On a weekly basis, it saddens me that there are so many people in Ireland and beyond it, of extremely limited thinking. They only see extremes by default.
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Elsewhere on the crazy place that is called the internet, someone – a complete stranger that immediately rushed to taint me – stated to me (word for word):
QUOTE:
“It amuses me that people like you will defend Socialism and attack Capitalism with their words while simultaneously supporting Capitalism and denying Socialism with their actions (e.g., preaching Socialism while enjoying all the benefits of living in a Capitalist society).”
/END QUOTE
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I didn’t actually, anywhere, attack capitalism. …But anyway, here is my reply to him…
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You judge me too quick without foundation or without actually knowing me. I support the good benefits of capitalism, the ability to advance one’s personal standing and wealth. Everyone should have that right and opportunity. Aspects of socialism, like the foundation caring aspects of many religions including catholicism, translates to same time caring for those less fortunate than most. Taking some of that created wealth and dedicating towards the sick, the dying, the disabled, etc. Using some of the profits, not the base capital, to raise all up to some extent.
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People tend to hear “socialism” and “capitalism” – and then move their minds to only think of them in more extreme terms and applied vestiges. In more center based trains of thought and methods of practical operation, the two can work more successfully, more integrate, to create a better, stronger, more educated, more caring society. I think that’s what many of us want. Certainly not the extreme end forms of either, that only serve to balkanise society and it’s varying society based, demographic levels. The additional phycological effects of which, additionally creates a certain amount of “it’s us against them” mentality, which in turn serves no society seeking stability and best forms of fairness to all, no end result, advantageous outcomes.
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Let us all not think of the extremes of socialism or capitalism, but of a middle ground where the best aspects of both can be brought together, to produce a better caring, better educated and risen up society. One not based on extremes that history teaches us, rarely produces long existing, stable and safe societies. In the middle of the two ideologies, there is a ground where a successful marriage can take place. Some countries trying to do just this, are succeeding quite well, while still having to tweak some aspects to this very day given unstable outside market conditions and as we see in the likes of Trump, their own unstable mental state and the ramifications of such in financial terms alone.
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Some say “socialism it won’t work in reality” – but it does to good extent where successful governments have legislative put in place precautionary principle, human rights and economic safeguards, in order to protect establishments and individuals personal rights to advance oneself, as allowed in many an example by constitutional enshrined “Right to self-determination” – as in the case of the Irish constitution. A society,by the way is too, working within a middle ground of capitalism and socialist based notions, even as that state and others continue to tweak many debated aspects of it.
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THE PERSONS RESPONSE? …”tl;dr“
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*sigh*
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It’s like trying to talk to a brick wall sometimes, when trying to talk to people that only see extremes and refuse to see little more. Sometimes we need to raise ourselves up in expanded thinking. Not just live off dumbed down soundbites from those also out to exploit us.