QUESTION: Can you have Democracy with a Communist Economic System?

Yes you can!

The idea that capitalism and democracy go hand-in-hand is not true. I general look at the Western democracies tells us of a leftward/socialist trend away from capitalism. This movement will probably taper off somewhere so we (hopefully) get an accepatable mix of capitalist freedom with certain levels of social welfare. I think we are starting to see some counter-socialist policies already taking root in some of the flagging Western European states.

Conversely I suppose some form of democracy can exist in a centrally-planned economy. Just don't allow any bills on privatization. People can be allowed to vote between various Party officials and corresponding proposals about the allocation of resources.

 

If there is mixing and matching done, it would always be capitalism or a socialistic system with something else. Communism with anything never works.

 

You can certainly have a largely capitalist economic system with a non-democratic government. China has shown us that. And there are certainly democracies with a much higher level of government involvement in the economy than the US. The countries that typically rate the highest on the various standard of living scales are Canada and the northern European countries, so I’d humbly suggest that we are closest to the right balance.

The US can be a great place if you have money, but overall your system hasn’t rated that high for some time. I’m not sure why US hasn’t adapted more of the policies that have been shown to be successful elsewhere, like universal health care for example. I suspect that it’s because your system only really allows wealthy people to run for office, from either party, so it’s understandable I guess that they maintain polices that are good for them but not good for a large percentage of Americans.

 

The US is very different from Canada and Northern European countries in the fact that we have a huge number of poor immigrants (legal and nonlegal) streaming into the country every year. I can't imagine a nationalized healthcare system becoming anything other than a spiraling cost center that social security is today. Canada and Northern European countries are much too small (population wise) to compare to the US in this regard imo. A nationoalized health care system in the US could also serve to be a huge negative for the world in general as drug innovation in this country could be curtailed due to retail price caps a la Canada.

 

Socialism and Democracy can mix together quiet nicely, yes.

There are a few socialist democracies out there. I have always thought that the best way to go is a healthy mix of socialism and capitalism, which seems to be where most Western democracies (with advanced economies) are heading, including the USA.

There is no doubt that illegal immigration hurts the possibility of this country having anything resembling a national health care program.

How about this? Scratch the national health care program, and instead significantly cut down the cost of college education.

 

democracy + free trade = America
democracy + socialist = France, Netherlands, Sweden
authoritarian + free trade = singapore, fascist Italy, certain parts of China
authoritarian + socialist = North Korea, former soviet union

 

Absolutely (although I think the use of the word "communism" may color the debate).

Capitalism sucks. For 200 years it did what its adherents said it would - worked as a progressive force in society and culture. But now, it has become an impediment to the realization of the ideals it was connected with in the first place. There is no 'invisible hand.'

Capitalism, and the resulting mentality where everything must make a profit, is corrupting democracy now, not furthering it. I believe that, in order for democracy to survive in the U.S. (and it is becoming an endangered system), it must be divorced from capitalism and the so-called 'free market.' I think we need a separation of business and state.

I'm not espousing communism at all (generally, people believe you're a communist if you oppose capitalism - but there are far more ideas in the world than just those two). Communism has been proven to be impractical. But, so has Capitalism - we just haven't realized it yet.

 

Yes, but they somehow manage to convince the poorest Americans that it's good for everyone. Trickle-down bull****.

 

GREAT post! Very thought provoking. Are you basing this on any current reading you’re doing? I’ll give more thoughts on this later.

 

I don't understand this point of view. Can you define what capitalism is?

If we outlaw capitalism - would we be outlawing private ownership and the right to barter?

I suppose in other words - where does the concept of capitalism as a social evil begin? Mom and pop hardware stores? At the "corporate" level?

 

They are necessary to each other and ALWAYS go together.

 

For me, it is when businesses are allowed to influence government to the detriment of the people.

Money has become like a religion to a lot of people and, like religion, profit seeking businesses should be separated from the government.

 

i think you can have democracy with communism.


i don't think you can have the United States Constitution with communism.

 

Grizzled...with all due respect...our "system hasn't rated that high for some time?"

what system are you talking about? seems that the only system to be considred in this analysis is the economic system, itself. whose economy is more productive than the United States? if there are any, they are few.

 

Install nationalized ID system if that is what takes to take illegal immigrants out of the system. I doubt that is the reason that national health care reforms failed last time. The reason is because it is against the established interest groups in the health care fields.

 

careful..that's the strongest birth control around, right now.

 

Doesn't matter what system you have, business have always influenced government, don't think you will be able to change that, ever.

 

A Constitutional Amendment that prohibited corporate funds from being given to politicians would be a great start.

 

i agree with you, andy. but deepblue's point is ENTIRELY correct.