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By NH Politician

socialism

noun so·​cial·​ism | \ ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm  \

Definition of socialism

1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods

2a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property

b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state

3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

Socialism vs. Social Democracy: Usage Guide

In the many years since socialism entered English around 1830, it has acquired several different meanings. It refers to a system of social organization in which private property and the distribution of income are subject to social control, but the conception of that control has varied, and the term has been interpreted in widely diverging ways, ranging from statist to libertarian, from Marxist to liberal. In the modern era, “pure” socialism has been seen only rarely and usually briefly in a few Communist regimes. Far more common are systems of social democracy, now often referred to as democratic socialism, in which extensive state regulation, with limited state ownership, has been employed by democratically elected governments (as in Sweden and Denmark) in the belief that it produces a fair distribution of income without impairing economic growth.

CommunismSocialismCapitalism, and Democracy

Communism is one of our top all-time lookups, and user comments suggest that’s because it is often used in opaque ways. In some sources, communism is equated with socialism; in others, it is contrasted with democracy and capitalism. Part of this confusion stems from the fact that the word communism has been applied to varying political systems over time. When it was first used in English prose, communism referred to an economic and political theory that advocated the abolition of private property and the common sharing of all resources among a group of people, and it was often used interchangeably with the word socialism by 19th-century writers. The differences between communism and socialism are still debated, but generally English speakers used communism to refer to the political and economic ideologies that find their origin in Karl Marx’s theory of revolutionary socialism, which advocates a proletariat overthrow of capitalist structures within a society, societal and communal ownership and governance of the means of production, and the eventual establishment of a classless society. The most well-known expression of Marx’s theories is the 20th-century Bolshevism of the U.S.S.R., in which the state, through a single authoritarian party, controls a society’s economy and social activities with the goal of realizing Marx’s theories.

Communism is often contrasted with capitalism and democracy, though these can be false equivalencies depending on the usage. Capitalism refers to an economic theory in which a society’s means of production are held by private individuals or organizations, not the government, and where prices, distribution of goods, and products are determined by a free market. It can be contrasted with the economic theories of communism, though the word communism is used of both political and economic theories. Democracy refers to a system of government in which supreme power is vested in the people and exercised through a system of direct or indirect representation which is decided through periodic free elections. Democracy is contrasted with communism primarily because the 20th-century communism of the U.S.S.R. was characterized by an authoritarian government, whereas the democracy of the 20th-century U.S. was characterized by a representative government.

Examples of socialism in a Sentence

She is quite right, for example, to stress that Thatcher’s crusade against socialism was not merely about economic efficiency and prosperity but that above all, “it was that socialism itself—in all its incarnations, wherever and however it was applied—was morally corrupting.”— Stephen Pollard, New York Times Book Review, 18 Jan. 2009 Lenin’s great genius, of course, was for ideology, which was redefined all too often to support the tactical requirements of the moment. But owing to his fanatical conviction of his own righteousness, especially where socialism was concerned, and also to the Promethean force of his will, his pronouncements were enshrined by his followers as universal truths.— Michael Scammell, New Republic, 20 Dec. 1999

Recent Examples on the Web:

Byrne condemned socialism and dug into his tough on immigration stance and his support of border wall.— al, “U.S. Senate hopeful doubles down on gun rights,” 7 Aug. 2019

More Democrats now have a positive view of socialism than capitalism.— Elizabeth Schmidt, The Conversation,

“Investors, consumers and workers are changing capitalism for the better by demanding companies behave more responsibly,” 24 July 2019

Liberals are less scared of the word socialism, and are not content simply to raise taxes on the wealthy to strengthen the social safety net.— Bobby Jindal, WSJ,

“Conservatives, Put Culture First,” 1 July 2019 Because the fact is, Americans overwhelmingly reject socialism.— oregonlive.com,

“Political tastemakers try to warn Democratic voters: Don’t go too far left if you want to beat Donald Trump,” 17 July 2019

In case there was any doubt about the Democrats running for President embracing socialism, @BilldeBlasio is in Miami quoting…— Washington Post, “De Blasio shouts Cuban revolutionary slogan at Miami rally,” 29 June 2019

Faced again with the specter of socialism yesterday, Hickenlooper immediately held up the Green New Deal as an example.— Mark Matthews, Scientific American, “Second Democratic Debate Highlights Divergence on Green New Deal,” 28 June 2019

To bring up the subject of providing a better life is to lean too far left, to flirt with socialism.— Marilynne Robinson, Harper’s magazine, “Is Poverty Necessary?,” 10 June 2019

In 2017, Tillim used the proceeds from his Henri Cartier-Bresson Award to expand upon his project, capturing African cities where traces of historical periods—from colonialism to independence, socialism to global capitalism—coexist.— Carole Naggar, The New York Review of Books, “Framing Time: Guy Tillim’s African Street Photography,” 25 May 2019

Current Socialist States

Definition Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socialism

Socialist States Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_socialist_states

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