Re: OT: Could the global warming models be wrong?

Jerry Sturdivant wrote:

Apparently I do have to post is again:

so·cial·ism (so¹she-lîz´em) noun

1. A social system in which the means of producing and distributing goods
are owned collectively and political power is exercised by the whole
community.

2. The theory or practice of those who support such a social system.

What part of that does not fit your police, fire and library?

What goods are produced or distributed by police and fire departments?
They provide a service, they do not produce or distribute goods.
Libraries do not produce books, and generally do not sell them, they
provide a service by lending them.

Even in the most capitalist of societies police and professional fire
departments have primarily been government entities (even volunteer fire
departments usually have some government support for obtaining their
equipment). That does not make countries with government police and
fire departments socialist. There is a qualitative difference between
building and selling cars and television sets, and enforcing laws.

How about we look at a more thorough definition, from the
Merriam-Webster online dictionary (www.m-w.com):

Main Entry:
so·cial·ism
Pronunciation:
\ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm\
Function:
noun
Date:
1837

1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective
or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production
and distribution of goods
2 a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private
property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of
production are owned and controlled by the state
3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism
and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay
according to work done

The key is that socialism refers to government ownership of the means of
production. It does not refer to government services such as police,
fire departments, the military, or the court system. And government
ownership of the means of production has a pretty dismal track record
throughout the world and throughout history.


--
Joe Long aka ChipRider
Somewhere on the Range
.

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