Just a quote:

"Socialism means social justice and equality, but equality of rights, of opportunities, not of income." --Raul Castro, Cuban President, warning citizens to prepare for a reduction in government subsidies.

Maybe I'm a closet socialist

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"It is extremely difficult for our contemporaries to conceive of the conditions of free banking because they take government interference with banking for granted and as necessary"

-- Ludwig von Mises

Everybody is. Otherwise you're a completely selfish being, a total sociopath.

Really, I think it's a demonstration of how these words become pretty meaningless, pretty fast.

No joke. I still remember when socialism and capitalism were different.

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"It is extremely difficult for our contemporaries to conceive of the conditions of free banking because they take government interference with banking for granted and as necessary"

-- Ludwig von Mises

Personally, I have a bad habit of equating the term "socialism" with "humanism" and "populism." I gotta stop doing that.

Sort of like people who conflate "capitalism" with "democracy" and/or "freedom."

Why can't capitalism = freedom. Free markets > command economy?

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I think Raul's speaking more in terms of the idea behind socialism than the practice. Most countries have found the closest thing to this is a mixed economy that uses free markets instead of command economies, but with safety nets, regulation, and government support of human capital.
For the ideals of socialism to work requires a sustainable economy... which requires a free market.

But really it is the ideals that make things more than the economic system. While I'm skeptical of the idea that a laissez faire system will actually achieve the goals Raul speaks of... a communist government that loses sight of these ideas will do far worse.

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"Man lives in the sunlit world of that which he believes to be reality. But unseen by most is an underworld, a place that is just as real... but not as brightly lit... A DARK SIDE!"
-opening from Tales From the Darkside