If You Had to Choose...

[nate895]

If you had to choose between whether we lived in a fascist or socialist society, which would you pick?

Let me be very clear: You CANNOT choose any option but living in a fascist or socialist. No starting revolutions in favor of libertarianism, no "I'll take the gun first," absolutely no other option is allowed. If you can't decide which you would choose, you can still post, but please don't go into how libertarianism is better, since we can all agree on that.

We should also agree on a definition of fascism and socialism:

Fascism: Government control of the economy through the control (and to a great extent, ownership) of nominally private corporations. Basically it is socialism with a capitalist facade.

Socialism: Government ownership of the means of production. Goods are produced and distributed based wholly on the government's will, and everyone knows it.

Personally, I can't choose. Both are horrible. Fascism has killed less people in history, but it lies about its nature and many people mistake it for capitalism. Socialism has killed many times more than fascism dreamed of, but it is at least an honest system because it can't be mistaken for capitalism and doesn't lie about its nature.

[Objectivist]

If I picked Fascism they'd try me for sedition and then I'd be hung or executed.
If I picked Socialism they'd try me for sedition and then I'd be hung or executed.

I can see the future coming to me now.

[Young Paleocon]

they end in the same way, so irrelevant.

[pcosmar]

It would not matter.They are both much the same other than minor implementation. In fact I have never seen (in history) one without the other.
I would be resistance.

[DamianTV]

Youre right that neither would be very good. But being forced to choose between the two I would have to choose Socialism.

My theory behind this is that in a Facist enviornment, companys and corporations rule the government. And corporations are usually profit based. Many of a corporations profits would be basically exhumed from people that they prey on, like a parasite, or think of it this way Big Pharma. They would sell you anything they could get a law passed for to turn over more profits. So if they could make you sick by giving you some pill for an ailment, then you have to go back to them for another type of pill to treat the first pills side effects, you just end up getting sicker and sicker.

in a Socialist enviornment where everything is supposedly equal, also meaning that doctors dont make any more money than burger flippers (no offense if you flip burgers, I know times are hard) the Government should be looking for the most effective cheapest way to provide treatment for health problems. A fascist style would look for the least effective most expensive way to provide treatment.

On that fact alone, if I had to choose between what I consider to be "the lesser of two evils", I'd have to choose Socialism.

[nate895]

I would be resistance.

Once again, we would all do that. However, this is simply pondering which type of big government is "better," no matter how infinitesimally "better" it is.

[Objectivist]

Once again, we would all do that. However, this is simply pondering which type of big government is "better," no matter how infinitesimally "better" it is.

Men brighter than most figured out that there is nothing good about government.

[ItsTime]

Socialism/Fascism are here <-------------------------------------------------------------------------->Freedom is here

They are the same thing in my mind.

[idiom]

Socailism falls apart more tidily than Facisim and preys on the strong rather than the weak.

[RideTheDirt]

Voting for the lesser of two evils is evil.;)

[nate895]

Men brighter than most figured out that there is nothing good about government.

Once again true, but I am simply pondering which one is less negative. If we have a scale with -100 being the worst system, and +100 being the best, almost everyone on this board, including myself, will say that socialism or fascism is much closer -100 than even 0, let alone +100. I am simply wondering if one is -100 and maybe the other is -99.999999.

[silverhawks]

Give me liberty, or give me death. There are no other choices.

[ItsTime]

Socailism falls apart more tidily than Facisim and preys on the strong rather than the weak.

:confused: Socialism prays on the strong? Socialism is the complete enslavement of the weak.

[krazy kaju]

Fascism, since it still has an element, however small, of capitalism.

[idiom]

:confused: Socialism prays on the strong? Socialism is the complete enslavement of the weak.

They both enslave the weak. One puts the strong in power and the other destroys the strong.

[nate895]

They both enslave the weak. One puts the strong in power and the other destroys the strong.

No, one puts the already strong in power, the other kciks out the old strong and makes a new strong, after all, "some animals are more equal than others."

[RedLightning]

They're just different sides to the same coin.

[dr. hfn]

i'd like to fight fascists...

[akihabro]

Feels like Nov 08 all over again.

[idiom]

No, one puts the already strong in power, the other kciks out the old strong and makes a new strong, after all, "some animals are more equal than others."

The new strong are just more equal weak. They are not actually strong now. Unless you actually think the old system was the only thing keeping them down?

[sailor]

Socialism. At least it screws up everyone. Whereas Fascism lavishes riches on cartelised big buisiness connected with the government.

[jdmyprez_deo_vindice]

Socialism or Fascism... I could no even bring myself to vote in this poll. I would rather die!