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Hmmm… this is the thing, what’s so bad about being a socialist?
Maybe if i was to sit with the largest coal mining company chief and discuss miner’s jobs and their families - am I a socialist?
Or what about the steel workers - if i block cheap imports from a country who treat their workers with low pay so that they can undercut prices - am I a socialist?
If my focus is to empower workers by putting money in their wages, by trying to create the conditions that the wage payers can do that - am I a socialist?
If I use public money creatively, if I invest in my own people and their economy as a priority - am I a socialist?
Not criticizing your post - just reflecting on how the meaning of words have changed in the 21st century.
Btw - I’m very happy to be labelled a ‘socialist’. 
None of these things define socialism. Why the confusion? You seem to be putting forward activities or positions which are not the defining aims of socialism but which might well have some social benefits in order to show that socialism is no bad thing. If you wish to show socialism in a good light you should advance its main objectives and perhaps give examples of where it worked and how well.
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Where are we getting this "Public Money " from exactly ?
Socialists seem to believe it is somehow magically created as being “their rightful possession” - and it is for some central bureaucracy to steal from indiividuals and “spend” as it sees fit.
Non-socialists seem to believe that “Money” is earned by individuals and is Their property and they are prepared to accept that a small amount of it has to be paid to employ people (Government) to keep the peace and to prevent violent conflict between them or from other Nations.
Somewhere between these two extremes in a compassionate but self reliant population who believe in responsibility of the individual lies a fair and reasonable balance where those incapable through mental or severe physical disability can be looked after in a humane way.
[Edit - @tommor - you can see from @peterma s post that his primary concern is the identification of various “Identity Groups” whom he finds incapable of negotiating for themselves, or finding solutions to problems which may occur in their lives, through their own competences initiatives and brainpower - so much so that he and his bureaucracy feel entitled to intervene and compell certain courses of action in the name of “The public good” - just exactly rthe same problem we are seeing cause such huge distortions and disruptions in our current lives and times) - so perhaps his “Socialism” and yours do not diverge that much apart from in his careful selection of the actual words and language used in order to try to disguise the reality ! ]
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This is why this election will determine humanity’s fate.
So maybe you can define not socialism but a socialist - in your view that is.
Edit: you ask for an example - I gave you you some which you dismiss, so yet another one.
Jacinda Ardern has been described as a ‘leftie’ on this thread, perhaps you equate that description with socialism, if you do then her government’s policy on covid has ‘worked well’ by that definition.
I think the best person to define what a socialist is and what socialist beliefs are would be a socialist.
I know nothing about Jacinda Arden or her political beliefs.
@peterma… Nice attempt at spinning the greater than thou leftist leadership achievements … A “leftist” outlook doesn’t make any difference during a Pandemic… just look at the fatalities not to mention the chaos in New York… Confessed Socialists keep well clear of comments on that reality…
New Zealand, and to a certain extent Australia, escaped the carnage of COVID19 due to both Nations being so isolated from the world at large… and very low population per square kilometre demographics…
Australia has only 2.66 persons/km2 | New Zealand’s 15.37 persons/ km2
Sparse when compared to the United Kingdom’s 248.25 persons/ km2 (Ireland’s 72 per persons/ Km2)
COVID19’s greatest threat is its spread throughout tight knit communities like the UK where 57 million of the population (home owners) cover 10% of the modest land that makes up the UK.
FYI… Dearest Jacinda maybe be the Poster Girl for feminists and the “left behind” across the rest of the world… But home on the Island of the Long White Cloud, she isn’t very popular… she will struggle to maintain the Prime Ministership next election as her inaction has destroyed the economy of New Zealand pre and post COVID…
Investor George Gammon takes an Interesting look at the Changing States of America…
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that is like standing in front of a mass holocaust grave and saying Hitler mostly treated the Jews well
Am I comparing CNN to Nazi propaganda, you are damn right I am
Turning to Karl Marx for solutions to our complexed Modern Economy makes about as much sense as Turning to the Wright Brothers on how to build a better Jet Fighter.
How does New Zealand operate as a country when their population has nearly zero immunity to this virus, they will need to keep the country closed to international travel for years
Self proclaim Leftest and Trump hater Jimmy Dore, spells out just how corrupt and clueless the Democrat party is,
Great Video @Trendswithbenefits - many thanks ! - I hadn’t understood that the Marxists had adapted their strategy to include a “Rebellion at Late Stage Capitalism” - which f course is very conveniently NOW! according to their definition.
The only criticism I have really is that he seems not to quite understand “Cognitive Dissonance” properly. - He says Cognitive dissonance is the defence of a belief system and since he uses the term several times, i think it important for anyone who wants to watch (Highly recommended)
In fact “Cognitive Dissonance” is slightly different - We each have a set of belief systems and anything we learn which is contrary to that set causes us mental problems - and we find it hard to have conflicting beleifs at the same time - That is what cognitive dissonance is (Two conflicting beliefs at the same time) and miost people will go to inordinate lengths to avoid the mental turmoil that entails. This is why Those who believed literally in the 7 day creation of the bible were so angry and aggressive towards Darwin’s Theory of Evolution - The two beliefs were contradictory and accepting both would have created cognitive dissonance - so most simply chose their “Faith” over the facts ! (Compare Trump Derangement Syndrome - They cannot argue against the facts - so they just go “deranged” - simply as an avoidance process so they don’t HAVE to consider the facts)!
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This is scary stuff, by what measure will they know this vaccine is safe and effective, will they provide evidence of it’s effectiveness, and how can they possibly know what the long term health effects will be. And if you refuse the vaccine you will likely be on a public black list similar to the no fly list. Talk about the mark of the beast
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Lol - not long to wait - maybe post the results in 6 weeks time
Edit: btw why use the term ‘left’ in the same breath as ‘socialist’ - is it not possible to see that the word socialist was hijacked in the 19th and 20th century by autocrats such as Lenin, Stalin, Mao. Hitler, Castro and many others.
in the current century the list is getting smaller but countries such as NK, Venezuela, China and Cuba still talk of ‘socialism’ ( Hitler preceded it with 'National).
Real socialism is to be found in guys like recently deceased John Hume who helped found a party ‘Social Democratic & Labour Party’ - his vision was that socialism was about putting bread on the table, i.e. a strong economy. To that end politicians promote a healthy business environment in their respective countries. (he became a nobel peace winner for his efforts)
Look out for your family, your neighbour and your country - put others first and you will win - that’s socialism - there’s a great book about it - written long before such thinking was hijacked.
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Aye, left him out of the list - he is described as a ‘revolutionary socialist’ - so what is a revolutionist - he is a guy that turns something around, on it’s head so to speak - exactly what he did with the thought of socialism, the thing is that ‘turned around’ socialism is the exact opposite of the true meaning of the word.
There is one thing that this turned around socialism cannot withstand - democracy. For this reason it’s proponents never countenance democracy - but because their socialism is twisted round they will often use the phrase ’ the people’, or ‘power to the people’ yet denying even the semblance of power except to their own - a twisted socialism.
The Wright Brothers’ attitude is what keeps the US ahead - that same approach to technology is the reason that the Chinese are seeking to copy - they may copy but as long as there are modern Wrights they will not supersede.
NZ and the world will return to normal, covid has come and it will go.
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Perhaps you’ll be interested in this one then Tom ?
As @Peterma writes ;
Now as we were speaking of Jacinda Ardern - perhaps Peter would like to know a little more of his “Socialist heroine”
[edit - a little “Cognitive dissonance” - Anyone ? ] 
And just how is President Trump to stop this violence, send in tanks, it is not Trump supporters that are burning down cities , this is a monster created and funded by Democrats
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Just read falstaff’s post, 1st one in a while, was on an ignore list (only have 2) because he figured i was stalking.
Anyways - abortion (the murder of children already born into life but yet to enter the world) is not socialism - it is the opposite - the same twist as marx et al.
Some years ago close friends were offered a medical solution to a difficulty with blood compatibility - it was a pre-abortion answer by the consultant - in offering he acknowledged a possible religious difficulty.
My friends decided to - well they kinda did nothing, and a healthy child was born:
“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”
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Interesting thought there - as an old TV Engineer - The main tv suppliers cannot even MEND their own TV’s - Why not? because they buy the whole package ICs - the lot from Asia - and the supply includes the design ! - Asia has ALREADY “superceded” western skills in this dept.
Yes they WILL beat us in technology - why ? for teh same reasion the UK has to ask China to “help out” with new Nuclear Power Stations - even though we could build our own way back in the 60’s - two words “Affirmative Action” - Even those men who manage to get through the system stacked against them - cannot get senior jobs - so they have to go to -CHINA - where they are welcomed with open arms ! 
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Her type of Abortion is horrendous ! no compassionate person could ever agree with what she sneaked into law during the lockdown !
Exactly the point I was making when you proposed her as your “Socialist” to @tommor - so I assume you withdraw the nomination then ? 
pS
Your word not mine !
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