Socialism

Many people I have talked to or read have a problem with socialism, and as soon as socialism is mentioned in the Venezuela context, they wax hostile. Socialism is equated with Soviet Communism, stalinism, dictatorship, and generally unsavory characteristics. People say that socialism has failed where tried and say it is only through ignorance that Venezuela would try it.

The type of socialism that has failed is top down, authoritarian State Socialism. This is not what is being implemented in Venezuela. In Venezuela, the Government will own and operate those activities which require massive organization, eg., the National Oil Company, and not small business. President Hugo Chavez has said that small businesses and cooperatives will not become state run enterprises, and that they will always be operated locally under the control of owners or owner-members. This seems to be a system that has not been tried before. I would like to see those who are nervous or agitated by Venezuela's current activities allow it to evolve. What has happened, in strictly humanitarian terms, is quite encouraging and positive. Let us see it play out.

Question for discussion:
Will all socialist efforts fail because socialism is an unworkable concept?
If we apply the same evaluation to the capitalist free market system, has it failed?
2% of the population have 50% of the wealth in the US. Does that mean that our system has failed?
Money has taken such a primary role in Government decision making that it is an open question whether the individual maintains his or her democratic rights. Does that mean that the system has failed?