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From: josh@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU (J Storrs Hall)
Newsgroups: net.politics.theory
Subject: Re: Newsflash! [Subsidized Education]
Message-ID: <3594@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>
Date: Mon, 9-Sep-85 20:52:53 EDT
Article-I.D.: topaz.3594
Posted: Mon Sep  9 20:52:53 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 10-Sep-85 09:17:05 EDT
Reply-To: josh@topaz.UUCP (J Storrs Hall)
Distribution: na
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 39

>[Berman]
>There are two points of view on ideologies and policies.  JoSH thinks 
>that as the first thing an average person/politician/bissnessman 
>establishes a philosophical basis of his opinions.  Subsequently, 
>his/her actions are guided by the chosen ideology.

No.  I think that some politicians are this way, but that most people,
most politicians included, are not explicitly aware of the ideology
they are exercising.  A businessman may profess the free market,
but will nevertheless call for protectionism.  His "true" ideology
is mercantilism.  

>Of course, the prevaling ideologies, together with traditions, have
>their impact.  One may point that in countries without democratic
>traditions, like Russia, China, Yugoslavia, socialist ideology yielded
>a dictatorship, while in Sweden, with its democratic tradition, 
>there was no tendency toward dictatorship.

You probably don't realize this, but in the latter part of the nineteenth
century, free market ("libertarian") ideas were the ruling orthodoxy 
in most of Scandinavia.  This was due to a large influence on the
intellectual elite there by the French politician/writer Bastiat.

>  I noticed that JoSH used the term "command economy ideology" instead
>of "socialism".  In fact, it is difficult to pinpoit any general
>ideology of this kind.  Moreover, in his previous postings, JoSH
>referred to socialism (it was such a posting which I objected to
>in a "stupid and malicious" fashion).
>Piotr Berman

The terms are more-or-less interchangeable as far as I'm concerned,
but arguments abound.  Is a Nazi a socialist?  He claims to be...
How about a Fascist?  Russia also claims to be Socialist.  Whatever
its precice boundaries, Socialism is a command economy ideology.
So are Communism, Fascism, Nazism, and numerous others.  I will
allow you to call yourself by whatever label you wish, but a rose by
any other name...

--JoSH