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Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!rochester!gary
From: gary@rochester.UUCP (Gary Cottrell)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame
Subject: Re: rabbit!jj on socialism
Message-ID: <2919@rochester.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 14-Sep-83 10:27:30 EDT
Article-I.D.: rocheste.2919
Posted: Wed Sep 14 10:27:30 1983
Date-Received: Thu, 15-Sep-83 01:11:47 EDT
References: <1923@rabbit.UUCP>
Organization: U. of Rochester, CS Dept.
Lines: 25

rabbit!jj's comments deserve some small response:

>Every government that has tried socialism has failed in one
>way or another.  Either they have turned into a dictatorship
>(via one of several paths, some 'socialist' places never were,
>no doubt) or they have failed by violent revolution. 
><Some, alas, with help from the USSR or the US.)

Need I mention Sweden and England?

>Why did they fail?  The simple reason is the fundamental
>fallacy of socialism, namely that all people will act in an
>'enlightened' manner, and continue to produce/act responsibly
>when they can slack off.

Slacking off probably won't work in say, Nicaragua, where the philosophy is
"Those who don't work, don't eat". (with exceptions for those unable to work
for reasons beyond their control.)

> The very premise of socialism requires that you
>assume that the state is perfect and obey it without question.

No, this is the premise of dictatorship, not socialism. You seem to have the
two confused.