I would agree that it can work on a limited basis.....a small population with the abilities of absolute control of fairness...but as society grows also...must the social structure of the leadership grow...placing opportunity for corruption into play....as the golden rule states....HE WHO HOLDS THE GOLD...MAKES THE GOLDEN RULES....in simple terms humans will be human...they will be tempted..when controlling the products of others labor without laboring themselves...they are tempted by the power that comes with this position..what at first was fair and just...becomes a dictatorship...as a time will come when....some one finds he/she does not want to step down from the position that they have been appointed to....appointed is the key term...not chosen by the majority but placed by the position of birth right or some other process....absolute power brings absolute corruption.

And I would further state that we here in the United States are already beginning to see the effects of socialism and its effect upon our government.......as they...for obvious reasons can not control our 3 part checks and balances of this democratic republic....they(communist) have found a legal loophole to gain this corruption....our court systems....as our legal system was set up to allow the people/states...to make laws that was not mentioned by specific language in our base document of absolute rights...the CONSTITUTION.....with this base as a foundation of all states within our system.....all other control to include the ability to make laws to care for each individual minor government(state)...is absolute...in fact to avoid any misunderstanding this right of the states/peoples was worded in specific language in art. 10 of the bill of rights to put to rest any challenge of this concept....now many years later as some are trying to morph our country and its society into a social platform...leading away from pure capitalism...they have found the one weak link in our type of government...its court system...which is controlled...not by the will of the people and the voting process but by political appointments...in fact lifetime appointments..with virtually no oversight....the final authority of our legal system the Supreme Court.....it is now facing corruption on a vast scale...as it has become the custom to dictate and alter law from the bench....instead of allowing the one branch of the government who's purpose is such....to do so...thus effectively amending even the constitution without the due process required by the constitution for such.....the will of the states/peoples. BD

Then couldn't the arguement also be made that capitalism also leads to communism, as seen in the social structure and what is happening in the United States today. By you own definition, capitalism is just the first step to communism, by Marx's theory.

It can...but due to the wisdom of our founding fathers....our system was set up....to control such....with its checks and balances....one branch keeps check on the other two....in theory......but until such time as an amendment is put into place to control the one rouge branch of our government....the legal branch......by placing term limits and oversight back into the hands of the people....there will always remain the chance of corruption. In fact our system is far from perfect...but many people make the error of assuming that we live in a pure democracy....that is wrong...in fact the only fair position in our type of government rests in the position held by the majority....as the "only" right we are guaranteed is the absolute right of representation...and in self defining fashion...the majority usually is the one that gets it way...as our system is set up to follow the will of the people...to even include the making of laws....in fact....any and all rights to civil liberties are given not by constitution..but by the will of the majority....why do you think it took so long for women to get the right to vote....or even slavery to be banned.... both violations of human rights today.....the words of the constitution have not changed...have they? Yet these practices of exclusion were around a long time after the constitution was ratified...were they not....these right were finally given by the peoples/states...in the form of amendment to the constitution...it is history.....a fact...not an opinion...as some would led you to believe....there is nothing fair and balanced about a democratic republic type of government...unless you rest in the only place in which it is....the position of the majority..........Some would argue that the bill of rights did away with this absolute power of the majority....but did they? All it would take is another amendment by the people to repeal...any other amendment...would it not...in fact it has been done before...has it not? What has changed? Nothing...the real power in this country still remains in the hands of the people/states....most are just to ignorant to realize this. BD

While I agree with you on term limits for the legal branch, I am not quite sure what it has to do with socialism.

Here is my stance: I do not believe in a complete capitalistic society, nor do i believe in a complete socialistic society. There are several problems with the social programs of today, part of which SHOULD have been fixed with welfare reform.

The problems with the capitalistic society I see today: The working class, middle America is finding it harder and harder to survive. They do most of the working, building of this country. While corporations rake in the money, and pay their CEO's outrageous amounts every year, the ones doing the work are losing more and more benefits. To top it off, the working class is being taxed so that money can be given in grants, tax rebates , ect to these corporations that pay their CEO's these outrageous sums.

As far as social programs: How do we honestly know if a program will eventually work? Every generation of new politicians either builds up, or breaks down the program. And Unfortunately, most of the programs getting cut are the ones that would lift people out of poverty, while the ones that survive are the ones that keep them in.

The sad fact is....it does not matter what you believe or want...unless it also is the position of the majority. BD

You cant see how placing certain people on the bench that support the socialist/communist platforms....could alter the legal rules of laws...thus dictating their will to the people......a prime example would be the famous decision that allowed "ABORTION" to become the law of the land...when for 197 years this right rested with the states to make laws regarding such mundane things as the right to life.....up until this point in time...1973....people by majority just assumed that the right to life was absolute and God given....that is until the supreme court...without the will of the people...amended the definition of....just exactly what does it mean to be alive...thus they placed a legal concept into place....even controlling definition as to who has the right to live.....some do not if they by court definition are defined as not being alive until they stick their head out form the birth canal...when in all common sense reasoning....the "life cycle" begins when gestation starts. BD

I would be happy to discuss the role of the Supreme Court in another thread.

What do you see should be the role of socialism and capitalism in the United States?

>>>Go beat your wife, buttplug.

>>>For that matter, Christ and his disciples were socialists.

The only platform that I would endorse would be the will of the people....there is nothing wrong in social programs....but there is very much wrong in social rule by government...they are in fact two different positions...that many confuse and merge into one....thinking that one requires the other....it does not....one requires the will of the people.....and other makes laws for the good of the people but just what they determine to be the good of the people...without even asking the people...what do you think....in other words the government knows better than the people just what is best for them.....a lie of perception. BD