Defense of you nation. Of your society. That seems obvious to me.

But here is the point; is it not a nation of people, a society of people, and it is through the people, primarily, that a nation or society has any relevance whatever? So I just dont get how 'child poverty is insignificant compared to...Defense' - the defence of a nation has utterly no meaning if not in consideration of defending the people of that nation. The only possible retreat to some sort of reason within that position would be to suggest that one is defending the child's right to poverty, but that would be very nearly as insane as the defence of a nation of buildings and property, with no people.

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"A man's work is nothing but this slow trek to rediscover, through the detours of art, those two or three great and simple images in whose presence his heart first opened."

socialist countries do quite well. There's no poverty because the government actually cares about the well-being of its citizens.

And you are telling me that Scandinavian people are all poor? right.

The next time I hear Scandinavia described as socialist I will hurt someone.
Learn the value of the "ic" suffix.
And you, for hearing "kekeke" on this forum, I'm gonna have to hurt you to.

There are a great many socialist programs in the U.S. Are you saying that they are not working?

Several northern European countries have found (partial) socialist models that do work rather well. They tend to be small, homogeneous societies with strong infrastructures. But even Sweden had to modify its model when things ran out of control. From what I understand, the modification is working rather well. But some of the countries are beginning to see cracks, as immigration and other things swell the rolls.

I'm not trying to be funny... I just don't understand your point here. You seem to be claiming that an exception (or one example) proves the rule.

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"Tweeter was a Boyscout before she went to Vietnam and found out the hard way... nobody gives a d@mn."

A big problem with this child poverty business is our SOCIALIST education system. It's been such a joke for so long that we have parents who we are trying to teach again in the "No child left behind" BS.

Education is the root of the problem in regards to poverty.

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Society is produced by our wants and government by our wickedness ~Thomas Paine

Poverty is not a problem in America. America's poorest people live better than a vast majority of the people on the face of this planet.

For an economy to function, there must be poor people.

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"Nothing is true. Everything is permitted." - Hassan-i-Saba

How so? I assume you mean that in relative terms (many would rather be "poor" here than "middle class" in many other places), but still... that's a new economic theory on me. Do you mean a global economy or a national economy?

I'm not trying to set a mousetrap. I've just never heard that expressed before. They do exist, but I don't see that they must exist.

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"Tweeter was a Boyscout before she went to Vietnam and found out the hard way... nobody gives a d@mn."

Socialism is not a true form of society, it is a transitional state from capitalism to communism;

http://www.communism.com/#faq

Communism/socialism has never existed. Now;

Cuba is not communist. It is a perverted version of communism, a feudal police-state that bears no resemblance to Marx's ideal. In true communism, there would be no dictator (as communism is a CLASSLESS society) but an open forum where parties representing the proletariat can put forth their ideas in order to influence the consciousness of the proletariat. Those ideas that the proletariat support are implemented; i.e. a democracy.

In a communist society, there would be no suppression of free speech, free thought, free movement/assembly etc. The only suppression would be that of the bourgeoise who would inevitably attempt to revert the nation back to capitalism, to a state where the proletariat are once again suppressed.

'Defence' (attack) would be irrelevant in a communist world as all people would be equal so there would be no need to fight. Indeed, there would be no borders to defend.

Correction;
For a CAPITALIST economy to function, there must be poor people

In a communist society, the wealth created by the proletariat will be shared out amongst the proletariat; "From each according to his ability, to each according to his need."[/quote]

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"I see no reason why...there should not arise a United States of Europe" Winston Churchill, 1946

First, maybe it would help if either (or both) of you would define poor in your own terms. Then, please tell me where this theory of necessary poverty is coming from.

I'm genuinely curious. Thanks.

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"Tweeter was a Boyscout before she went to Vietnam and found out the hard way... nobody gives a d@mn."