I know they are different.
Communism requires a dictator and socialism just takes a little longer for the dictatorship to take hold. I think that's the dumbed-down version of what commonsense posted.

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

So is Europe heading the way for a dictator? Communism and Socialism, like all forms of government and economic systems have been skewed and used by bad apples to take control.

It is fact with any system. Using history as a statistic, it is very likely the US & Europe will retort back to radical ideas which will then be manipulated to further a select groups (usually the former elite) power.

Unless the current ruling elite actually redistribute the wealth through our system, that is, provide a ready access to food & water so as to lead to pursuits of other interest, then there will be no revolution. The real question is, will the US & EU revert to human patterns, or really make a difference and live up to what we are expecting?That is, world peace and free from the idea of the whole system collapsing.

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I'll tell you this no eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn
Nothing to kill or die for and no religion too
You may bury my body, down by the highway side,
so my old evil spirit can get a Greyhound bus and ride.

ha, and if a group of induviduals nominally out of government exercise control through limiting the language? Its still power and manipulation.

And you know what they say "First they came for the left-wing terms, and I said nothing as I was not a left-wing term" etc.

To be honest, anyone that relies on such imprecise terms is just being incredibly stupid.

IMO absolutely. Europe; where political parties have been banned, where free speech is prohibited far more than here. To make matters worse, the citizenry is not even armed to protect themselves from such a thing.

That is the nature of people with power. It almost always plays out that way. Communism and socialism gives more power to the government.

I just don't have much faith in all that. Rights slowly erode and we become apathetic sheep under these systems.

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

ROFLMNAO... Yeah... that's it, it's the bad apples, not the shifting sands on which the untenable ideology is set.

Europe will be a Islamic Republic inside two generations... It will be run on Sharia law and it will most likely become such without so much as a shot fired in protest... First because Europeans are disarming... while Muslims are arming. Second, Europe has saddled itself in the political correctness of the radicla left, where diversity is said to be a strength... these absurd notions are now entrenched int he public conscious and as Frodly will tell you what the majority feels is true, is true for the most part. Thus all there is to do, is for the Muslims to seat themselves in sufficient numbers as to pass the necessary legislation... Those who try to resist will be labeled racist xenophobes and the leftists will shrink from the fight mired in the intellectual filth of their own fallacious bilge.

Thus all Islam needs is the leadership... as the numbers are clear. As Christianity shrinks, Islam rises exponentially... Secularists will find the Islamic Mosque not quite as timid as the Christian Church, nor as eager to make friends in outside the Fold... Europe is done... but that's the nature of leftism, it dies as does its host.

The problem is the left has sucked the life from the US and there when we're gone, there will be no one to beg or shame to come to their rescue... thus their fate is sealed. Best train those Grandkids to kneel...

If you want to tar and feather fascism if it makes you feel better than feel free. And no one is making it illegal, which is entirely different. But slandering socialism in this country (or fascism), nope I have no problems with it.

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All you need to know about the energy crisis:
ANWR Exploration Republicans: 91% Supported. Democrats: 86% Opposed.
Coal-to-liquid R's: 90% YES. D's: 78% NO.
Oil Shale Exploration R's: 90% YES. D's: 86% NO.
Outer Continental Shelf Exploration R's: 81% YES. D's: 83% NO.
Increased Refinery Capacity R's: 97% YES. D's: 96% NO

SUMMARY: 91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of America’s own oil and gas. 86% of House Democrats have historically voted against.

Ronin, please go to http://www.politicalcompass.org and you will see much of what I am hinting at.

Please take the test, (please take the test before studying the potential results) your results will be better if you do not peek. I think you will find it illuminating. I assure you it is not tilted one way or the other. Whichever quadrant you end up in you will find at least a few particularly sticky questions that you will find a few questions you wish gave you a little more wiggle room. Go ahead and answer them anyway. They are supposed to be difficult to answer. Real life politics are like that and so should a test for politics. that I think it is a very intelligent test.

I have seen people from all over the political spectrum take that short test and come away pleased to have a name (and a list of philosophical and or political heroes) that match their own natural preference.

Unfortunately I have seen more than a few oblivious fascists ("fascists in denial" that already agree with most fascist ideals but that have thus far repudiated the moniker due to the negative historical stigma) take the test and decide afterwards that fascism and Nazism maybe aren't so bad after all.

I regret that will be the case for a large number of people here but I doubt they will be honest enough to share that information with us if they end up there.

Likewise I have seen people become perplexed to find that they are actually advocates of left or right wing libertarian anarchy and not the Republicans they always pictured themselves to be.

Anyhow enough about the test.

The point I was making is that many people here seem quite oblivious to the full spectrum of political thought.

Willfully painfully and intentionally ignorant I would say.

Indeed ignorant in a genuinely Orwellian way.

They see black and white only. They are such passionate obstinate advocates of not just free markets but (100% free markets) that they actually believe any thought even the tiniest bit to the left of their extreme right position is full blown bloody Communism.

The very concept of compromise is an anathema to them.

Most also tend to lean towards totalitarianism as well.

I only hoped that a few of you might entertain the idea that you do not already know all there to know about political philosophy.

I don't claim to know it all, not by a long shot.

But like a decent librarian would not claim to know everything contained in the books on the stacks still they are likely to have a good idea of where to go to find the information.

I think at least on that one count I am better qualified than many here.

I do not push any of you to the left, right, or center or to wards anarchy or towards totalitarianism. I only hope to present a few more perspectives for a few of you.

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It must be troubling to those for whom authority is the only truth when confronted by those for whom truth is the only authority.

I don't know what country you live in, but in the US there is nowhere near a 100% free market. Not even close. And most Republicans don't support that either. I find someone who supports socialism talking about compromise being anathema laughable. Compromise to a socialist is heavy restriction. But hey if you're from Europe enjoy your socialism, no skin off our nose. But we don't want that crap here.

__________________
All you need to know about the energy crisis:
ANWR Exploration Republicans: 91% Supported. Democrats: 86% Opposed.
Coal-to-liquid R's: 90% YES. D's: 78% NO.
Oil Shale Exploration R's: 90% YES. D's: 86% NO.
Outer Continental Shelf Exploration R's: 81% YES. D's: 83% NO.
Increased Refinery Capacity R's: 97% YES. D's: 96% NO

SUMMARY: 91% of House Republicans have historically voted to increase the production of America’s own oil and gas. 86% of House Democrats have historically voted against.

Hmm not sure about that compass. I'v seen it before, probably didn't like it then too much either. I just don't feel I dislike Capitalism that much. Interesting all the same.

Anyway -8.5 on economics, -5.03 on Social. Certainly I'm closest to Nader and then Gravel, so scores points there. Apparently I like Stalin's ideas but not how he implemented them...probably right.

I would like to expand on your post, F&L

I will try to explain the necessities of economics in preventing dictatorships. For this, let us examine the context of the recent Yugoslavia and Milosevic's rise to power.

After WWII, many of us know a plan was instituted called the Marshall Plan. The intent was to give all European nations, and others, antebellum reciprocities for the war (except fascist Spain).

The US/Britain/France were in control of western Europe, in general; and the USSR was in control of eastern Europe. This control was established for the intent of what we know as 'nation building'. While America contributed billions to the infrastructure of W. European nations, the Soviets refused the seemingly philanthropic gift (mainly for national pride and future propaganda backlash) and all countries in Eastern Europe inherently suffered from the faltering economy.

The US did this not completely along humanitarian lines. We did this for future economic stability - to create future trade revenue for our own economy. We also did this to prevent the rise of dictators from the shambles of destruction. Eastern Europe, the USSR's buffer zone, was left generally un-industrialized or at least negatively economized.

In this scenario, when the only hope for Yugoslavia was economic progress; Milosevic formed power from nationalism which called for hope in an intangible substance from the disorder of the region.

I think we can all agree a strong economy is key for a functioning government. No matter what the government, when finances are shorted, an absolutist takes the reigns. The question is not whether this type of person will assume leadership, but whether the absolutist will, in turn, become a despot.

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"We've been blowin up, we're the issue, we're ammunition" Switchfoot