Development of Classical Socialism and Capitalism Return to What You Should Know About 10/10/24 |
has collective ownership of economic factors of production and state management of equally distributed resulting production.
A Socialist
Utopia was Imagined by philosophers Early Application was based on the Socialism of Marx and Lenin. Socialism would advances over time into Communism. This 1875 slogan from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs made Communism popular. Their goal was a classless social system with the means of production under common ownership of and with full social equality of all members. A communist party-led state dominates the economy, spreads internationally, and leads the opposition to bourgeois democracy and capitalism. The Communism of Marxism–Leninism was then synthesized by Joseph Stalin who made it the official ideology of the Soviet Union. He introduces a highly centralized command economy controlled by the state. Under Stalin, Communism never developed although the state, like early capitalists, got almost all surplus production. Authoritarianism became the Soviet Union's political philosophy. Recent Application developed after WW in war torn Western Europe. The key characteristics were public ownership of key transportation and communication industries. It also has showed increased concerns and spent additional resources to help the disadvantaged.Note: Neoliberal economics was used by England's Margaret Thatcher in 1979 to dismantled England's brand of Socialism. She was followed, in much of Europe. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan followed her policies to reverser the social and regulatory concessions being won, often over the object of the Supreme Court. The expensive socialist programs of SS Medicare/Medicate and tax-expenditures were not only not touched- they were expanded. 19th Century Capitalism wealth was managed by owners wanting the highest capital return. They neglected the low return of social goods. Democratic Socialist believe this limited human possibilities. |
Classical Capitalism has individual ownership of economic factors of production with free competitive markets distribution of resulting production. Early Capitalism centered on Individual profit accumulation. Equality of wages was not a consideration because wealth was needed to power the process. Owners selling in a competitive market, determine investments and managing strategy. Profits control property and investment capital. Production will be for owners and not for government.
Early Application was the Capitalism
described by
Adam Smith. Not an ideology, intellectuals did not defend it until the 20th century when Hayek and Friedman, among others, did so. Smith believed Individual decisions, driven by self-interest, created wealth. Moral development, he argued in “The Theory of Moral Sentiments,” resulted from appropriate management,
Recent Application Mixed Economy developed in the United States in the late 19th century. Being a Republic, the people decided the economic the distribution of wealth. Phase 1 had the people slowly took more control value created by demanding health, safety and wage concession from Gilded Age capitalists. Phase 2 was a response to the Great Depression. FDR forced a public/private partnership to help the unemployed-farmers, began the regulation of banking-finance, and created a safety net system led by social security. Phase 3 had LBJ adding to Medicare and Medicaid. Neoliberal economists led the fight to remove many the mixed economy regulations designed to limit middle class suffering and they also cut back on safety net programs. These attempts failed and the Great Recession may begin a new phase. |
Allocation of Capital
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Profit Allocates Capital
Source Basic Characteristics of Capitalism
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Sooth US Political Fractures
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Both Systems Have Unhappy Voters Why?
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Do We Have Enough Socialism? |
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Program | Definition | Who Benefits from Most to Least | Problems |
Concerns |
Medicare | Subsidized healthcare for the elderly |
All benefit are the same,
high income earners pay most |
Required additional
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Longer life, especially for poor people who now also have subsidized health care, will increases cost. Free cases poorer health. Solutions, later eligibility, less coverage, higher deductibles currently not acceptable to electorate. |
Social Security | Retirement income, partial at 62, max at 70, | Low income earners receive ha higher investment return, some receive death and spousal benefits See Table 1 and Table 3 | Deficit
concerns until
baby boomers die, retirement age raised or young people vote. SS Benefits are 100% Secure bur their real value depends on economic success.. |
Solution just time or later retirement but politicians will not act until forced by electorate Increased negative cash flow should add political pressure. |
Tax Expenditures | Legal deductions and exemptions from income decrease tax collections | Employee sponsored health insurance,401K, long-term capital imputed rental income, mortgage interest, earned income tax credits, deferred income from controlled foreign corporations Table 2 |
Tax payers don't
appreciate
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Solution of decreasing them by a third is unacceptable to electorate though this would have increase tax collections $400 billion in 2015 when the deficit was $439 billion. |
See
How Republicans Accidentally Caused
Conservatism vs. Progressivism
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Quarrel
between a Federalist and a Republican
See Decision 2020 Socialism |