GenSeneca
Well-Known Member
10 Planks of The Communist Manifesto
1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes.
While Private Property has not yet been abolished outright, and not all rents of land go to public purposes, government regulates every aspect of private property and the taxes they collect do go for public purposes.
While its tough to put a % on this... I'd put it around 30% accomplished - since thats the amount of US land actually owned by the Government.
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
The UN has the US ranked number one for a Progressive tax... and yet people (mostly Democrats) still demand that it be more progressive - claiming the "Rich" still don't pay their "fair share"...
100% accomplished.
3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
Conservatives call it a Death Tax, Democrats call it an inheritance tax or estate tax... either way, once you die, you owe 50% of your financial worth to the Government - You are quite literally taxed for dying. We are 50% of the way to fulfilling #3, but give it time... Politicians will eventually demand it be raised.
4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
This takes place in many areas of our government, DEA, IRS, ATF, just to name a few, as well as Imminent Domain laws and the War on Drugs, all have the power to seize - without proper due process - the assets, holdings and other private property of individuals. 100% accomplished.
5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
Remember the bailouts? You didn't read the actual legislation did you... well it clearly centralized the banks under the complete control of the federal government - effectively nationalizing the banking system and ensuring a government monopoly. 100% accomplished.
6. Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State.
Want to start a newspaper, Radio station, or other form of communication? You will have to go through the government because its all been centralized and your required to follow their dictates in order to open or operate a means of public communication. Same is true for the means of transportation.
With the exceptions of riding a bicycle and posting on the internet... we are about 90% of the way to fulfilling #6 - and Democrats are proposing legislation that will force Bloggers to comply with the same regulations and subject to the same taxation that other media outlets are subject to following.... How long till they propose taxes and regulations on Bicycle ownership and operation? Give it time...
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
Departments of Commerce and Labor, Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Mines, National Park Service... the list goes on but they all serve the same basic purpose outlined in #7 of the manifesto.
However, and this is the clever technicality of Democrat Socialists, rather than the state "owning" these entities outright, they use regulations to control every action and operation taken by these entities - Considering the power of the government to regulate and control the individuals and entities in question, I'd give this one a 99% accomplished rating - with the remaining 1% as "ownership" that the individual can still claim to maintain. (whats the point of owning something when government controls every aspect of its operation?)
8. Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
Executive order 11000 is the most powerful of all the laws that have fulfilled the requirements to mark #8 off the list as being accomplished, but its supposed to only be used during national emergencies... The rest of the time we have minimum wage laws, unions and their contracts, the Department of Labor, and a long list of other government departments and government, as well as private, entities and agencies that fulfill #8 - 100% accomplished.
9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country.
What this boils down to is central planning. The departments of Agriculture, Labor, Interior, and a slew of others at the federal level, provide regulations that accomplish #9. At the more local and state levels, you have zoning laws that dictate where you can do what with the land and resources that are available. 100% accomplished.
10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.
Check, check and check! I hope the first two don't need explanation but you may not recognize the last one... just think of trade schools. Here in south western Ohio, we have the "Oaks" which are a system of schools that combine education with industrial skills. Their final years of education include on the job training/apprenticeship in their chosen field. While I'm not suggesting any or all 3 of the things in #10 to be "bad", we have certainly accomplished them 100%, and Marx would be proud.
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So to all who say that the definition of "Socialism" is state ownership of the means of production (I'd argue that definition is more accurately applied to Communism) I ask you: How much of the Communist Manifesto must we fulfill before you understand that Socialism is not just the state owning things?
1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes.
While Private Property has not yet been abolished outright, and not all rents of land go to public purposes, government regulates every aspect of private property and the taxes they collect do go for public purposes.
While its tough to put a % on this... I'd put it around 30% accomplished - since thats the amount of US land actually owned by the Government.
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
The UN has the US ranked number one for a Progressive tax... and yet people (mostly Democrats) still demand that it be more progressive - claiming the "Rich" still don't pay their "fair share"...
100% accomplished.
3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance.
Conservatives call it a Death Tax, Democrats call it an inheritance tax or estate tax... either way, once you die, you owe 50% of your financial worth to the Government - You are quite literally taxed for dying. We are 50% of the way to fulfilling #3, but give it time... Politicians will eventually demand it be raised.
4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels.
This takes place in many areas of our government, DEA, IRS, ATF, just to name a few, as well as Imminent Domain laws and the War on Drugs, all have the power to seize - without proper due process - the assets, holdings and other private property of individuals. 100% accomplished.
5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
Remember the bailouts? You didn't read the actual legislation did you... well it clearly centralized the banks under the complete control of the federal government - effectively nationalizing the banking system and ensuring a government monopoly. 100% accomplished.
6. Centralization of the means of communications and transportation in the hands of the State.
Want to start a newspaper, Radio station, or other form of communication? You will have to go through the government because its all been centralized and your required to follow their dictates in order to open or operate a means of public communication. Same is true for the means of transportation.
With the exceptions of riding a bicycle and posting on the internet... we are about 90% of the way to fulfilling #6 - and Democrats are proposing legislation that will force Bloggers to comply with the same regulations and subject to the same taxation that other media outlets are subject to following.... How long till they propose taxes and regulations on Bicycle ownership and operation? Give it time...
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the state, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan.
Departments of Commerce and Labor, Department of Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Mines, National Park Service... the list goes on but they all serve the same basic purpose outlined in #7 of the manifesto.
However, and this is the clever technicality of Democrat Socialists, rather than the state "owning" these entities outright, they use regulations to control every action and operation taken by these entities - Considering the power of the government to regulate and control the individuals and entities in question, I'd give this one a 99% accomplished rating - with the remaining 1% as "ownership" that the individual can still claim to maintain. (whats the point of owning something when government controls every aspect of its operation?)
8. Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for agriculture.
Executive order 11000 is the most powerful of all the laws that have fulfilled the requirements to mark #8 off the list as being accomplished, but its supposed to only be used during national emergencies... The rest of the time we have minimum wage laws, unions and their contracts, the Department of Labor, and a long list of other government departments and government, as well as private, entities and agencies that fulfill #8 - 100% accomplished.
9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of population over the country.
What this boils down to is central planning. The departments of Agriculture, Labor, Interior, and a slew of others at the federal level, provide regulations that accomplish #9. At the more local and state levels, you have zoning laws that dictate where you can do what with the land and resources that are available. 100% accomplished.
10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.
Check, check and check! I hope the first two don't need explanation but you may not recognize the last one... just think of trade schools. Here in south western Ohio, we have the "Oaks" which are a system of schools that combine education with industrial skills. Their final years of education include on the job training/apprenticeship in their chosen field. While I'm not suggesting any or all 3 of the things in #10 to be "bad", we have certainly accomplished them 100%, and Marx would be proud.
--------------------------------------------------
So to all who say that the definition of "Socialism" is state ownership of the means of production (I'd argue that definition is more accurately applied to Communism) I ask you: How much of the Communist Manifesto must we fulfill before you understand that Socialism is not just the state owning things?