mercurial bosses and the corrupt market, you're more productive, more creative and more innovative. When you're assured that taking risks won't utterly destroy your family, you have the confidence to start new ventures and invent new technology. In a Social Democracy, there are fewer people just working to survive, but rather working to better the world for their fellow man. That's motivation. Being motivated just by greed was old hat in the 19th Century. It's no wonder the US is stuck behind the rest of the Western world in all areas of measure; it's social and financial system is right out of a Dickens' book.

So long as you have a system that rewards people for screwing your fellow man, people will continue to screw their fellow man. Break the cycle; put in a system that rewards people for helping their fellow man, and then you might begin to approach the 21st century.