blackbird

This is just one reason. There are many. " The Failure of Socialism The common argument against socialism is that it simply does not work. It is an inefficient system that has destroyed societies and resulted in famine and death. This of course is true. Socialism’s impossibility results from its lack of a price system. In a free market, prices are subjective and determined by consumers. This results in the mutual exchange of goods and services by buyers and sellers. A socialist government attempts to set the prices of goods and services, but it is unable to set prices that will satisfy supply and demand (and thus socialist governments may look to the prices of capitalist societies). This is known as the socialist calculation problem, which was first introduced by economist Ludwig von Mises in 1920. In contrast to socialism, quasi-socialism does “work” in a sense because it only ruins part of an economy. For example, the United States economy has been able to survive and even thrive with socialistic programs and a large welfare state. This is because there is still a free market in which businesses can function, and these businesses in turn fund socialistic programs. This is only possible because of increased societal wealth from improved technology and capital goods. In other words, quasi-socialism is only possible because of capitalism. Furthermore, even the socialist industries of the United States have not been fully socialistic. For example, even with Medicare, Medicaid, Obamacare, and heavy government regulations in healthcare, there are still cash-only doctors and private clinics that operate with some freedom. In spite of Social Security, many Americans still have private retirement accounts. And despite the ubiquity of public schools and universities, there are still many private schools and universities that compete for students. Therefore, there is a need to critique not just socialism but quasi-socialism. There are certainly strong economic arguments against socialism and quasi-socialism. However, I here want to make biblical and theological arguments against these economic systems, particularly because they have become politically popular among some Christians. Socialism is more than impossible or inefficient. Socialism is immoral because it is government-sanctioned theft. All Forms of Socialism Are Theft Central to the moral argument against socialism and quasi-socialism is the 8th commandment: You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15; Deuteronomy 5:19). This command teaches the concept of private property and forbids the taking of property from an innocent person. God added to this condemnation of socialism by prohibiting envy in the 10th commandment: You shall not covet (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21). God is a capitalist, which we know because God endorses private property. This is inferred from the 8th commandment. The prohibition of theft assumes that people own things. Of course, everything in this world belongs to God. Yet He has delegated control and responsibility of things to individuals. We call this private property rights. Everyone understands this concept. No one likes others stealing their belongings, and they therefore do things to prevent theft, such as lock their door at night. It is also the case that every civilized society prohibits theft. People have property rights, and the government should protect such rights. Yet this all breaks down for many people when the government gets involved. It is wrong for Bob to take a quarter of your income. But if Bob and his friends lobby the government, politicians pass legislation, and the government gives one quarter of your money to Bob, then all is right. This is exactly how the typical Western welfare state works. The government enacts a variety of taxes (sales tax, income tax, FICA, tariffs, etc.) and then redistributes the money to a variety of classes (the poor, students, elderly, disabled, politically well-connected, etc.). But this is not called “theft” because, well, the government says so. This situation exposes one of the chief flaws of democracy, a system where two wolves and a lamb vote on what to eat for dinner. Thus, modern societies have made an exception to the 8th commandment—“You shall not steal, except by majority vote.” One person cannot take your stuff, but if enough people vote to take your stuff, then it is “legal.” And if it is legal, then it is morally acceptable. Christians are enabling this problem by limiting the 8th commandment to individuals instead of societies. However, the 8th commandment provides no such limitation. Groups are made up of individuals, and stealing is still stealing when done by a group." The Bible Prohibits Socialism — Knowing Scripture The failing public health care system is a prime example of the failure of quasi-Socialism in B.C. and Canada. There are a number of reasons why it is failing and cannot be fixed. The main reason is because of the horrendous cost that must be born by government through taxes. Government is under endless, heavy pressure to fund all kinds of social programs, housing, and everything every group demands. Therefore it must make decisions based on political priorities. That means public health care is only going to receive as much money as the political system will allow. Those decisions are made by politicians who must weigh the pressures from the countless other demands for money. They seem to have decided that a certain portion of the population cannot have a family doctor for instance. They can't hide behind any excuses for this situation because they control the purse strings and had the power to do whatever they want to solve the problem, but did not do so. Secondly, but most important, is the number of people dying on waiting lists. This is a direct result of a public health care system that has determined the public system will receive x number of dollars and that is all. They have many other priorities to fund. If political pressure allows them to do this, then many people will continue to die on waiting lists. These are preventable deaths. But the system does not allow them to purchase private health insurance as in many other countries and obtain private care quickly. That would go against the quasi-Socialist ideology that forbids private care and forbids anybody with the money from purchasing private health insurance. They must die on some waiting list instead. Thirdly, a public system or quasi-Socialist system is inherently inefficient because bureaucracy has a natural tendency to grow larger and larger and everything gets bogged down in bureaucracy and union contract demands.

Here is something that I think not many people know. When asked why he lives in China a lot, this Canadian said: "Let's face it; being an old white guy in China is much better than being in Canada. How better you may ask? I get the "movie star" treatment very often. People give me their seat in the metro, people press my floor elevator for me. Basically, I have white privilege, and nobody points it as being bad." He also says there is a kind of respect for older people.

You are wacko man. I never said anything about agreeing with or supporting their Communist system. You love to lie.

Yes, that is true. This social media acquaintance who works in China says he is treated very respectfully because he is Caucasian. Isn't that strange. A white person in China is highly respected and treated very well. I don't think most people would want to immigrate to China for a number of reasons. We are better off in Canada in many ways. I wouldn't trust their legal system either. Of course I wouldn't want to live in a Communist system. I think Japan has great respect for Americans too.

The failing health care system is just imposed on us. People are denied the right to pay for health care insurance in Canada. That is dictatorial. Thousands are dying on waiting lists that could have afforded health insurance. Preventable deaths. Nobody voted for that. Disability groups are fighting MAID and going to go to court over it. They are negatively affected by MAID. Nobody voted for that.

The carbon tax was just imposed on us. Nobody had any vote or say.

No, never said that either. We already live in nearly a dictatorship.

No, I am not saying that. I am saying there are some serious problems in the way Canada has been governed. I don't think it proves Socialism is better. It only proves how badly we are being governed in Canada. Canada is more of a welfare state. Government meddles and interferes in everything in every way possible. But Canada also taxes in every way possible and tries to provide funding for everything they can imagine. We are taxes quite heavily if you calculate all the way they tax us.

What is also important is what the average rent a person pays in China for an apartment. I know a Canadian who is staying there and he pays $550 per month and $50 for utilities. This has to be calculated as a percentage of income to determine how they are doing. I am not sure how much homes cost to buy in China. But if the average income is around $1300 per month USD, and the rent is $500 Can, they are still far better off than many Canadians who can't afford the high rents in many Canadian cities and towns.

There is nothing wrong with comparing income and standard of living between different countries. What reason do you have for saying that? You are clever in changing the spelling in the word 1diotic to get around the moderation filter. Shows how your mind works too.

Yes, I am discovering that. One website said the median or average income in China is about $4200 USD per month. How could this be true? Looks like there is lots of false information on some websites. Sorry for the error.

This only goes to prove there is much false information on the internet. Sorry if I gave some false information I read. Will have to try to verify information before posting it.

This website says this: Average Salary in China - Complete Guide 2024 - TimeCamp The table below presents a basic comparison of average monthly salaries between China and selected countries from different regions: Country Average Monthly Salary (USD) China 1,000 – 1,400 United States 3,400 – 4,000 Germany 3,500 – 3,800 Japan 2,500 – 3,000 India 400 – 600 Brazil 500 – 750 Nigeria 150 – 300 Australia 3,200 – 3,600

You are the one who is in serious need of help. I am comparing one country's standard of living with another country's. It doesn't matter what their political system is. Most countries in the world are dictatorships of one kind or another. If Canada is falling below a Communist country or they are moving ahead of us, then we know we are in big trouble. We have the wrong kind of people leading our governments if it is getting that bad. Seriously, give your head a shake.

One website says the median salary in China is $3855 USD. It also says the average monthly salary in China is $4255 USD. What’s the average salary in China in 2024? (timedoctor.com) Another website says: "In 2024, the average salary in China has been steadily increasing across various sectors. The average monthly salary in the country is around 8,452 CNY (Chinese Yuan) or approximately 1,330 USD." Average salary in China (talentup.io) Something is wrong here. This is a vastly different number than the other website. Who is correct?

If it is true that the average person in China, a Communist dictatorship, has a better standard of living than the average Canadian, we are in serious trouble. But I am not sure my figures are correct. It doesn't really make much sense. Can it be possible that the average Chinese person has a better standard of living than the average Canadian? Why can't we be compared to other countries including Communist countries? Are you nuts?

I will say I don't know how accurate the information I found on a search engine is, but it does seem to be saying the average person in China has a better standard of living than the average Canadian. I am not sure how to verify that. It does sound incorrect, but I am not sure. If it is true, it is a sad commentary on our governments in Canada. They have failed Canadians.

Yes, seriously, it just proves how bad Canada has become under our governments. When a Communist country like China has a better standard of living than Canada, we know we are in serious trouble. Do you have the ability to see there is a serious problem here? You don't even believe you have a problem. You are so obsessed against God and the Bible, your mental function does not allow you to discuss anything in a normal way.

This is really hard to understand. Rent in China is a fraction of what it is in Canada. The average monthly wage in China is about $4,214 USD. This seems quite high to me, but this what a search engine reveals. Yet the rent in China is between $100 and $900 per month. This is a small percentage of the average monthly income in China. I know of a Canadian who is working in China and his rent is $550 per month and $50 for utilities for a total of $600 per month. Many Canadians are now paying thousands of dollars per month in rent, a large percentage of their monthly income. I believe food price are lower in China as well. Restaurant prices are lower for meals and I believe there is no tipping. The only explanation I can think of is the governments in Canada are really shafting Canadians. They are totally mismanaging things and causing much higher prices for everything. Why is there such a housing shortage in Canada? We have a very large geographical area with a relatively small population. Yet real estate prices in some areas are outrageous. My own view is federal and provincial governments have messed up things so badly that the economy and prices of land and real estate is completely wrecked. I don't know if there is a way out of this mess.

This is over your head. Move along.

This was perhaps a couple years ago. So nothing can be done now. Also, when you are waiting for care yourself, you don't want to stir up anything that might lead to a bad reaction. I doubt very much asking at the time would have accomplished anything. I am sure they have stock answers all ready to give anybody. They don't care what anybody thinks or says. They also have directives that were given them from higher ups.

Was anybody killed or anything destroyed by the Cold War? Why would anyone in their right mind want a nuclear war and perhaps destroy mankind as we know it? Did you know NATO and the U.S. is not allowing Ukraine to do whatever it wants against Russia? Do you know why? I guess not. You live in your own bubble and don't have any understanding of the world.

"OTTAWA — An NDP MP tabled a bill Thursday seeking to change the Criminal Code to criminalize downplaying, denying or condoning the harms of residential schools in Canada. Leah Gazan, who represents Winnipeg Centre, presented her private member’s bill on Monday, less than a week before the country is set to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, meant to honour residential schools survivors and their families." NDP MP tables bill seeking to criminalize residential school 'denialism' (msn.com) These people don't have a clue about basic freedoms. Much of the residential school claims have been false and some of it is purely subjective or speculation. Canadians have a right to their opinions. The NDP should definitely not be in Parliament. They fit more in Cuba or Russia.

He wasn't in an emergency. He was relaxing and enjoying playing on his smart phone. There is a bit of difference between someone waiting six hours while a guy like that gets in in 20 minutes. You are so opposed to everything I say simply because you are brainwashed by the woke left progressives and liberal ideology and believe blindly that they could never be wrong. I suspect you spent years in a radical union and were brainwashed by the constant propaganda which made you a radical unionist and believer in leftist ideology. Never learned any real truth from the Bible or social conservatism.

Your ignorance is astounding. LOL. He wasn't in any kind of emergency. Everyone knows you automatically say the opposite of anything I post. Just your contrary nature.