A better example would be a family. Mum, Dad, little Joey and the dog.

Dad works all day to bring home the bacon. Mum works all day too, making dinner, cleaning, laundry etc. Little Joey just plays in the backyard.

Now... from a purely greed capitalist view, is it really fair that Mum, Joey and the dog get fed at all? Where's their paycheck to show that they are deserving?

Mum of course does her bit for the good of the WHOLE family and she works hard, so of course she should be fed, right? What about little Joey? Joey is an asset. He has potential. He's nurtured and cared for and he too, will contribute, when he's able. (Mowing the lawn, walking the dog etc.) But surely that mooching lit...

A better example would be a family. Mum, Dad, little Joey and the dog.

Dad works all day to bring home the bacon. Mum works all day too, making dinner, cleaning, laundry etc. Little Joey just plays in the backyard.

Now... from a purely greed capitalist view, is it really fair that Mum, Joey and the dog get fed at all? Where's their paycheck to show that they are deserving?

Mum of course does her bit for the good of the WHOLE family and she works hard, so of course she should be fed, right? What about little Joey? Joey is an asset. He has potential. He's nurtured and cared for and he too, will contribute, when he's able. (Mowing the lawn, walking the dog etc.) But surely that mooching little mutt is no good to anyone? Well, I beg to differ. He guards the house, he plays with little Joey, he brings love and comfort and fun to the family. So in "normal" families, ALL are fed. No?

Would the family be better off, if Dad hoarded all the money to himself? Would they prosper and be happy? Hardly. A family is a *socialist* unit. Everyone does their bit for the good of the WHOLE family, not just for the one's bringing home the bacon. So should it be in a society.

To continue my example in the *spirit* of the clipped material:

Joey grows up and is now a teenager, a young man. He lays around all day playing video games and totally empties the fridge, when he gets the munchies. (Like the lazy-arse students in the economy class above.) Is that fair to the family? Do you think the family will just smile all goofy and keep on putting out, when he puts nothing back? Of course not. They'll say "GET A JOB!". They'll explain to him the benefits (to himself, as well as to the family and wider community) of doing that and contributing. (I guess explaining that wasn't part of the economy class curriculum) Then he can help pay the (collective) rent. He can...

To continue my example in the *spirit* of the clipped material:

Joey grows up and is now a teenager, a young man. He lays around all day playing video games and totally empties the fridge, when he gets the munchies. (Like the lazy-arse students in the economy class above.) Is that fair to the family? Do you think the family will just smile all goofy and keep on putting out, when he puts nothing back? Of course not. They'll say "GET A JOB!". They'll explain to him the benefits (to himself, as well as to the family and wider community) of doing that and contributing. (I guess explaining that wasn't part of the economy class curriculum) Then he can help pay the (collective) rent. He can get that car he's got his eye on, (a good grade) or a new X-box, or other INCENTIVES. The family might even GIVE him college money to go off to school and better himself. (How very socialist of them.) Or, they might HELP him find a job, by asking around, Maybe the garage down the road needs some help? Or maybe they'll HELP him write good applications etc.

IF then Joey by choice still decides to not pitch in, what will happen? Is the *socialist* family stupid enough to keep paying for Joey all his life? Of course not. Dad will eventually kick him out of the house and say, "Okay... we've given you all the chances and HELP and pocket money we can, but now you're on your own. That's your CHOICE, but you are not going to be *drain* on the family anymore! Grow up!"

Social democracies do the same. Help and nurture and SHARE and provide incentives and instill a sense of community (family). We're all in this together. Then it is up to the individual to do his bit, or go his own ways. And he is FREE to do so and the rest of the family goes on and continues to prosper. (What's for dinner, Mom? .)

Joey had HELP and *hand-outs". He also had choices.. (Had Joey been handicapped or sick, of COURSE he would never be kicked out, though.)

This isn't rocket science, people.

Oh, just in case it IS rocket science to some, I'd better explain:

Dad represents the "rich". The capitalists. The money men.

Mum represents the hard-working, but always under-appreciated middleclass, though it's her that keeps the homebase in order and the cogs oiled.

Joey represents the up and coming generation. The young.

The dog represents artists, songwriters, painters and poets.

The family represents society as a whole.

Get it? .

I'd better stop spamming your clip now, mountainpalm, sorry about that. .

People need to take a wider view of social democracy (which is what Obama is trying to do, not socialism,) and what it means exactly. It's not about the political way a soci...

Oh, just in case it IS rocket science to some, I'd better explain:

Dad represents the "rich". The capitalists. The money men.

Mum represents the hard-working, but always under-appreciated middleclass, though it's her that keeps the homebase in order and the cogs oiled.

Joey represents the up and coming generation. The young.

The dog represents artists, songwriters, painters and poets.

The family represents society as a whole.

Get it? .

I'd better stop spamming your clip now, mountainpalm, sorry about that. .

People need to take a wider view of social democracy (which is what Obama is trying to do, not socialism,) and what it means exactly. It's not about the political way a society is run (which can be totally capitalistic) it's about how you choose to use that capitalism.

I'm done... for now.