You're Probably Already A Socialist
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
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If you turn on the news today, odds are you'll hear someone use the term "socialism" incorrectly to try to scare you. In this video, I hope to correct the record and explain what socialism really means. If you'd like to learn more, check out the links below!
-Resources-
Online crash course:
www.socialism1...
Books and Pamphlets:
Why You Should Be A Socialist - us.macmillan.c...
The ABCs of Socialism - www.versobooks...
Wage Labour and Capital - www.marxists.o...
The Conquest of Bread - theanarchistli...
A People's History of the United States - www.barnesandn...
Hammer and Hoe - uncpress.org/b...
Blackshirts and Reds - www.michaelpare...
The Principles of Communism - www.marxists.o...
Socialism, Utopian and Scientific - www.marxists.o...
Why Marx Was Right -
/ why-marx-was-right
Essays and Speeches:
Why Socialism? (Albert Einstein) - www.exponential...
Eugene Debs' Canton Speech - college.cengag...
Podcasts:
Current Affairs: www.stitcher.c...
The Dig - www.thedigradi...
Bad Faith - podcasts.apple...
Blowback - podcasts.apple...
Streaming Platforms:
Means TV: means.tv
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As a Scandinavian, it sounds weird to hear that "Liberals are on the left".
In Denmark "liberal" basically means centre-right.
because it is. at least neo-liberals are. classical liberals are libertarian capitalists
@@t6amygdala Thats just how its used in Europe.
Liberal means centre right.
@@user-qs2nr3ee6l not really just in Europe. Neo-liberals are not left wing at all
Progressives are center-right so it basically means the same. The difference is the fear mongering from groups more to the right.
@@t6amygdala Liberal in spain doesnt mean the same tho
“They have money for war but can't feed the poor.”
― Tupac Shakur
@nox darkness Even when the religion says to help people. Example: Jesus was a socialist! It says in the Bible!
@Erik Manbodh It's still a socialist message to help people that Jesus promoted and many tend of these religious people tend to ignore that.
@Erik Manbodh The basic concept is that Jesus advocated for helping people no matter who.
@Erik Manbodh What matters is that Jesus was for all those things and these religious fools see it otherwise.
@Erik Manbodh Jesus didn't tell us a specific way to give to the poor. he just said that we should give to the poor. given the current state of poverty in this country, we aren't really following his teachings.
"It's a cruel jest to say to a bootless man that he ought to lift himself by his bootstraps." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Dr. King was a brilliant man. Did you know that he collaborated with Gene Roddenberry on the Star Trek TV series in the 1960's? Star Trek was a vision of how humanity could improve itself if humans could manage to adjust and improve their thinking. It contained moral lessons on topics such as equality, human dignity, racism and slavery. Dr. King told Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura on Star Trek, that he watched the show with his family every week.
@@joevignolor4u949 I did not know that. Thanks for sharing!
That's my favorite MLK quote.
@@pepi7404 Definitely one of my favorites, too.
@@leof6046 Check it out here: ruclips.net/video/cLOZxOo5Czo/видео.html and also here: ruclips.net/video/pSq_UIuxba8/видео.html
I've been called socialist and communist for wanting affordable education, healthcare, higher taxes on the rich, and higher wages for workers. The Cold War has had lasting damages on American's minds regarding what socialism actually means.
Obviously not communist because Communism is a stateless and classless society with no money.
Besides higher taxes for the rich I agree
Everyone the same taxes!
@@slin2903
Everyone with a similar tax rate would mean the rich would pay much more, the problem is when taxes are cut on the rich it creates a deficit. That's why taxes are raised on everyone else to make up the money lost.
@@yourtoastershandemover2211 Yeah but taxing the eich higher sounds like rich ppl would pay 30 percent taxes and other 19 percent
Not both the same
@@slin2903 well it shouldnt be the same. If someone has billions 20 more millions to pay to the state is barely even a difference.
“This country has socialism for the rich & rugged individualism for the poor” - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
As much as I respect MLK, this is a common mistake. Capitalism is the only system for the bourgeoisie (the "rich" under the capitalist mode of production), not socialism. Socialism isn't a term to use for government spending and those who benefit from it, it refers to social ownership of the means of production and economic planning as opposed to market allocation.
@@KJMac-qk9tv I see what you mean. It would’ve made more sense if he said “welfare” instead of socialism.
@@KJMac-qk9tv Some people tend to associate socialism's "public ownership" with moving private goods to public goods so they are available to everyone irrespective of capital, and therefore welfare tends to be the end result.
@@KJMac-qk9tv Tell that to the right-wingers calling Joe Biden a "socialist" to further their own quest for power lol
Bernie Sanders also said that
“When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”
― Dom Helder Camara
@@zero555 Literally not what socialism is about lol
@@zero555 how does workplace democracy make people give others food?
@@zero555 it's about forcing capitalist to give up their production to the workers, and it has more than just worked.
So true! Its almost like they're entirely unwilling to take any responsibility for the shambles our world is in.
@@zero555 thats communism
There was a phrase in Victorian Britain "The undeserving poor" anyone who was poor or destitute, usually through no fault of their own, were put into "workhouses" . They were then made to do pointless , meaningless work for a bowl of slop to keep them alive. They were punished for not finding non existent work. America still has this "punish the poor" mindset. Poverty is not a life choice, it can happen to anyone. I'll bet many Americans have discovered this with the terrible events of 2020.
@@thomasmaughan4798 Do you sniff glue?
@@joaovmlsilva3509 boa jão
@@kenabbott8585 "Perhaps you should wish for the ability to come up with a real argument."
Says someone who had no argument. You keep Declaring things, but there's no evidence, no sources, nothing backing up your claim in the slightest.
Am I supposed to just take you as Gospel? Anything declared without evidence can be equally dismissed without evidence.
So where's your proof for the following claim: "Here in the real world, if you don't do drugs, don't have kids before you're married, and don't commit crimes, your chance of being poor is less than 10%"
Citation Needed.
Similar in Australia, a significant number of the working classes have been turned against working class people who have become unemployed and those in their late 50's-70's on welfare demonized by the mainstream media for over a decade.
How can I be a socialist when I'm an introvert.
I'm both of those things
I am an introvert and a socialist. The two arent independent of each other.
Easy! You don't need to go out to streets and shout how Capitalism sucks. You can do whatever you're doing right now and help the cause, either monetarily, actively, morally, or even culturally. I mean, all you need is to believe that Socialism is a better alternative to Capitalism. You do programming, video editing, arts and music, practice medicine, be an engineer, be a reserved debater, a philosopher, an economist, an accountant, an administrator and organizer, hell, even martial arts teacher. I am pretty sure there are groups and chapters, be Socialist or simply charity, that would need your skills and helping hand. That's the beauty of Socialism, it is very inclusive i.e. everyone can do something and help!
@@sonofgreatsteppes9497 it think it was a joke comment but i agree with you 100%
@@kenabbott8585 He can't, he's an introvert ._.
from a european perspective: only having to hear a sentence like "if you were able to pay a doctor.." is utterly disturbing
@Cruiser *if you’re rich.
@Cruiser Nice bait
@Cruiser it doesn’t matter what your sources are, nothing places the US healthcare in the top 10. Let alone first.
If there would be Public librarys shocked me
@@AnagramGinger don’t kid yourself. The best of literally everything on the planet is in America. No not as a whole America’s healthcare system is trash. But if money is of no concern the best professionals are in the states.
If you grew up quoting "Mr. Krabs is Unfair", there's a good chance you're a socialist.
I will restore the working man to his rightful glory! I will dismantle this oppressive establishment board by board!
he is tho
lol there is a difference between slavery where your boss would sell your soul for 62 cents and capitalism
As a socialist, can confirm. Now i see why my mother didn't want me watching spongebob as a kid /j
What if i thought he was dummy thicc?
"If you can afford to go to the doctor you can literally extend your life"
Me as a european: W h a t
Did you know that delivering a baby in america can cost you upwards of $10,000? Did you know that many if not most hospitals in America charge a fee for allowing you to hold your own child after it's born? Did you know that our government does not legally allow itself to make deals with pharmaceutical companies for cheaper drugs, so even inexpensive medications cost hundreds of dollars at the point of service?
My friend had a burst cyst on her ovary, and when we went to the emergency room, she got an xray or an mri or whatever,was prescribed 2 medications, one for pain, and one for nausea, and charged $2000 for the pleasure. Also, I was her ambulance, even though I live a half hour away, because calling an ambulance would've cost her about $1000 more, and that's if it's cheap.
We're literally cattle for the profits of the rich.
@@jakobbailey eat the rich
@@jakobbailey what the actual hell...
@@jakobbailey my aunts hospital bill when she gave birth was 33000 dollars. Thank God she had insurance. And keep in mind this was not a special hospitals it was just a regular one.
@@jakobbailey you call an ambulance $1,000 up front
I went to the hospital for an absess (infection) and they charged me 1,000 to look at it say yea thats an infection and write me a prescription for an antibiotic and 5 weak ass painkillers that didnt work
Me from a third world country where medical is mostly free, and homeless poor people can get a neurosurgery....
“How the hell does US work with that stupid healthcare system?”
But then I realize that my own government is pushing to privatize healthcare.
We are one of the most powerful and one of the dumbest countries in the world, sadly
@@lilfoward1832 then maybe a revolution is in order. if nothing is changing, we can’t just sit around and mope about it not changing, we might as well just kill ourselves if everything is really that hopeless. the people have got a ton of power and could totally change things if we wanted to
They're probably being pushed to privatize healthcare by the capitalist countries who are home to the massive corporations that stand to profit from the people's suffering, spread the word and don't let them win o7
"LIBERALS/LIBERALISM AND LEFTISTS/LEFTISM ARE NOT THE SAME THING". Thank you for properly clarifying this.
@Second Thought I always thought the left is the umbrella term & liberal means social issues & progressive means economic issues. What's your opinion? 🤔
@@unbiased-resource.provider6839 we need to distinguish the fakes (aka liberals/neoliberals) who support symbolic issues that mean nothing and the real issues (progressives). the term "left" has encompassed these dirty parasitic liberals alongside us progressives.
@@unbiased-resource.provider6839 Liberalism is generally characterised by representative democracy, free markets, and private ownership of the means of production (Capitalism).
Leftism (AKA Socialism) advocates for workplace democracy, abolition of commodity production, and working class ownership of the means of production.
If a leftist calls you a liberal they're trying to insult you, and vis versa.
@@edwardroh89 Progressive was the term used to describe liberals during the 20th century, of anything the socialists are the parasites to the progressive cause of social democracy. For example, Theodore Roosevelt was the most prominent progressive and he despised Marxism and similar forms of socialism.
@@fatguy6153 yeah he had progressive policies, he was not a progressive
im a american and i wish we didnt have to live in fear of having a heart attack and being bankrupted by it
It's not a matter of IF you'll get deathly ill.. it's a matter of WHEN.
can't fucking believe that people are scared of a heart attack *not because of the heart attack,* but the debt afterwards. christ.
@@reasonerenlightened2456 bro wtf
@@gorse1465 dictatorship of the proletariat? What is the real way to implement it?
My dad had a heat stroke about a year ago and refused to take an ambulance because the drive alone is 10,000
Second Thought: You're probably already a socialist
Me, a socialist: Yes
Very easy being a soycialist in a capitalist country ;)
@@tiagop1410 imagine using soy as an insult
@@tiagop1410 ;) Lol SOY you said SOY
@@tiagop1410 bootlicker detected
Can u soycialists tell me why everybody that lives in a socialist contry like cuba and venezuela hates it, but the west seems to flirt with it??
I’m a 52 year old black man that has lived in the US all my life. I’ve watched several of your videos and I really enjoy your content. What you are saying in this video sound like common sense and common human decency to me. But, unfortunately it will never happen in this country. The people in this US are willfully ignorant and to divided for the silliest reasons.
That's why together as humans we fight for this.
Ken, I am a 56 years old grandmother, and I have drastically changed my political views. Capitalism is the root of all evil, and I will support the brilliant younger generations in moving our society to socialism. If I can change and learn this late in life, anything is possible.
Give it time, the US still has a bad taste left in it's mouth from the Cold war. Most Americans have been pre-programmed to hate anything containing the word socialism/communism because of it. The huge divide on both ends of the political Fringe don't help either
@@lystrek9752 congratulations. I'm not American but I understand that taking such position as you are doing, it quite a courage move.
You are a great example.
@@lystrek9752 Young people are more on board with social democracy! It is what FDR was! We can fight for it.
Me: “We’re already socialist?”
Second Thought: (points gun at back of my head) “Always have been”
Socialist: "I'm commiting suicide?"
CIA: (points gun at the back of socialist's head) "Always have been"
@ElephantsLover He's saying that 1950s tradcon stuff is not traditionalism.
The biggest indicator for this is that it was invented 70 years ago.
theres usually a gun pointed at someones head in socialism , it gets messy.
@albert einstien Collectivism is a derivative of Socialism, but it is not the whole or even a major ideology within the umbrella and it is certainly not synonymous with leftism. The number of collectivists has never been very high and on the whole the entire ideology has been discredited outside of some anarchist groups, and lip service by unions.
He did say you can hit "dislike" and leave right at the beginning. That means you were given a choice. You always had the choice and you did take whatever choice you wanted even when you thought you had no choice.
That is not someone 'pointing a gun at your head'. Nobody forced you to watch this video. Nobody forced you to turn on your computer. You did so out of choice.
Choice is free will.
Learn the difference and you will sound less a fool.
“You’re probably already a socialist”
(99.99% of Second thought viewers already knowing that)
@@GoldenRockefeller Those very same ideas are shunned and demonized whenever they’re labeled as “socialist.”
@@GoldenRockefeller Why don't you like the socialist plan? Honest question
*99.98%
I'm proud to be the 0.01% then! With that said I still greatly appreciate these videos
@@GoldenRockefeller You really can't forget that the USSR was not a democracy. It is not a socialist country anymore, yet it still is a kinda shitty place for personal freedom.
So, with or without socialism (which the USSR never was, socialist, it was state communism) this place is awefull, so it cant be the socialism that was the root.
And that already is the big difference to today, where people want fairly elected representatives that can actually care about the everyday man, instead of caring for corporations and powerful individuals that keep the officials in power.
My favorite thing is that this video is literally sponsored by Jeff Bezos.
Using his money to spread anti-Bezos ideas, pro-gamer move.
I wonder..... would it also be possible to rant against Socialism in the same way in a Socialist Nation?
@@Ben-ew9eu Lol yes. Socialism is not the equivalent of authoritarianism
@@charisday3846 Point out one socialist nation then, where you can freely criticize the government
@@Ben-ew9eu Burkina Faso under Thomas Sankara is one example. He directly took criticism from the citizens and applied it to his policy.
But with or without examples, nothing in the definition of socialism implies that free speech need be limited.
Additionally, there are numerous capitalist nations in which you can’t criticize the government, but that doesn’t mean authoritarianism must come with capitalism either.
@@charisday3846 Thanks for giving an example, I will definitely look deeper into it. Yeah I agree with you on that part, Authoritarianism is not linked to either Capitalism or Socialism. In order to evaluate both forms of economic structues, we should look at the history of both, which so far favors Capitalism. I am aware, that Western influence often times had a bad effect for some socialist countries that may have turned out to be decent countries. On the other hand, I think it should be also discussed, that so many socialist countries turned out to be authoritarian. For the simplicity of things, I don t make a distinction between Marxism, Socialism and Communism here, so I include the UDSSR and Maos China, when talking about Socialism
I studied communism when I was ten years old in order to find out what I was supposed to be afraid of. It was in the 1950s at the hight of the cold war. This led me to study capitalism and socialism as well. Later I looked into these more deeply with an adult understanding along with past economic systems. At ten years old as well as later I realized I was a socialist but would happily settle for a social democracy.
That must of been real interesting since you where there learning it not just because it was during the cold war, but also because you where there during the "Red Scare" that had come into play during that time.
I actually had a similar experience. But I didn’t immediately identify as socialist or social democrat.
I did a geography report on China and found out that they actually had democracy within communism. Then I looked into USSR and found out they had democracy as well. I researched the DDR and found out they had democracy as well.
Not that there wasn’t oppression but I realized almost everything I was being told was a lie. And that I was being constantly lied to, why was I constantly lied to?
It was the long road down how all encompassing US propaganda is. When I went to Germany in 1991 I got the real first hand truth of what was the real story both the good and thing people didn’t like. The contrast to US propaganda was extreme. And that propaganda continues to this day.
@@matthewkopp2391 USSR democracy was a joke. A comedy. A farce. You get one paper, with a few names the one party selected, if that. Usually it was just one person
@@matthewkopp2391 the ussr election was a one party election just so you know.
You are obiusly laying. You cant understand capital without pre-education, and not to mention with 10y.
A lot of conservatives falsely assume capitalism is a meritocracy where wealth is proportional to how much work someone does.
as a libertarian i confirm. this is 100% true. meritocracy has nothing to do with capitalism. meritocracy is fake and conservatives know it
Yeah they rely on hella psychoses
Oh come on, it takes a lot of effort to pick the right parents 😉
@@LisaBeergutHolst Maybe if America brings back the nuclear family without pushing the feminist agenda maybe you guys will become better with money
If that was true you could get rich just by working hard on a factory
Second Thought: “You’re probably already a socialist.”
Me before watching the video: Yup. You’re 100% correct.
The problem is in the US, anything that is SLIGHTLY to the left is considered communism
@@frittatas8551 Finally someone said it loud and clear!
@@wilhelmseleorningcniht9410 Communists and Socialists are still leftists, libs are not.
Laughs in Indian
video: omae was mou soshilaistu
me: nani!!!!
Dude, here in Europe we don't even call most of it socialism. This is just common sense. what the hell
yes
This video is so insanely misleading, I beg you to not take it seriously. It leaves out so much vital information. Claiming that only socialism promotes equal rights for all? So much bullshit. It's extremely simplified. Most of these things have nothing to do with socialism. These things arent called socialism in Europe BECAUSE THEY ARENT. Neither in the US. Socialism is such a flawed system, much worse than the relatively small problems of Capitalism. I don't like calling things propaganda, but if there is something that is just blatant propaganda it would be this. Purely painting Socialism like some ideal fairy tale system that would fix all of society. It's blatantly wrong, it does not attempt to provide any real arguments or start a discussion, nor does it actually explain the socialist system. He just puts a bunch of irrelevant fairy ideas and attaches it to what he calls "socialism". There is a reason why almost all countries in the world are capitalist. And honestly, if you think Europe is socialist then you're really brainwashed. As the other guy said, the only country in Europe with any ties to socialism would be Portugal, but still by no means socialist.
@@timokho20 can you give any examples of how capitalism is more beneficial to the poor than socialism?
@@timokho20 If you actually had watched the video, he did point out it was only about the general thoughts of various left ideologies, nor did he claim all the ideas were unique to the left. He also left a whole list of reading material on various left ideas, expressly because he didn't intend to, nor would be able to condense it all into such a short video. But at least we know we can dismiss your points here because you clearly didn't watch any of it, but just came to rant.
@@Indoor_Carrot First of it isn't really about whether it's beneficial for the poor, but more for society as a whole, and whether it's right to take away people's money that (yes for most cases) they worked for. Capitalism can absolutely be extremely beneficial for the poor, I mean look at China, which lifted over half a billion people out of poverty in just a few decades, capitalism allows for a free market, innovation, one where the consumer decides the price. It also limits the possibilities of a corrupt government. Capitalism, altho not perfect, is probably the least flawless economic system there is. Capitalism creates jobs, (which yes greatly helps the poor), It allows for competition sparking innovation. Socialism has an enormous amount of flaws. It's impossible to calculate all the prices of products, it's impossible to calculate the exact needed products and materials resulting in either excess in goods or shortages, which can have disastrous results. Prices and markets are absolutely vital to a working running society and allow production to be done according to the demand of the people. It allows for the calculations for prices to automatically be done through all the companies, whether otherwise, 1 governing institution would have it do it. Not only does socialism infringe on pretty basic rights like private property, as an economic system it's far too ideal when it's near impossible to be actually done. In the end, it will make everyone poorer and people will lose their jobs. Sure wealth would be spread more equally, but everyone would overall be poorer and it'd have many negative side effects. The current tax system is already very progressive with the 1% being taxed immensely more than the middle and lower class. Socialism would just be a big step, but also a big step backward. The best thing we can do is make it so that people have equality of opportunity, not outcome. A society with that and where you get rewarded for doing more work or responsibility is an ideal one and one that works.
To many people not only use Socialism and Communism interchangeably but apply the term to anyone or anything they dislike.
This video is blessed by an Irish tank
Can you bless our Algerian Hirak, Irish Tank ?
Tankie on a different level.
@@darthjarjarbinkstherealsit6832 Literally a tankie, an Irish tankie at that
I saw! Such a rare sight!
As an Englishmen I hope you unite Ireland peacefully cuz I don’t wanna fight those
Idea for future Video: "Socialism vs Communism: Whats the difference?"
May be a good educational video for people who think they are the same.
Socialism is when the government does stuff,
and when it does a lot of stuff it’s called communism.
Communism is the stage after socialism, just as socialism would be the stage after capitalism and capitalism would be the stage after feudalism. Communism is defined by Marx as classless, stateless, and moneyless society. Socialism is needed to build towards communism. Boom answered you're question. Also, if you want a much more detailed and informative explanation of these concepts maybe check out this video ruclips.net/video/pAokAC2pZWg/видео.html&app=desktop although I will warn you, it is pretty long and only part 1, with the part 2 being just as long.
@@waspoppin4784 xD
@@papichulo4171 I know what it is. But many people think, that for example, the soviet union was fully communist. But by your (and the official definition), its not, cause there was still a state.
@Jhonny Auditore In fact it needs a state to not collapse horrendously in on itself in a matter of a few years, hence the massive bailouts and constant tax relief and maintaining of tax loopholes that allow them to pay in some cases virtually no taxes at all. A capitalist society without an actively interfering state would not be capable of surviving as a cohesive society at all. At least communism has a stateless society without hierarchy as its ideal end goal even if it is likely true that human nature would always ruin it, most probably before it could ever even get that far.
Jesus this video brought a tear to my eye and then the audible ad came in lol.
Yeah it probably would’ve been a good idea to not include it in this video....
Having to play by capitalism's rules does not diminish the integrity of the criticism one may have for that system. You can hate your employer and still show up to work for them every day.
I don't fault second thought for it but the irony made me laugh ngl
@@Sbaliosa I mean, sure but it probably does if you're shilling Amazon. There's plenty of other companies that aren't as capitalistic and insane as Amazon. Nobody's gonna deride him for putting it on RUclips and enabling ads. It's the only way it is, but advertising Audible isn't the only way.
@@midgetwars1 You're missing the point here. This guy needs to pay the bills, Amazon is paying his bills. He's gotta take what he can get.
I definitely know I’m a socialist, in the US. When I had a family dinner with some of my family when I said I was a socialist my extremely republican uncle just seemed slightly angry then slightly upset that there was a socialist in the family. That’s my coming out story for being a socialist I just can’t wait until he learns I’m also bisexual.
Probably calmer than when you came out as socialist.
@@DavidRamirez-se2yt Yeah the Right's actually (comparatively) cooler with gay people and other demographics than they used to be. At least as long as they're also Rightwing.
It probably would be better to be LGBT than a socialist to plenty of them.
There was a time when my mother said "I'd rather find out you're gay than you're a Democrat."
I'm not gay, though both of us have since gone much further left. In her case, it was more of an "oh shit" moment seeing the GOP nakedly engage in a race to the bottom.
It seems nowadays the republican party isn't even trying to hide or dress up their bigotry lmaoo, they sort of bring up crazy ideas, and people just got desensitized to it.
@@goonerbear8659I am gay and a lifetime democrat who is tired of democrats somehow always falling short of much actual change. Ill still vote for them every time. They are infinitely better than republicans.
You should have broken down why the mainstream narrative equates “socialism” with “authoritarianism”, and also about how large corporations allowed to exist unchecked in a free market capitalism are inherently i democratic and in fact authoritarian themselves.
So this dichotomy is kind of a fake one, since socialism can only be truly obtained through revolution, no matter if you're a ML or an anarchist or a trotskyist, or whatever else. Revolution is inherently authoritarian since the authority of the proletariat must be specifically wielded to keep the means of production and political power in the hands of the proletariat. Political authority is also necessary for any truly socialist system to remove the bourgeoisie from power. The true differences lie in where that authority is vested. In all forms of capitalism, that authority is held by the few members of the bourgeoisie and exercised on the working classes in a top-down fashion (up to and even including petty bourgeoisie.) In socialism, that authority is held communally by the proletariat, and wielded bottom-up. So I think that a better classification than a confusing libertarian-authoritarian axis would be where the power is based. I'm not going to get into factionalism and describing the different schools of leftist thought, so this is where this comment must end.
@@skore9975 I'd like to believe that socialism can be achieved without force, but that does seem idealistic and not ever how it's historically worked. Revolution is authoritarian, it's true, so you could say socialism will always have an authoritarian element that is exercised by the proletariat against capital. It's unfortunate that capitalists will take that nugget of truth and use it to associate socialism with a kind of rigid, fascistic 1984 type society, when in reality socialism will be less restrictive for the individual than our current liberal order
Because it is unstable and can only exist long term under an authoritarian regime.
@@LD-tn6ff except it's always been a Democratic republic, not a democracy.
Why does everyone forget that?
Thus, these reforms, under the right terms, would absolutely be around.
What's Libertarian Socialism? You got me curious!
Here's the thing, I think many people on the Right (especially rural conservatives) would agree that all of these concepts are great. It's hard to argue that free healthcare, free education, more power in the workplace, etc. sound like amazing, almost utopian concepts. But it's that last part that's the sticking point - this all sounds *too good* to be true. The arguments against Socialism aren't that it's immoral, but that it's not practical and that it trends towards collapse, and that systems like neoliberal capitalism aren't perfect but get us closer to those goals then pie in the sky Socialism. People see examples like Venezuela and say "I don't want my country to end up like that". My FIL is basically Socialist in his thoughts, but remains a rigid conservative because he's been convinced it's the only system that works.
A much more effective follow-up video that I'd love to see would be one analyzing why Socialist systems fail, why some succeed, and how your proposed American Socialist system would avoid the trappings and pitfalls that the Right is so afraid of. I think a video like that would be much better at convincing people this system is worth a try.
Add that to the possibilities inherent in identity politics that tends to come packaged with socialism nowadays, and many self-proclaimed classical liberals don't really feel like they have a choice.
How does capitalism work? Bezos makes 1000000000x more than any member of the working class. Is that capitalism working as intended? People were mercilessly exploited just so I could type this comment here. Is it working as intended? Multi national mega corps being given control over the natural resources of developing countries. Is it working as intended? Conglomerates conspiring to manipulate the very workings of the minds of the people for the sole sake of profit. Is it working as intended? Our delicate planet is being thoughtlessly exploited to and has already been massacred beyond the point of no return. Is it working as intended? Because if it's working as intended I don't want a system that works like that, and I don't know why anyone would, except for their being indoctrinated into believing it's the only way to do things.
but these utopian concepts exists elsewhere. people love to claim that Venezuela is socialist when all they do is try to emulate the policies found in Nordic countries. the only difference is that the United States doesnt embargo Nordic countries.
@@yepstill8773 It's clear we need to help the bottom percent and cut off the top percent, but we should still have a capitalism - _based_ economy. The free market simply gets a lot more done without the complications of popular opinion, it's just inherent. The problems lie in the extreme growth of the rich at the expense of the poor, when capitalism is left unconstrained in its goal of profit. OP is correct. We need a system that combines socialistic elements that benefit everyone, some elements to help the bottom few percent live better lives, but also a fair amount of capitalism and merit-rewarding economy. Why should you work a highly prestigious job if you get paid the same as a much lower skill job? Once incentives to work for the qualifications of higher status jobs are removed, people simply won't choose to go through with that, because let's face it, excepting the people who are really passionate about such jobs (which there won't be enough of), most people are too lazy to work a ton for goals they don't care about and don't get tangible benefits from.
It's clear we need to take some of Bezos' billions and redistribute them, but we need to do it in a way that still gives people incentives to self improve and to dedicate effort to long term goals of status. There will inherently be a bottom 10% in any form of freedom, but we can do our best to minimize the gap between each socioeconomic tier of the population, while still allowing for a small gap that encourages people to go the extra mile and still be doctors, or lawyers, or whatever. We should pay teachers and janitors and restaurant workers more, and executives less, but it's ok for there to be a difference. We just cannot afford to let profit be the sole motivation anymore, and to let the difference be so staggering.
Bezos doesn't need those billions, but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve some benefits as the top of the tier. It's also worth making sure that people don't just inherit companies, they have to prove themselves capable and worthy of holding upper positions. More of a meritocracy than capitalism or socialism.
@Will Mungas Capitalism and the free market are fundamentally opposing concepts. The profit
motive, which is imperative, drives the capitalist to make decisions that undermine the freedom of the market. Thus, it is inevitable that the free market under
capitalism devolves into a monopolized, duopolized, or oligopolized market.
Why is the pursuit of profit imperative(and thus inescapable) for the capitalist?
Such is the very nature of the free market. If the capitalist does not pursue profit, another capitalist will pursue profit, and that means, ultimately, attempting to undermine the freedom of the market, and consequentially driving other capitalists out of the market.
Is the undermining of the free market the only way for the capitalist to pursue profit?
It is not the only way for the capitalist to pursue profit. However, to undermine the free market is the ultimate goal of all other means of pursuit of profit. Thus, the subversion of the free market is the ultimate goal of the capitalist, and every capitalist finds himself in a race to establish restrictive dominion over the market. If a capitalist does not engage in this race, he will inevitably be driven out of the market by another capitalist who has chosen to engage in the race towards dominion of the market.
Does not competition among capitalists in the free market serve to combat this?
Competition can only delay the inevitable demise of the freedom in the market at the hands of the capitalist. The more capitalists there are at an equal level in the race towards the dominion of the market, the longer it will take for restrictive control to be established over the market.
Cannot restrictions be put in place to restrict the abilities of capitalists to engage in monopolistic practices?
Any sufficiently restrictive rules that would strip the capitalist of his ability to engage in monopolistic practices, will completely undermine on its own the freedom that it was supposed to protect.
But is that still not preferable to the capitalist’s dominion of the market?
While it is indeed preferable, restricting the freedom of the players of the market is not a good way of preserving the freedom of the market, obviously.
This is part of one of my essays against capitalism and I hope you at least can see how it's fundamentally opposed to the idea of a free market. Also realize that a free market is not exclusive to capitalist economies.
The American Dream, you have to be asleep to believe it. - George Carlin
Just a reminder. If workers were able to do their job better than the "managers", what stops them from leaving and starting their own company?
They fail to realise thats all they can do. They cant run a business.
@@ericcartmann ok but generally "managers" dont do the same work as workers. So its not so much about the workers being able to do a managers job better, but rather do managers actually provide any tangible benifit a worker cant? Do managers actually provide labor?
Said the guy that made millions telling jokes. Please.
@@TribuneAquila managers do put in labour, even the CEO does. They still put in the hours, but they make rules on behalf of the shareholders. There are large coops that have managers and CEOs, the CEOs are elected, and the profit stays in the company, so the workers control the higher ups, rather than shareholders. Managers arent the problem. It's kinda like with cops. They do put in work but sadly its defending the order of capitalism.
@@kamk8232 And if he didn't make those millions, you'd say he's just a free loader or something lol. Just because some people are very successful doesn't negate that we have grave inequality, death to preventable diseases, poor work/life balance, etc.
My favorite thing when someone decries something as "SOCIALISM!!!1" is to ask them to define it. More often than not, they can't, and boy do they get pissy when you tell them "You can't even define what you're using to decry something. Why the hell should I care about what you have to say about this matter?"
@@thomasmaughan4798 No, it's _public_ means of production. Look it up.
@@thomasmaughan4798 lmao stop commenting on every comment that dislikes the right how much free time do you have
@@aguyonasiteontheinternet Obviously they have too much. Probably because RUclips comments are their form of validation, and they don't spend most of their time doing anything, even fun non-productive things. Oh well.
@Thomas Maughan: If you have enough free time to hate on anything and anyone that disagree's with you, then by your own view of the world, you have enough time to fix your life and make it better away from these "evil libs" and "socialist communists" right? Why spend so much time yelling at a void of people you hate when even you admit they won't listen? Just wasting time...and that is something no mortal being can afford.
Before the misterms, I was called a communist online for radical ideas like when an oil company makes 15B in a quarter, its price gouging. Like raising the minimum wage is a good thing because workers spend their money here when corporations make money it goes to stock buy backs and squirrelled away off shore. Also, dont listen to billionaires on the state of the economy.
socialism is unprivatizing the means of production. I still disagree with that.
Well, the comment section here is going to be interesting
go hide in our bunkers
@@It_Is_I_I estimate arrival of unstable people at 3 hours.
Prepare the popcorn!🍿
@@jonathanwilson5355 don't forget the drinks
@@jonathanwilson5355 Everyone in the community hates capitalism, or has a keemstar-type RUclipsr reacted to this and sent his fans to shit talk about this video?
Lmao everyone sounding off in the comments about being comrades, we love to see it!
MY DEAR COMRADES 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
@@marcostargaryen4181 my fellow American!
@JC1985 now let's eat the rich
The only thing we have to lose is our chains!
Comrade!
making a video on socialism that's sponsored by the bezos owned audible is just so funny to me, great video though
@@transon6655 but they surely don't need to rely on "capitalist pigs" for that... do they? lol
I feel like its even funnier that the company agreed to sponsor him.
As lenin once said “the capitalists will sell us the rope with which we will hang them”
Lol, he could've had another deal with a smaller company
@@t.3465 That's a dumb way to look at it. Nobody really wants to go all-in on socialism, most countries just adopt socialist programs(as has USA actually) to give a better quality of life.
@Jasper Smith lol
I'am definitely a socialist, as an older black man in American, being in business for most of my life, what could ever go wrong with a system enacted solely on more and more profit or "GREED" .
@@user-gu9yq5sj7c It's also selfish to think that your business deserves to exist even if you are unable to provide adequate enough compensation and working conditions for your workers.
If things get so bad that a *labor union* is willingly formed and protests for change, you're probably doing something wrong, and your business is already at risk of failing anyway.
@@cubesolver2564 so you think no new restaurant should ever exist? 90% already fail with paying sub minimum wage. literally no mom and pop restaurant could afford to pay every server 80k+ which is "liveable". You're against big corporations but then what you suggest can only foster big business with such high entry requisitions
me in real life: socialist that wants everyone to live and not just survive day by day
my GTA account: 💰💰💰💵💵💵📈📈📈
Lmaooooo
Add me on psn: FiLiP836
Me
Me in real life: Socialist
Me while gaming: Either a nazi or an ancap
Me in real life: a socialist who believe in the abolition of billionaires and throwing elon musk into a pool of flaming lego
Me playing Kerbal Space Program: alrighty jebbediah it's money laundering time
I used to be anti-socialist till I really started reading about it objectively and was like "I agree completely" it's amazing the effectiveness of the propaganda in popular media to beat this false idea of socialism into my head.
Wait so you now believe in proletarian siezure of the means of production, an abolishment of private property and wage labor, and the destruction of commodity form?
@@oracle8192 socialism is always tied to communism, it just ain’ gonna work.
I think you think that socialism is pretty much like russia leaving durable and potato is dirty kind a way
@@onefix8816 explain why that would be the case? And tell me how many countries in Europe are communist because of their social healthcare systems and schools?
In my perspective what you are saying is an extremely selective perspective of 2 countries and missing out all the other countries. Like most countries besides America.. while even some states are quite socialistic.
@@remco6816 there's a difference between social programs, and socialism. True socialism is the equal-distribution of goods across a nation.
It’s like “do you want things easier and no mad poor people to bug you?”
And the right says “no”
Sure. Thats why conservatives invented the social market economy. Greetings from Germany. The Land which kicked their Communists out 30years ago
And you ask “what? why??”
And they say “cause I want money, now”
If being bugged by people makes money they it makes money.
As a German, a lot of the things addressed in this video are implemented and work fairly well in our country
But i think it still has a lot of capitalism, not the people should work for the industry - the industry should work for the PEOPLE!
There is universal health care (in US terms), there are certain protections that may be less secure in the US and religious fanatics seem way less dangerous in germany. (They still are.) But if you‘re poor or marginalized in any other way in germany, you‘re not really that much better off (if at all). There are still actual fascists and neonazis in the parliament, official government institutions will ignore a right wing terrorists group of serial murderers for a decade, refugees are treated without dignity - and a lot more.
On the other hand, germany seems to not have such visible anti-racist and anti-colonial movements, at least not to my perception, compared to the US. E.g. the Black history of germany is extremely underresearched and invisible. BIPoC anti-racists are very underapprechiated and acknowleged.
Not to talk the US better than it is or germany worse than it is, but I guess it‘s always quite complex.
@@Alina_Schmidt Sorry, but as a German myself, I can only agree with you that we've got it better than the ultracapitalist hellscape that is the US of A. Germany sadly isn't all that socialist at all. Yes, we've got a bare minimum social safety net and don't pay anywhere near as much as for an education as Americans do. But we've got plenty of hypercapitalism for the working class - especially for the seldom talked about but enormous group of people at the lowest end of the economic scale - to "enjoy" and our mainstream political parties are veeeery capitalistic in their policies at home and abroad. Just ask a greek leftist what you should think of the socialism of Germany.
True, the CDU are not overall as brazenly bigotted as are the Republicans and even most of the Democrats are in the US, but they suck plenty and the rest of the mainstream isn't too far off from them. They are all Neoliberals, at least since fucking pear shaped Kohl. Look it up Alina. (Seriously, do, if politics means anything at all to you.) They all suck. Except maybe for the "Linke" (Left) Party, but they are terminal sufferers of the foot in mouth disease and are shut out from power by the other parties.
I'm usually quite annoyed how Germany and Europe is often portrayed as some sort of socialist utopia in the US. IT IS NOT. We've all got to get our shit together politically. Germany is fucked. France is fucked. Britain is fucked. All governed by adherents to the tenents of mostly unfettered market liberalism. They all get by on giving lip service to being morally concerned about serious problems like poverty, exploitation, climate change, rent, you name it and NOT DOING ANTYTHING MEANINGFUL ABOUT IT! Sorry ... rant over.
@@theo_lp I own a Pastry shop. I am going to work very hard for 20 years and have enough saving to open a new Pastry shop on the other side of town. I'll hire a worker to run the new shop. I'll again do the same, again and again. Is this allowed in socialism ?
@@dhotekaraman2320 today in germany, yes.
But in socialism it would also be allowed if you give your workers a fair share for their work( this means that you need to pay them the most of the surplus value). And have them all uninonised. And if the shop would Have higher profits than last year you would be forced to give them a pay raise that matches the profit.
me: Dad I'm a socialist
My south Korean Dad: Haisshhh! (hits me with bamboo stick)
South Korea is inherently socialist though
Yeah anti-socialist propaganda... Fun
@PCMASTERACE my dad is korean tho my mom is Chinese sooo... (clashing in household noises)
@@liquidminds or South Koreans just have common sense.
Look how quickly Vietnam adopted capitalist systems into their economic model after driving out all *DE EVUL CAPITALIST AMERICANS*
Nothing says "not-capitalist" like having McDonald's in every city amirite?
Coming from the EU, where literally every country has a state-run healthcare, a retirement schema, unemployment benefits, long-term care for people with disabilities (and this applies even for the poor countries), I find it absurd how the US disregards basic human decency as being anti-freedom.
Glad that I live in a socialist Europe.
Europe, unfortunately is not socialist. It is still very capitalist and something tells me that you don't actually live in europe considering that you don't realize that.
Last time I checked, europe has not had the overthrowing of private property and enterprise nor has it had a proletarian revolution and siezure of the means of production. Now since I'm a communist I wish that it did! I love communism and I love socialism
Indeed. Except Poland and Hungary, we are all free to travel, get the right school and speak out without not much of a restriction. It's really awesome, but I still don't understand, why some people tend to be "unhappy" and tend to go to extremes (anti-vaxx, radical rightists and so on = sometimes i just call them stupid or uneducated)
Not socialist, social democracy
@@jpgames4073 I'm sorry but what do you mean by "Except Poland and Hungary"? While I do not agree with anything the polish government is doing, what you said is a big overstatement.
europe isn't socialist
As a devout Catholic, I feel that socialism is closer to my beliefs than any other system which is why I'm a socialist as well. It's a system that wants equality for all and recognizes that everyone is important and that we all must work together to make society work. We need it more than ever
You are an amazing person, I truly mean it.
@@americancommunist6076 thank you 😀
@@jamesgudgeon453 So is forced taxation and not paying your bills.
capitalism also recognizes that everyone is important and that we must all work together
@@thomasmaughan4798 its not because you don't own the means of production that you are not important, plus, if the means of production go to the workers there will not be any incentive for entrepreurs to create new buisness or innovate
Well.. I’m a socialist.. I believe what gets in the way with most people is the ego.. the feeling that your only special if someone else is not.. if you have more than them. The failure to understand everyone is a unique specialist and we are here to share that uniqueness with each other that by nature will enrich the lived experience
Once you realise that the drive to feel special by beating someone else at the game is a capitalist mindset you’ll eventually come to understand that it’s also a very common trait of toxic masculinity.
Then at some point you’ll realise that capitalism relies on queer phobia, nuclear families, heteronormativity, racism and this game like mindset.
The "potluck analogy" was very clever on your part, commendations, great vid too!❤ (You also know what's ironic, the fact that 6 year olds have better mortality than executive CEO`s.)
@Justin B😂😂
Most potlucks ibe been to is just various bags of junk food, marshmellows and cheap soda XD. I think this is a pretty apt analogy for socialism, he never brings up the inherent selfishness the common person is capable of. Socialism is practically a utopia the way he describes it. But we for sure do need to change our prison, education, amd healthcare system. The fact is no system will be perfect, capitalism harness humanities inherent greed and competitiveness. Not so certain socialism will curb these behaviors, only exacerbate them in the long run.
The potluck analogy is pretty clever but also shows the problem for exemple imagine that instead of everyone bringing something different everyone just brings doritos so no diversity
I live in the Netherlands and my civics teacher said how the US is run that it is not or barely a democracy
They are correct.
One of the most naked dictatorships of the bourgeoisie
China ; one party
US ; two party ( witch do just the same )
@@bagchasingbandit6274 unfortunately it is not that either
@@bagchasingbandit6274 yes the Netherlands is also not a direct domecracy its a parlemantary democracy we vote for a party and it depends how many votes they have how many seats they will have in the room
BTW: no party can own more then 50 percent of the seats
So there are multiple groups and not just left or right but together mashed together forced to come to a agreement
humanity: nobody deserves to suffer
americans: eww
"but its more profitable for them to suffer" - capitalists
@@elin4364 even if they don't want them to suffer they still would have to make them suffer to get more money to make a bigger company which leads to more suffering, more money, bigger company and it just repeats until there is a economic crises.
What?
@@JastwatchingYT capitalism in a nutshell. The capitalists aren't evil, they're just people like us. It's the system that pushes them to do stuff that we consider evil
@Dillon McCluskey we don't want "free handouts" lol we want what we deserve
I remember when i was in 5th grade, i though the world was so unfair. I invented my own social system where everyone would have their base needs taken care of, but people who contribute more to society could effectively "cash-in" those contributions for nicer things.
I told my friends about it cuz i was excited that i may have found a solution to a lot of world suffering, and was immediately called a socialist and communist like they were horrible dirty words. I dont remember what my mom said, but she was probably uncomfortable with her kid being excited about socialism.
Spent my whole life since then thinking this system would never work and that it was a pipe dream that everyone else though was evil. Thank you so much for reawakening my true beliefs! Ive been binging your videos the last week and its been giving me so much hope that change can happen
I'm waiting for the 100 Bazillion, no iPhone, Vuvuzuela comments 😂
Communism is when no iphone
@@alvarosilva9527 JAJSJAJA vuvuzuela
@@alvarosilva9527 anarcho communism would be no private property.... communism is the collective ownership of the means of production.... Marx would have no problem with you ordering and iphone of amazon.... he would have a problem with Jeff Bezos owning Amazon
@@LoFiAxolotl the failings of Anarcho-Communism/Marxism is that they always run into a brick wall with the fact that without Jeff Bezos, there would be no Amazon. Without Steve Jobs there would be no iPhone, without Elon Musk, no Tesla/Hyperloop/SpaceX... a synthesis of all systems is what will be required to find balance, rather than one system -capitalism/Marxism/Socialism/Communism etc- competing for dominant control.
“But what they all have in common is a belief in equality, dignity, and the value of human life; and that’s something we should all agree upon.”
I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with evangelical conservatives that indicated, quite clearly, that they don’t agree on the value of ALL human life.
Do you respect the lives of the unborn? Oh yeah, they're "just a clump of cells."
Your hypocrisy is disgusting...
@Gauthama Siddharth My life > your life.
See what I did there? You people really make me sick.
@@travisbrunner2922 the mother’s autonomy>the fetuses right to come to term. It doesn’t matter if the clump of cells is a baby or not, the mother’s right to control her own body supersedes the fetuses right to life, full stop. Would you let someone remove one of your kidneys to save a person’s life against your will? No? Then you have no right to refuse the right of bodily autonomy to any woman.
@@travisbrunner2922 "the lives of the unborn" is an oxymoron
@@hithere5553 thats like saying i have a right to kill you because my life is more important than someone else’s, unless you’re making the argument that a fetus isn’t living, your argument makes no sense. Also 99% of cases are going to be people who willingly had sex knowing there is a possibility of conception. Most cases of abortion are straight murder of a human life and if you want that legalized that fine but I hate that people try and say that a fetus isn’t alive. You get charged with double murder if you kill a pregnant woman; why is it different if its the mother doing the killing. I feel like this kind of talk is extremely selfish of the individual and is barbaric.
That pot luck example is great. That's the world I want to live in.
Ya, but imagine being forced to go to a pot luck.
@@scott2696 food
@@scott2696 that means free fucking food, hell yes.
@@utrix_1121 What about the food you had to pay for
@@kenabbott8585You do realize that's not how world works right? You really think that we'll just built our own nation an expect it to be all peachy. Capitalism is literally exastubating so many systems that are pushing the biosphere to collapse. If socialists decided to make our own little potluck the ice caps will still melt and the Anthropocene with still cause a mass extinction. Billions of people are in poverty and capitalism has no answer to this other than 'wait a few generations and your descendants will live barely ok on a dying planet while all the quadrillionares have fucked off'. Capitalism is only good for the 1%, the capital owners, those who cause the most damage and will face the least consequences for this. If you actually had your self-interest at heart, you know as the 99%, the laborers, those who actually do the work. You'd understand socialists and those who wish to provide alternatives to modern capitalism a bit better.
Americans find it hard to believe, but in the USSR we had free:
- apartments with 2-3 rooms for a family. All our parents and grandfathers in the cities had such apartments. Yes, the apartments were not very comfortable and beautiful. But they had central heating, electricity, hot water and gas. These utilities cost ridiculous money.
- all medicine. Yes, it was inferior to the best Western medicine. But it was available to everyone and no one bred for money. There was no big pharma. Great attention was paid to prevention, physical education. The health of most people was much better. In the 1990s, after the collapse of the USSR, the population of Russia (as well as Ukraine and all post-Soviet countries simply died out).
- all education from kindergartens to universities.
- children's clubs, sports clubs, music schools, summer camps (for free or at a ridiculous price) and so on.
In addition, there were many things that could not be explained. Even in cities, people could not close their doors, crime is low. No one was afraid for the children. No drug addicts, perverts, terrorists and other things. The choice of food was smaller, but the quality was much higher than modern.
At the same time, the USSR lost a huge number of people and resources in the war, which threw the country back for many years. And after the war, it spent a lot of money in the confrontation with NATO because of the fear of a repeat of the war.
The USSR was born on the wreckage of the Russian Empire after the First World War and the Civil War. It was a poor, dilapidated country with an uneducated population. After 40 years (despite the huge military losses), we had nuclear power and Yuri Gagarin.
And I will add more. Putin and modern Russia have nothing to do with socialism and the USSR! This is wild semi-authoritarian capitalism at the stage of capital accumulation. Tell everyone about it!
i didn't really know what socialism is except for the fact that it is a huge thing that encompases things like communisim, stalinism, marxisim, etc. i thought it was okay, but after in depth research and this video, as a economic system, it's an upgrade in nearly everything. i have been converted.
Please give some examples, what upgrades are you refering to?
@@microsoftwordtm they're reffering to the upgrade in which they do the same amount of work and recieve much more.
@@MomoKunDaYo can you come with some specific details instead? I hear alot of just "It's better, trust me it just is"
@@MomoKunDaYo I think the PRC is a lot better after they privatized many of their industries. And of course the USSR had a higher population than America and spent about three times more of it's GDP on the military. And yet along several axis America alone was stronger than the entire Eastern Bloc.
During 1970 the average wait time for a house in the Soviet Union was 10 years. They couldn't give their War veterans wheelchairs despite the fact that it would have looked very good politically and radically increased the average productivity of their society.
It is one thing to believe that some other form of socialism is an improvement upon capitalism. But even Noam Chomsky would not go as far so is to say that stalinism is superior to American capitalism. He said that bolshevism was a right-wing movement as evidenced by the fact that they crushed unions to consolidate their power.
The death toll from famine during the 1920s and 30s was all so quite high (during the Yalta conference Stalin confided in Churchill that 10 million had died during collectivization). And you can't just blame it on the fact that Russia fought a bad War that destroyed their harvests, as that happened under Napoleon as well and get history records no horrific famine following. Probably farmers in the North had a bad year, but not one notable enough to make the history books.
the roads were literally clogged with Jews fleeing into Nazi Germany during the annexation of the baltics. That is how bad the Soviet Union was perceived to be by those who bordered it.
I assume that nobody here can possibly get their mind changed about anything, but I just feel like there should at least be the rather obvious counter arguments available for people to read should they so choose.
as an economic system socialism is an utopia. it goes against human nature. there has to be reward for work one puts in (profit), it just has to be regulated to not be too exploitative. everybody being equal and earning their "fair share" is a dream. there is a reason why there is still an established hierarchy and people being exploited in all countries that have attempted socialism while the standard of living is total crap.
I grew up during the cold war and was brainwashed into thinking that leftist reforms were "a slippery slope into communism." It is really hard to change my thinking that socialism is not communism, and I'm glad that channels like Second Thought exists that educate those of us who need to know about topics like socialism without falling into the trap of calling everything "communist"
And i hope you know already what communism means, be safe.
Woah woah woah what's wrong with a slippery slope into communism?
Communism is great! Embrace it!
@@oracle8192 I think communsim is an unreachable ideal. Planned economy just doesn't work. I think that an Europe with more socalist values and less capitalism is the most realistic way to go.
@@derblaue I do hope you know that europe is capitalist
@@warpdrive9229 I think you're conflating or confusing Communism with Stalinism, Leninism and Maoism. These were not Marxist Communism by any stretch of the imagination. They were Totalitarian cults of personality with rigid planned economies. They were products of pretty warped misinterpretations of Marxist theory. Real Communism is about as libertarian as you can get: decentralized, direct democracy, no hierarchical leadership. Communities, Co-ops and communes working together cooperatively and in coordinated effort to meet the needs of individuals and societies.
Far fetched now? Perhaps. But give it a few centuries when we are in real deep into being a post-scarcity society and I think it will be inevitable. And that won't be a bad thing.
I wasn't ready to see Michael Brooks this early..... I miss him so much..
He was an amazing person.
Rip brooks
I was laughing a few seconds earlier because of the liberals he showed on screen, but once Brooks showed up I got teary eyed right away. ❤️ Rest in Power.
I completely owe Michael Brooks to introducing me to Richard Wolff who then truly helped shape my views. RIP Brooks
@@SecondThought thank you for the work you’re doing. Keep it up. Rest in power Michael.
The more of your videos I watch, the more I get frustrated that I will probably never see this future.
@logans3365 You might be frustrated... but, have you ever thought that capitalism works in such a way, in order to have people frustrated and lose focus, in order to maintain its power?
Because, the more fog they provide for our vision, the harder it is for us to have courage.
The bourgeoisie prefer to keep us down, so that they make 100% of our lives.
We must not let them! We must try to clear our vision! Those bloodsuckers want us down.
Let us say: NO MORE.
They will not rob us off our Revolutionary Optimism!
Fight back will all your might, comrade!
“You’re probably already a socialist.”
*Me who has been mainlining Marx audiobooks for the past two years:* “you don’t say.”
Listening from ur iphone made by evil capitalist corporation?? Give it back to the worker that made it, since he made ur phone its pretty much his
@@tiagop1410 damn owned youre so smart......
@@JohnSmith-wv5km My idol Karl Marx said that workers own everything they build, so thats why i gave back my house to the construction guys that built it
@@tiagop1410 damn you really brought out the iPhone argument 😂😂😂 guess who developed touchscreens? The government. who developed gps? The government. who developed all the science necessary to make them? Universities with public funding. who makes them? Workers who get a tiny amount of money per money generated for the company.
Also just because we participate in capitalism now (which we don’t really have a choice about, you either participate or die) doesn’t mean we can demand something better
@@tiagop1410 Marx didn’t say that workers own what they build, he said workers should own the things necessary to build them (like the factories, the delivery trucks, the stores, the design centers) and that they should own the company democratically so that they can make decisions about their work themselves without a corporate bureaucracy
“We’re demanding either a federal job guarantee or universal basic income, along with a budget that represents the needs of working people rather than the rich.” - MLK
Damn I didn't know MLK was a shitty socdem, sad!
@Estex it would help those in need the most, so I contend your statement isn’t entirely accurate
@@oracle8192 I’m a socialist and I love mlk. Stop being self defeatist and tearing down allies. You have much more in common w a socdem than a conservative or neoliberal
@Estex ok then do a job guarantee. I really don’t care we aren’t getting socialism I’ll fucking take welfare while the world burns
Me being one that understands things well but cannot communicate my understandings to others in a debate, really appreciates your video essays. Not only do I agree with you, but I use your videos to help describe to others how I understand things. Thank you and keep up the great work!
I've struggled with this for a long time and it's quite frustrating when you can't get your formal thoughts across to people arguing against you. I'm relieved to see that I'm not the only one. I keep searching for classes that can help me articulate better, but I agree with you that these videos are the next best thing. I'm grateful to you for expressing this and grateful to Second Thought for bringing me here.
Agreed. I not only feel this is the way to do things, but that it's vital for the future of our society. We can never truly come together and work towards a better world for all if we continue to put profits before people.
@@obedientconsumer5056 Exactly what I've been saying, thank you!
Capitalism: more power to the system
Socialism: more power to the people
I'm a social worker, so yes to this.
Although, your sponsor is ironic.
@Ann Campbell I think you are looking at it the wrong way; me and you rely on society and the labour of others to live, and we pay that back by making our own contribution, that’s what socialism is about: Society, everyone works to benefit the individual, and individuals work for the benefit of society, everyone. You get what you need and provide what you can, it’s as simple as that.
@Ann Campbell capitalism is literally objectively capitalists taking the fruits of their workers’ labour. There’s no way going around that.
@Ann Campbell maybe not, but that doesn’t change facts.
@Ann Campbell dude I'm just poping and I would like if you responded to the first guy that tagged you. He makes a really good point
@Ann Campbell Dude, you're describing markets, which have existed long before capitalism. The main thing that differentiates capitalism from other economic systems is the relation between capitalist and worker, or in more modern terms, between employer and employee. Simplified, for the employer to make a profit, they have to pay their employees less than their labour is actually worth. How much do you think Jeff Bezos'd make without any employees? All profits are basically stolen wages.
I used to be very much Authoritarian Right, but just watching videos like these showing capitalism’s downfalls and how much authoritarian leaders are bad for us I turned into a libertarian leftist, so I just want to say thanks for helping me become more reasonable and helpful to others.
That's great man. I'm proud of you.
Obedient Consumer Hey thanks, proud of myself too ngl 😄
Literally had this realization 3 days ago
And now you are on the train arriving at principled marxism! I bid you well and cannot wait for your arrival
I realized this when I read the bible
YAY!!!
I would still be working in retail, and happily, if the workplace was democratic. I genuinely enjoy working in customer service because I enjoy helping people.
Just a personal story to all those, that say you can’t run a company or store like that. When I started out as a ”manager“ for a small electronics store from a bigger chain ( We had 6 sections with one person each) I called them together and explained that it’s my first store and I would need their help managing it. So we sat together and discussed changes from the way it was ran before: We cut the extra pay, that dependent on value sold and increased the wages of everybody flat. (Later we took that money and decided to use it for medical costs, when someone needed surgery or couldn’t afford a treatment because corporate forced all to work just below full time) Next we agreed on each being able to run their departments as they want. No minimum sales or upselling. My job was it to get everybody what they needed to run their area as good as possible. If there was trouble between them I had to moderate and I took care of planing stuff etc. In the first two month, profits went down but then they started to skyrocket. When I asked customers why they decided to buy at our place they told me that it’s because they don’t feel exploited or got just what they wanted. After a few month I hired an additional person to drive to older people and help them with their problems at home or with installing things like a TV. Now almost the entire town buys their electronics at our store and we are one of the most lucrative stores, compared to size and workforce.
Nice😏
Based
Based and socialismpilled
That's how one should charter the environment they're in... with a moral compass!
Oh trust me, I KNOW I am lol
same here
Amen
@@olhi8445 “Vegan socialist” Jesus F*ing Christ, Stalin and Che are probably rolling in their graves seeing what their movement has become...
@@tiagop1410 what's wrong with being a vegan socialist?
@@tiagop1410 Good. Let them keep rolling. Their version of socialism was fucked up from the start. Time to give more power to the people instead of to the government/the rich.
I remember 2 years ago I thought socialism was a dumb ideology. Then I read more, learned more, 2020 radicalized the hell out of me, I realized that racism and capitalism were directly linked, how the state is responsible for upholding this unjust hierarchy and boom: now I’m an anarchist. Crazy how fast you can change in such a short amount of time.
I applaud you! Any advice on how to root friends that have fallen into a more right-wing ideology trap in reality? What worked for you?
@@Zabuzakashi Depends on how far deep they are honestly. The best cure for ignorance though is education and how you frame that education. My advice would be to take it slow, criticize the Dems and Republicans in a soft way. Highlight the flaws in the system and how capitalist liberalism fails on its problem of freedom and equality. Keep inching towards the possibility for change outside of the established political realm. It’ll take time, all of my close friends are socialists now cause I just talked to them about stuff. Good luck comrade!
Gotta love the europeans in here thinking they already have socialism.
Yeah, I'm kind of disappointed by my fellow European, a lot of them seem to think our governments are so much advanced and have achieve equality. The blinders people put to ignore their own societies' issues are quite impressive.
@FrigidOven Years of reactionary propaganda and the carrot of the EU, plus unequal exchange, labor aristocracy and the half-assed solutions that they gave to the proletariat so that they wouldn't demand to have every right that the USSR provided. Every damn thing has gone downhill since the fall of the Soviet Union.
Socialism is when the government does stuff.
And it's more socialism the more stuff it does.
And if it does hell lot of stuff is communism.
-Richard Wolff
we gotta get the government to stop the government from doing anything
oh wait that's congress
@SICELO BHEKI BAFANA KHUMALO me too lmfoa
@SICELO BHEKI BAFANA KHUMALO no I was not that's literally what Richard Wolff said 😉😉
This is awesome!
He knows marxism
*robot rock plays*
Really, being a Socialist is just being a well-informed decent human being at this point. Everyone else seems to be either well-meaning but ill informed, disillusioned about the possibility for thing to change, complacent and disinterested or just straight up evil.
The goal of socialism is communism
@@SCHMALLZZZ Based on what? This is literally the same as saying: The goals of Nationalism/Conversatism is fascism.
Exactly.
@@thomasmaughan4798 God you're an idiot. Socialism is literally the opposite of what you're describing here. It's caring for your fellow men, fighting against exploitation and marginalization and wanting to bring about social change for greater equality. We don't want "free stuff", we want everyone's basic needs to be met. Are you implying that some people aren't worth food, shelter and healthcare? We don't want everyone to be a billionaire, in fact we would prefer no one to have that kind of wealth and power. And being well informed in this case just means recognizing the tremendous harm capitalism is doing to our society and planet, which is fairly obvious and pretty hard to miss. But judging by your rhetoric, you're probably incredibly sheltered and never ventured out of your American conservative bubble, brainwashed by propaganda and/or dishonest and in denial because you're profiting from the capitalist system as it is. I advise you to travel. Go to a third-world country and spend some time there, I'm sure that will give you some perspective.
@@thomasmaughan4798 OK, so let's entangle some of that mess here:
"Socialism is a political, social, and economic philosophy encompassing a range of economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production"
First of all, do you really think the entire scope of an ideology can be summed up in just two lines from a Wikipedia article? To me, socialism is the logical end result of the things I mentioned. Ending capitalism is the best thing we can do to end a tremendous amount of suffering in this world. Everything else, like charity, is just a temporary band aid on the way there.
"Everything of any consequence in the history of mankind was done by someone that was not equal. Superior, actually."
Not entirely sure what that's supposed to mean, but it seems to be a variation on the old "history is written by the strong" fallacy. First of all, that's not true. History is full of examples of people rising up against a more powerful enemy and changing the course of history (the French Revolution for example, or the Vietnam War). Sencond though, how is this an argument against fighting for equality? Are you saying we should just give up and roll over because the powers that be will always win out in the end?
"By whom? Does your basic need include food? Who is to be compelled to provide it?"
It's a matter of distribution. There's enough resources to go around, the problem is that they are concentrated in the hands of only a few. If we would redistribute that wealth fairly, no one needed to starve on the streets.
"Yes. Nobody deserves the food I have grown, the house I have built, and the medicine I deliver, just because he exists ."
Wow, so you would let someone die of starvation, exposure or a critical medical condition just because they might not have enough money to afford food, shelter or medicine? And you're saying socialists are the selfish ones?
"Envy is one of the deadly sins if I remember right. However, it is those billionaires that accomplish great things."
Those billionaires would be nothing without the work and accomplishments of thousands of other people. They profit from the inherited wealth their ancestors built up over generations, they profit from the infrastructure our society built, they profit from publicly funded research, they profit from the daily labor of thousands of employees who actually run their companies. So how is it fair that someone like Jeff Bezos rakes in billions of dollars in personal wealth, more than the GDP of some entire countries, without paying taxes while the employees who work their ass off in the delivery centers, without whom he would never be able to be as filthy rich as he is, still have to struggle to make ends meet? All of the wealth of billionaires could be used to fund public healthcare for millions of people, yet as it is now it just rots away, only boosting their power and influence.
"The planet does not care"
So I guess you think man-made climate change isn't real? Oh boy...
"the United States of America, while not being the largest or most populous nation on earth, nevertheless in 200 years became the most free, most wealthy nation on Earth and it is capitalism that enabled it. In fact, we are free to have this conversation at all, at least for now, because not socialism."
Most wealthy, sure, most free, definitely not. I'm from Europe and the more I see all the shit going on in the US, I'm happy I'm not living there. You can't even imagine the freedom the "socialist" policies of free public healthcare and education provide. Also, the amount of freedom any country experiences has nothing to do with its model of economic organization. The notion that socialism always equals dictatorship is a fallacy born out of cold war propaganda. There have been way more capitalist dictatorships throughout history than socialist ones.
"Thank you! I hope to stay in a Red State where citizens are NOT trying to destroy the very city, nation, and culture that raised them."
Ignorance is bliss I guess. Capitalism is also not intrinsically linked to your culture, it's just a mode of economic organization of society. America would still be uniquely American under a socialist government.
"No thanks. I cannot imagine going to a place my ancestors fled."
Then at least go to Europe to see that a better society is possible. We are far away from a socialist utopia here, but we do have free public healthcare and education and many other things that often get dismissed as "socialist" in the US. And it works.
"I admit that some socialist ideas are pretty good; I just cannot think of a way to prevent corruption."
You are already living in an insanely corrupt society, saying something like this sounds extremely defeatist. Sure, a socialist society will probably not be perfect and still be prone to a lot of problems, but that's no reason to just give up and accept the status quo. As long as there's at least a chance for a better society, it's worth striving towards it.
"Sociaiism concentrates political power and attracts psycopaths like moths to a light."
Ideally, socialism does the exact opposite. What you are probably thinking of is Soviet style authoritarian socialism, but as mentioned before, socialist societies can be organized in many different ways, just like capitalist ones. I for example would not want a return of the Soviet Union, I would want a free market socialist system, in which large corporations are broken up and heavily regulated, the power structure of these companies are dissolved and they are turned into worker coops, where corporate decisions are made democratically and profits are shared equally among all employees. These coops would still operate on a free market under a democratically elected government though.
"Universal healthcare would be great IF everyone lived a healthy life so I don't have to pay for your stupid choices."
It works in literally every developed nation except the USA and even in a lot of developing countries. So why shouldn't it work in the US? Unless you're basically saying Americans are unique from all those other countries in that they are literally too stupid to not make dumb unhealthy decisions.
There CANNOT be a government guarantee of anything if to provide it requires compulsory labor of anyone else. That is called slavery and has been banned. On the other hand, governments can share a portion of any surplus with anyone the government pleases; but that surplus may fall short of providing open heart surgery on each of 7 billion people. Surplus divided by 7 billion means you might get a box of Band-Aids. There's your universal healthcare and everyone gets a box of Band-Aids and that's it. Surplus gone! Nobody gets anything more sophisticated because it would not be fair oh but you are thinking, well, I like my computer and cellphone and other toys; I didn't mean to share all THAT with 7 billion humans.
Again, it's a matter of distribution. It's not that we don't have enough resources to go around, it's that they are extremely unevenly distributed.
Crap, I guess this video isn't for me, I already know I'm a socialist *shrugs*
Send it to your on-the-fence friends!
It's a small group of us. But our logic is winning minds over.
@@SecondThought of course, we must distribute the means of education, before we can redustribute the wealth!
@@pharag4886 heck yeah! If people aren't ppenly hostile to our ideas, it's usually pretty easy to get them on board. Easier still with concise, convenient video essays available on the subject (such as this one)
@@JackRabbit9181996 well, we shouldn't be out here redistributing wealth.
As a socialist, I'm opposed to that since it's the product of the workers labor. Rather, we believe in redistribution and working class siezure of the means of production. Which is different then wealth
Thank you, comrade!
I am a student from Russia. For 18 years of my life I lived in a small town in the Murmansk region (it's chilly there at times), where I got a good school education thanks to the wonderful Soviet teachers who still teach us (it's a pity there are fewer of them every year!).
Three years ago I moved to Moscow to study at university (unfortunately, by the way, for a fee). I believed in the wonders of the market economy, the consolidated competition, but for a year now I am a follower of socialist ideas.
Like many in Russia, it began with the idea of a great country of the USSR (the red-brown idea, so to speak), but then, as I read Lenin, Marx, the expanse of Russian socialist bloggers, such as Klim Zhukov, Remy Meisner, Konstantin Semin, I began to understand the "truth" :D.
About six months ago I came across your videos. The first video I watched was about how capitalism ruined Russia.
I really appreciate your work, it's a really useful community service! You influenced me and you're influencing a lot of people, that's worth a lot!
Thank you so much again!
Proletarians of all countries, unite!
i grew up in poland thinking that the left is the worst thing that happened to humanity well (becuse you know soviet union and poland not the best history in between them) now i am a socialist myself i wish you a good day comrade
u should probably get out of russia
The great irony is that Russian communism wasn't anywhere near as extreme as Western "liberalism" in overturning the basic structures that undergird civilization, contrary to popular opinion in America. I find it highly disingenuous of this video's narrator to pretend that extremist *social* "progressivism" is the foundation of all Left-of-center politics. It most certainly is NOT. Real Leftism has always been firmly founded upon *economic* equity. Heck, historically, the Democrats were the party of Southern segregationists. Leaving racism behind was obviously a good thing, but leaving one's brain behind isn't, and that's what contemporary "progressives" who claim the Leftist label have largely done.
As an old-school Leftist, I've always strongly supported economic, and to a lesser extent, social liberalism. But I'm appalled at the recent, mindless irrationality of identity politics and other social "progressive" movements (which couldn't be more regressive in reality--which SJWs no longer admit exists independent of their "feelings"). I want nothing to do with it. Neither did the former Democrats of the Walk Away movement, who sadly wandered much further right than I could ever go in good conscience.
At present, I see no viable alternative for classical Leftists like myself in the political arena, so after many years of activism and engagement, I'm taking a step back to regroup. I'm not sure I could bring myself to vote for the right in light of their recent lunatic antics, but I certainly can't vote for the Left again until people of sound mind recapture its leadership and rhetoric.
This would've been a great video to discuss some types of socialism. Also I appreciate the "take my hand" vibe with the video.
I would appreciate your opinion on my playlist, thanks +1
I think this was a good vid just to get people into Socialism; we can give Leftist Infighting™ its own video
The only real form of socialism is the one that has Communism as it's goal.
Well shit I’ve been calling myself liberal this whole time. Turns out I’m socialist
Edit: calm down in the comments there y’all. Since we can’t have nice things I’ll clarify that I’m closest to social democracy in my opinions.
congrats !
i called myself a liberal for toooo long until someone told me like a year ago.. girl. you’re not a liberal lmao
welcome home
Please read the wikipedia page of socialism and liberalism before you call yourself anything new. This video isn't exactly unbiased.
@@Xob_Driesestig ah yes. wikipedia. the most trustworthy source.
I love how this RUclips channel is a spoon-feeding of Marxist and Hegelian theory in a quick, convincing, and digestible manner. Bravo, you've earned a Patron on your Patreon.
super easy to digest and understand to. i like it
We need more videos like this to expand class consciousness and socialism so that one day the tyrants get down from their thrones! Great video as always
RIP Michael Brooks, the man who showed me the sense of Socialism.
The man was a beacon of engaging thoughts and discussions. Never seen any American cover African Liberation politics as well as he did. Man I miss him :’(
@@jerry-rk7yw I'm actually South African. and the thing that made me listen to Michael in the first place was his coverage of African political issues. We lost a champion, man. I miss him too.
Rest in power
@Ann Campbell nice ramble down your NPC dialogue tree. Shame it was both off topic and wrong in every way. M4A is cheaper, more effective, and no more radical than the government paying private companies to build and maintain our roads and fully nationalized healthcare is no more radical than how we handle things like firefighters.
Whether fully private or fully public or anywhere in between, doctors voluntarily trade their labor to the hospital for a wage, at which point their employment contract would say that they do have to treat patients that come in or else
Unless you want to make the socialist argument that wage labor isn't voluntary in a capitalist system or argue for the insanely idiotic position of abolishing all taxes, your rediculous argument has no foundation.
@Ann Campbell side note: left wing politics traces its roots back to the enlightenment. Right wing politics traces its roots back to the royalists opposing it and the democratic government it called for.
You really don't want to bring up the enlightenment. That doesn't go well for you. Stick to simpler, less philosophical, points.
What Makes Socialism a positive world view? Simple, if you like having a say, and actually contributing, in where you work without being fired, your a fan of Socialism. At its very basic level, Socialism is workplace democracy, along with the abolishment of private property (not personal property). People seem to forget that and think its "Government doing stuff". Sure we support more worker rights, Free Medicare, larger wages etc, but thats not Socialism, those are just good, left wing policies to help majority of people. Many of us who are Leftists view that as a springboard for more ideas as we evolve economically and socially, like abolishment of the state (not government itself, you need some administration), most forms of hierarchy, moving towards decommodification and things like that.
@@delic_psycha3711 that is not human nature, that is what humans are incentivised to do under capitalism. Under a different economic system, let us say socialism, they would be incentivised to do something different.
If anything, human nature is communal and loving. And capitalism perverts this to suit the capitalist class, the bourgeois, and their interests.
@@delic_psycha3711 capitalism isn’t bringing people out of poverty, it keeps people leashed to the whims of coastal elites. The only ones who benefit from capitalism is the already wealthy.
@@delic_psycha3711 trump is part of the corporatist elite that has run america for centuries... he didn't change anything and wouldn't have changed anything if re-elected. he IS the swamp.
@@oracle8192 capitalism is the economic system of cooperation based in markets. you're all confusing it with corporatism
@@delic_psycha3711 should also note that trump hasn’t helped the working class at all, only the elites. You can’t trust a capitalist to honestly aid workers.
This is such a good intro to leftism for american liberals and apolitical "centrists"
hmmm where does social monarchism fall on the politcal compass
@Jean Sanchez ? well i am monarchist and social-ish
A centrist is just an ignorant person. A right winger is someone who has a mental deficiency.
While this is a good video, it could have been better by including the fact that many policy proposals of the left have been polled as having 70% or 80% support among all Americans. If the USA were a true democracy, then ideas with such support would already be law. By the definition of support for these ideas, the majority of Americans are Socialist. Somehow we went from FDR and Social Security to the news media pretending that Venezuela is the ONLY country in Scandinavia. If Socialism makes people poor, I will sign up to be as poor as the people of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, etc.
What is "leftism"?
In Mexico, in school we are taught of one of the most popular quotes of the country: la tierra es de quien la trabaja (the land is that of who works it) and grew up agreeing with it. It was only a few years ago when I had the luck of finding your chanel and discovering that the phrase was just socialism.
*Controversial + Unpopular opinion:*
"I don't care about what ideology my country use. As long as they can treat the citizens right, I'm ok with it. I would choose living in a communist regime that treat me well than to live in a capitalist country that is crap."
(TL:DR = I will choose to live in a country that can treat their citizen better regardless of ideology)
@Tara S. It's a good thing that within 95 percent of regions in which marxism and communism was applied, life got better for the people living there.
Not to mention that at every stage of development, if you compare a capitalist country vs a country led by communists, the communist country is able to provide a much better life for it's citizens.
@@oracle8192
I have no idea where you're getting those figures from. Have you ever heard of the millions of Ukranians killed by famines? Do you know that eastern block was behind western countries because of decades of mismanagement?
The way they treat citizens is a result of the economic system and ideology
@@oracle8192 Where did you get that? Most citizens living in communist countries have suffered compared to capitalist countries
@@oracle8192 I'm not sure what you mean by regions where marxism and communism was applied, the latter has never been applied and the former has been applied everywhere to varying degrees. If you're meaning countries where the state has claimed to be a socialist state, the same is true for capitalism. Peoples' lives get better over time in general.
As some one who lives in a place that is far less ultra-capitalist then the US and has a higher standard of living, allot of these things you spoke of already exist here and I'd love to see more of them. However I get a headache listening to certain "socialists" preach anti-reform-ism or bending over backwards to defend any totalitarian dictatorship that calls itself "socialist". The grand narrative of the destined glorious revolution leads to horrible tunnel vision.
Don't listen to the tankies they are poison for the movement
@@edahiguajardo9015 Yeah, I know plenty of socialist or socialist leaning people, we usually have pretty productive conversations, and we can usually agree on hating totalitarians etc.
@@edahiguajardo9015 They really are. The people who yell COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OR NOTHING give me a headache
@@abbyc7815 I agree, if taken to it's logical conclusion it's pure accelerationism, since having decent living conditions discourages people from risking their lives in a violent revolution, so in order for them to really have nothing to loose but their chains, things must become much much worse, like 1917 Russia bad.
In one side, we truly need to balance our radical reforms with the strategic sensitivity to actually make progress in a smart away
But on the other side, *haha funny guillotined man*, so what can you do?
All my homies are socialists
Mine are conservative
Mine are all libertarians. Some are the cool lefty kind but some are the right wing cringe kind
@@yeahokbuddy2510 whats wrong with libertarians?
@@cronicasboludas1440 libertarianism isn't going to lead to better workplaces. It's not going to solve a lot the of problems we are facing.
@@cronicasboludas1440 right wing libertarians are contradictory bootlickers that think that abolishing state (mainly abolishment of taxes) will lead to a more innovative prosperous way of life. They think that the free markets is basically an organism that should be let free to do as it pleases. Some libertarians unironically support slavery of an underage demographic ya know. It goes on and on. Left wing libertarians are pretty based though. They actually want to abolish the state and make sure people are all living comfortably to our needs.
Socialism is based.
You are also based :)
my grandmother needs half a million dollars in medication. my mother still doesn’t believe in medicare for all. her only defense is “it’s drives innovation”
Socratic her; next time it comes up ask "which/what innovation?" and "how would M4A stop that?" if possible
Innovation of useless "new" drugs that are barely different from the previous ones only to make a lot of money from that overpriced new drug that is :)
@@luc6284 exactly 💯
lmao just bring up times before capitalism where we somehow still advanced technologically despite having next to no economy
When I got beyond the conditioned response to the label, and learned what Socialism really is, I learned that it's not radical at all...it is mutually beneficial. We in the U.S.A have used and benefitted from very socialist policies and programs that are mislabeled by those who continue to perpetuate fear and exert power over We the People.
Socialism has really become a toxic term recently, with many republicans and conservatives just absolutely rejecting it without knowing what it is
@@emperorpalpatine2531 or maybe they do know what it is and simply reject it because it's an unrealistic idealistic notion that eventually leads to full blown communism as described by Karl Marx himself
@@TimeBomb014X socialism as a whole is never going to work, but some socialist principles, yes. Many countries around the world have used some socialist principles and are doing well, such as Canada or France, but using socialism as a whole just won’t work. Though, progressives aren’t trying to implement a socialist government by any means, but they are just using barrowed principles, such as employee powered business and such.
I would like to know how delayed gratification is accounted for in the system.
if all future planning is done by a centralized elite, I think you can see why people might have a problem with that.
@@emperorpalpatine2531 Precisley
Take only what you need.
Give only what you can.
nobody is gonna give if there is no incentive to. Capitalism gives an incentive wich is profit
You keep what you kill -dominic torretto
@@thomasmaughan4798 This argument is disingenuous, because most republicans are religious. The highest percentage of donations by far in the United States go to religious organizations, which while they do have programs to help people, churches spend the vast majority of their wealth on marketing and paying the extremely expensive salaries of the higher clergymen.
As an ex mormon, I remember the church telling us that we need to pay 10% of our income to the church so that we can be “close with god”, and it really wasn’t a thing of generosity.
What does the church do with it? spend multiple billions on building luxury mansions to baptize dead people in, and sending thousands of young men and women all over the world to proselytize and expand.
There are some charity programs the church is in charge of, but it’s more for PR than it is for actually making any change.
I feel like that's a major issue though. Due to our nature humans only give away things if they think it can benefit them, and we want to take all that we can. Obviously this wouldn't change under socialism
@@starflowers1751 yes, the basic human condition wouldn't change,not quickly anyway. We are what we are.
You really helped me a lot with this little story. You helped me understand and realise, that being a Socialist not only is not wrong, contreary, if you enter in the whole thing realy honest, and with pure heart, mind and soul, it can be wonderful, fulfilling, and satisfying. And I think it's a way of life in wich we all, people of the entire world could have hope for the better and brighter future. From my hear, thank you brother. Much love, respect, and best wishes, from Serbia, southeast Europe.😊😎😇
No comrade we’re socialist
good one
not how socialism works
I love Soviet Union jokes but socialism is very different from communism.
@@mrguy9283 both are fantastic. And socialism innevitably leads to communism which is a good thing.
@@mrguy9283 not really socialism is just an economic system where workers control the means of production and is a lower level of comunism where in class money and state have been abolished
Second thought:You are probably a socialist
Me, a Vietnamese: yes
then the edgy ones moan about the system and their lives
@Jaskaran Singh yeah China is a great country if you forget the genocide and authoritarian life
Isnt vietnam is somesort of capitalist
@Jaskaran Singh No amount of money can justify authoritarianism or the things the PRC goverment has done to Minorities xinjiang, Etc.
@@davinator_peepo2102 heck. You are brainwashed. Watch the new video
I think one of the key stumbling blocks for people who have a sort of phobia about socialism is the assumption that socialism would diminish their freedom to choose. The idea that there would only be one make of car available, one brand of tooth-paste, one.... well, you get the idea. People like to have the freedom to choose what they buy. If you could convince them that they would still have that freedom under socialism you'd be able to convert a lot more people.
Of course you will still have the freedom but companies won’t have the motivation. There will be no reason to invest millions in start up companies and power will be in the hands of fewer people while we live like peasants but have free health care
maybe we talk about how many small businesses it promotes? because with the big monopolies gone, that should leave room for way more small businesses, right?
Oh my gosh thank you so much!!! This literally made me understand more . & it also makes sense because Scandinavian countries are always at the top of everything from economic wealth to personal well being. Anyways as a young person who’s graduating from high school in June 2022 I feel like socialism actually works for society. Democracy and socialism . That does not mean I’m a communist! .
Nice to hear some zoomers have their heads on their shoulders. I'm from Eastern EU and a leftist myself, there are a lot of "socialist/lefty" grifters which end up being neoliberal, corrupt, dictatorial or worse, all of the above. Leftism is a good thing but it can also be naive, be careful of that.
It seems there is hope for America after all.
I never thought I would see 'Wage Labour and Capital' and 'Socialism Utopian and Scientific' linked in the video description of a channel with almost a million subscribers. Thanks for using your platform to elevate these very important and still-relevant texts.
Thanks for watching! I’m glad to help in some small way.
they are irrelevant since 1949
@@matimercad0rs lol was there a massive shift in the underlying mechanisms of society in... 1949?
I’ve always been a socialist, but I never actually realized that’s what I was until this summer. I grew up in Dallas, TX and I remember going to a conservative Christian school when I was younger and listening to them tell me my parents needed to vote for Bush because Kerry would “destroy America” (I was 5). I feel I was lucky to grow up with a mom who is more libertarian but pushes for social change and some financial change (she’s a fiduciary and very good at it). She always encouraged questions and taught me to be accepting of others because we’re all in God’s family. Even though she’s very spiritual and a Christian, she has serious problems with churches and opted to just teach me about how the Bible can be used to help others like Jesus wanted. All this being said, I always grew up wanting to make the world more communal and connected, and I loved trying to bring people together and understand where they’re coming from and try to explain why we need to care more about others. When I was in high school, I wanted to go back to my old Christian school because I missed the people there. Even though many of them were super conservative, I always showed them love and understanding and even convinced many of them to be more liberal (although most thought socialism was a dirty word). I find it funny now that I thought democrats were so far left at the time but I did support them when I could vote. It’s only after going to college and doing more research about other countries that I recognize how much our country has hurt the majority for the sake of getting the super rich a few extra bucks. I am definitely a full-fledged Democratic socialist now, and I’m trying to slowly but steadily push my friends and family towards that way of thinking and questioning our system. It’s easiest with my friends and cousins because I’m the oldest and they’ve always listened to what I say, and they also can see how are system hurts people. My mom is slowly coming around on social issues like BLM and but it’s tougher to get her on economic issues just because she’s so deep in insurance and stocks that I don’t know if she can imagine much different. My aunts and uncles are Trump supporters so it’s been tough but I have made good arguments to them that has helped them reevaluate their perspectives (for example, I got one uncle who thought the civil war was fought for states rights to admit that it was completely fought for slavery with a just few points dismantling his entire argument). My grandma is a piece of work! I love her dearly but she is so deep in the Trump hole that she doesn’t listen to anything slightly negative about him. She legit thought my mom and I created a fake CDC website to trick her into thinking “false stuff” about corona. Sorry that this post is so long, I’ve been very lonely since quarantine started and I wanted to write, but just know that you’re not alone and you have a new comrade to join the ranks!
Thank you for your post and your work! Keep up the good fight and all the best!
@Snood Thanks!
Good work, comrade! We are proud of your ability to spread the ideas of glorious socialism to unshackle even a few of these unfortunate, mentally caged capitalist swine! Do not be disheartened by the few you cannot help, but be emboldened by the successes you have had! Together, we shall one day build a new motherland to be proud of! *Salut!*
You are doing an amazing work, bursting their ideological bubbles,that is how we change the world.
“In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.”
― Confucius
Your probably a Socialist:
Me a communist: ummmmmmmm…
I'm a socialist and not afraid to admit it
In My country, we have a direct vote sistem, yes, there are some problems sometimes, but a simple recount and that's it, i'm proud of the public healthcare, education (highschool and university) of my beloved Argentina, i think we have a Lot of problems to overcome, but i cannot think what is to be in US without those (for me basic rights).
I wish US and all this beautifull continent be more equal and fraternal between it's neighbours.
As always, good content. 😁
(Sorry about my english if it's hard to read)
I can’t wait to go there! Such a beautiful country!
Sadly that will never happen
This reads well, don't worry. You're English is good!!
Saludos Che, desde México un abrazo de camaradas.
Your English is better than my Spanish. I found your comment quite legible.
As someone on the right i appreciate this video it really helped me explain my knowledge and makes me want to learn more on all types of political topics
my I ask what your political leanings are? you say you are "on the right", what do you mean by that more exactly?
Even though I perhaps disagree with you, its refreshing to see you are willing to do some actual research into things rather than going through echo chambers and piles of misinformation. Great job!
What right-wing values are significant to you?
@@elin4364 yeah idk what are conservatives or socialist or leftist i only know republicans and democrats
(i aint on the US)
@@jacobfredman9442 conservatives want the country to stay as it is or as it use to be back in the 40s or 50s or “make America great again”
Leftist are the people who are more “progressive” as you can say. Usually this term is used for the people of democratic party
Republicans tends to be what rich people in our country lean to, what corporations lean too, what white privileged people lean to. They are also known as “right-wing”
Socialist is a demonic term in the eyes of Americans. Americans usually see communism in that word so they automatically assume it’s bad or evil. We think it means we will be like the citizens of North Korea. But of course that ain’t the full picture. Propaganda is the fault here
Why yes, I am a socialist. I've lived through some of capitalism's worst aspects and early on in adulthood, realized how horrible the system actually is. I dare you to get too sick to work with no savings for several years, I dare you to still appreciate capitalism in America after that experience. I dare you to lose your home while employed because your landlord, along with everyone else, jacked up rent forcing you onto the street. When you see what socialism really is, you'll start to realize how great it really can be for everyone.