Are there any other proud socialists here on RP, or the military in general? And why are we so rare amongst service members and veterans?

PFC Harry Leuchen — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 20:23:35 -0400

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 19 at 2016 8:25 PM

LTC Private RallyPoint Member — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 20:25:13 -0400

Wow.

Response by CPT Jack Durish made Oct 19 at 2016 8:25 PM

CPT Jack Durish — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 20:25:10 -0400

Socialism defies common sense. It sounds appealing to intellectuals who are unencumbered by this valuable commodity. Service members, at least living ones, tend to have more common sense than most. After all, you're not going to survive long if you go in harms way without it.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Oct 19 at 2016 8:32 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 20:32:09 -0400

Too Many Here don't Understand that all forms of Government are "Socialist" it is just a matter of what Kind of Socialism you accept, Which Social Group Benefits from that form of "Socialism" From the Far Right Wing Socialism of the Nazi Party to the Far Left of the Communist Party to the Moderate Social Democrats of Most of Northern Europe. "The Opposite of Socialism is not Capitalism, The Opposite of Socialism is Anarchy, No Government."

Response by Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS made Oct 19 at 2016 8:32 PM

Sgt Aaron Kennedy, MS — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 20:32:15 -0400

"The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money [sic]" - M. Thatcher

Full Quote (5 February 1976):

(Llew Gardner for Thames Television's This Week) Q: There are those nasty critics, of course, who suggest that you don't really want to bring [the Labour Party] down at the moment. Life is a bit too difficult in the country, and that ... leave them to sort the mess out and then come in with the attack later ... say next year.

(Prime Minister Margeret Thatcher) A: I would much prefer to bring them down as soon as possible. I think they've made the biggest financial mess that any government's ever made in this country for a very long time, and Socialist governments traditionally do make a financial mess. They always run out of other people's money. It's quite a characteristic of them. They then start to nationalise everything, and people just do not like more and more nationalisation, and they're now trying to control everything by other means. They're progressively reducing the choice available to ordinary people.

Response by Alan K. made Oct 19 at 2016 8:40 PM

Alan K. — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 20:40:01 -0400

Words fail me.....!

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Oct 19 at 2016 9:18 PM

CAPT Kevin B. — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 21:18:34 -0400

Since MILs are required to support and defend the Constitution, that should be the first hint. We for the most part have set up shop as a Commercial Republic. History is an interesting thing. It's a far stretch from Socialism however you define it. So we have a lot of history, a lot of living, and as a culture. a dislike of things too far off the original mark. That's not to say we aren't closer to Socialism than we were 50 years ago. We are. I'd suggest for those who are curious about what the next steps look and feel like is to take a trip over to Europe and hang around for a while. Uber liberal types are happy to have government take care of things so they don't have to think. Belgian is a perfect example of herd mentality that can't get a grip on being a haven for terrorists. We are starting to see pushback with the BREXIT as the EU charter started out as an economic consortium but the faceless elitists in Brussels have morphed it into something far more towards socialistic. BTW they're still fighting WW2 in certain aspects too.

Response by SFC George Smith made Oct 19 at 2016 10:37 PM

SFC George Smith — Wed, 19 Oct 2016 22:37:52 -0400

sorry ... but Socialist is only a Communist light weight... and a progressive is little more than a Light weight Socialist... and their expressed goal is to bringdown and destroy The United States as we know it ... and it has been that way for over 90 years... There is no room In the world for that form of government...

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 20 at 2016 9:22 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 09:22:19 -0400

IM here !!

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 20 at 2016 11:41 AM

SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 11:41:37 -0400

I for one am not a socialist, but the military is textbook definition of socialism..... LOL

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 20 at 2016 3:32 PM

SSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 15:32:53 -0400

Hey Mr. Non-verified. ..I..

Response by SFC Joseph Weber made Oct 21 at 2016 8:13 PM

SFC Joseph Weber — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 20:13:16 -0400

What makes you a socialist? Why are you proud of it?

Response by MAJ Keira Brennan made Oct 21 at 2016 10:11 PM

MAJ Keira Brennan — Fri, 21 Oct 2016 22:11:43 -0400

I am. I was enamored with the modern German SDP during my last tour in EUCOM IN 2009-2010. I fall very much in line with Bernie Sanders and the progressive wing of the DNC. Definitely a huge supporter of the safety net. What was so bloody interesting about the SDP and Greens has been how their agendas have proved so well both parties have very much worked themselves out of a job! I am all for a large multi party coalition government. And for the nay sayers this; the All Volunteer Military is the biggest freebie scam going. Free tuition above and beyond VA bennies. Same for spouses and SOME kids. Free housing. Free childcare, medical, subsidized groceries, world class MWR OCONUS and PACOM. Subsidized gas OCONUS. Free APO (what a scam). The list goes on and on. WE DESERVE the lowered retirement and a huge pay raise. But the '90s Army through today is quadi soxialism at its best! KpB

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 22 at 2016 8:49 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 20:49:05 -0400

I'd have to know how you defined a socialist. While I suspect that many on the right here believe I'm a socialist, I doubt a real socialist from the Socialist party would agree that I'm a socialist. What I believe in is a balance between socialism and capitalism that ensures everyone has an equal opportunity to succeed, but that still rewards excellence. A balance that encourages innovation and efficiency while also ensuring that corporations are operating for the good of society as a whole and not just stock holders.

One of the challenges is language. What many people call a socialist (Bernie Sanders for example) in this country isn't really a socialist.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 27 at 2016 12:19 PM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 27 Oct 2016 12:19:02 -0400

If you hold "Socialist" to have its conventional dictionary meaning, "Government ownership of the means of production," then no. If you hold it to mean government-mandated equality in outcomes (typically referring to financially but could mean more), then no.

But if instead you mean it as a government regulatory and enforcement apparatus to allow for a true commonwealth that takes care of the general welfare of its citizens through a significantly progressive taxation system, a single entity for access to things that should be human rights (medical care, basic nutrition, basic clothing, education through at least Baccalaureate degree or trade school levels, retirement pensioning), and an overall strong social safety net to catch those that fall no matter where they started, then yes I could be considered a socialist.

Response by PO1 James Campbell made Oct 30 at 2016 9:44 AM

PO1 James Campbell — Sun, 30 Oct 2016 09:44:45 -0400

I have no idea why anyone that lives on a country such as ours would want to be socialist, unless you are just lazy. Socialism may, in theory, be a utopia. It doesn't work though. The first settlers tried it and it failed. People didn't pull their weight. Look at the former USSR they failed because their people couldn't keep producing enough to keep up with countries like ours. North Koreans are starving to death and China is now a sudo-socialist country. Does our country need to take care of its underprivileged. Sure, but let's figure out a way to give them a hand up instead of a hand out. That is what makes a country better is making its people better. Not keeping them down. Socialism has no way of helping a person up, it just keeps them alive. In this country just being alive is not the American dream. Succeeding and bettering yourself is, at least the America I know. Wow!!!