socialism and democracy

Socialism is Democracy

Socialism to exist must put decision-making power to make decisions directly in the hands of all the people without distinction. Economically this power to decide should be in the hands of the direct producers i.e. the workers.  Politically this power is in the hands of all people as members of the same communities. Ethically democracy means simply we are our sisters’ and brothers’ keeper and they are ours. Mutual aid is founded upon a profound sense of empathy. We humans have an imagination that allows feeling the joy and the pain of others, even if we never had the same experiences. Sympathetic understanding then is empathy founded upon real and empirically gathered facts collected and analyzed based upon systematic theory and rigorous methodology. Through close historical analysis we come to understand how relations of exploitive inequality mature and change as well who benefits and who suffers.

In this process we can examine the philosophical schools in their cultural and historical environment and the resources available to either support or challenge the established ideology. Traditions are establish in the deeps roots of our psychological identity to create and sense of continuity in spite of the fact requires continual reinterpretations of the originating customs. New clarifications to new challenges then are masked in the heritages of our recurrent uniqueness. The only persistence is transformation looking as if things never really change.

Even reform and revolution that attempts to change all this establishes for itself its’ own historical identity. But the problems are changing so are the solutions. The historical identities give us reserves to draw upon in daily struggles.

Because the situation is always changing, no matter how conservative or radical, the understanding has also been transformed. Either conventional or reformist the changes going on in our daily lives express our estimation of events. When all faith in the current set of social relations has been shattered then reform becomes revolution.

Eventually the accomplishment or disappointment of a faith, way of life or worldview is both a practical and an important inquiry. This set of theories then guide our actions. Actions that stand in opposition to people with other interests and agendas are the stuffs politics is made of.

The democratic transition from capitalism to socialism of real equality and direct participation into those decisions’ affecting our lives could only be carried by an by democracy that is expanding from political to economic and then social. Connecting all the working people increasingly in every segment of all public social life, by the unequivocal contribution and authority the direct producers i.e. wage and salary workers.

The poor have suffered enough. Labor creates all wealth. Those who work the hardest remain poor and outside the rewards of the national economy. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of gamblers, investors, bandits and frauds. These speculators, gamesters, thieves and charlatans steal the wealth created by the poor.

Having said that individuals are not the enemy, but social arrangements and economic logic of bottom lines and profits rather than production for social needs. Even good people become criminals when investments are independent of helping the poor. In investment markets large amounts of liquid capital moves from lower profits to higher with out concern for the social ethics of the specifics.

We all need to start working on issues like ending poverty, creating an ethical economy based on human needs not profits. Creating a sustainable stewardship of our lands and their resources. Sharing a common humanity and respect for life in general. Thank you Francis

It is the poor who through their toil who provide us with the needed means to live a bearable life. It is because of the poor that others have their wealth. We owe the poor.

People are poor and poverty is fact of everyday life. This is not a reality of unpreventable circumstances or fate. A poor person’s life is not an impersonal existence given by destiny nor is it deserved. The non-poor people are not morally faultless. Poor people are the result of a planned arrangement in which we all except the poor benefit. If we say nothing we are all in part responsible because of our lack of disapproval. The outsourced workers, the day laborers, the undocumented and the sweatshop laborers are the poor who create to wealth of the few. These, the poor are oppressed and exploited groups of wage earning chattel. They are robbed of the wealth they create, deprived of the result of their employment and debased of their basic humanity. Those who invest in hedge funds, derivatives, daily stock exchange in which large amount of liquid capital flows benefiting only the few are seen, as legal business types not criminals. This is immoral. We are not asking for more welfare, but an economy that is democratic and moral. Every job is important and having pride in our work and the important service we provide is our reward. Production for the greater social good is respectable. Everyone deserves a decent and comfortable income independent of the specifics of the job. What then is the difference between criminal activities for ill-gotten gain and the profit margin as the bottom line?

Returning to South America, pope says countries owe debt to their poor.

The poor have suffered enough.  Labor creates all wealth. Those who work the hardest remain poor and outside the rewards of the national economy. Wealth is concentrated in the hands of gamblers, investors, bandits and frauds.  These speculators, gamesters, thieves and charlatans steal the wealth created by the poor.

Having said that individuals are not the enemy, but social arrangements and economic logic of bottom lines and profits rather than production for social needs. Even good people become criminals when investments are independent of helping the poor. In investment markets large amounts of liquid capital moves from lower profits to higher with out concern for the social ethics of the specifics.

We all need to start working on issues like ending poverty, creating an ethical economy based on human needs not profits. Creating a sustainable stewardship of our lands and their resources. Sharing a common humanity and respect for life in general. Thank you Francis

It is the poor who through their toil who provide us with the needed means to live a bearable life. It is because of the poor that others have their wealth. We owe the poor.

What the Right says is worth fighting for.

1.    My God

2.    My family

3.    My country

4.    My guns

1.    My God. The history of monotheism is drowning in blood. Killing people who have a different definition of the one true god. Killing people who do not believe in the true god. Bringing the true faith in the one true god to others by force. Certainly there is no place for non-believers, here.

2.    My family. This includes dysfunctional, co-dependent, abusive and violent families. I strongly support loving and mutually supportive relationships. Every child should grow up surrounded by loving adults who celebrate and cherish that child and never tiring of letting that child know how they feel. A friend once said my family includes people who are not blood, and some people who are blood I have very little to do with. But, at this point we are playing with words. I suggest we drop the word family and add the word friend. If your husband or wife is not your friend you are in trouble. If your parent or child is not your friend you are in trouble. Friends are good, family may or may not be.

3.    My country. Nationalism is exclusive not inclusive. Nationalism often leads to hate and violence directed members of other nations and even those who are different within one’s own nation.

4.    My guns. This is pure idolatry i.e. idol worship. Why not get excited about books, musical sound systems, bicycles or running theatrical performances or a million other things. Besides guns when used properly put food on your table to feed your loved ones, when used improperly kills people.

The above is both a distraction and part of the problem. What we need are a broad popular movement to create true democracy at the job site, in the neighborhoods, the nation as a whole and the world in cumulative phases. There are basic human rights beyond speech, press, religion and legal due process that include nutritious food everyday, decent lodging, medical care, education and meaningful employment