> I didn't mean to imply that 1917 Russia should be a model for the US today,
> or vice versa. But libertarian socialism can serve as a model, or at least
> a point of comparison, for any society.
It is unfair to compare a theoretical model of libertarian socialism with a society that really exists or did exist. Its too easy. I used to have this argument with right-wing libertarians in the university pub: "Socialism sucks" "But that wasn't real socialism. Capitalism really sucks." "But this isn't real capitalism." "of course it is real capitalism" "of course that was real socialism"
This is the no true Scotsman manoever. 1) no true Scotsman puts sugar in his oatmeal 2) Mcguinty puts sugar in his oatmeal ---- 3) Mcguinty is not a true Scotsman.
I guess my point is that socialists should not dismiss the fSU and other like countries as not-socialist, end of story. Socialistscan learn a lot from studying these countries. Any attempt to build socialism may encounter the same types of problems the Bosheviks ran into.
Sam Pawlett