[lbo-talk] Soros, Volcker, Depression, Nationalization

B. docile_body at yahoo.com
Sun Feb 22 19:00:08 PST 2009


"Public ownership of the means of production and means of subsistence" is how I always read the word "socialism."

That could mean worker-administrated, through unions or other organizations, with the public at large holding the ultimate "lien"; it could mean government-owned if the government is really democratic; it could also mean owned by federations of collectives, etc. I always think of the Albert Parsons (Chicago Haymarket martyr) quote that Anarchism is a type of socialism but not all forms of socialism are anarchism."

--OR: Should "socialism," like "populism," "libertarian," "anarchism," etc., etc., join the ranks of the words that are "now meaningless"?

If so, that list is getting awfully long. You have to communicate to people with words that mean something. Constant retreat is getting old.

-B.

Matthias Wasser wrote:

"Read literally, a planned economy in the hands of a democratic government, I think. But then other dictionaries substitute 'worker' for 'social,' et cetera, which would lead to broader definitions."

Chris Doss wrote:

"What the hell does that mean, practically speaking?"



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