Do they? Labels and terminology provide only grossly approximate descriptions. You are correct in making distinctions because no two countries are alike. Many people put all left wing philosophies in one bag and all right wing ones in the other. But you obviously define "socialism" as the economic system of the former USSR, and pre 1980 China which had a very centralized very conservative system and considered social democrats to be "revisionists."
China does not believe it has abandoned socialism. They have abandoned centralized micromanagement, and embraced the international free market system, but they still exercise a great deal of control over the economy and they are still "communists" meaning that they believe in party oversight and their goal is that their people are provided for and class distinctions will eventually be eliminated. It must really irk so called "capitalists" that "communists" are more successful in the free-market than they are.
Is India Socialist? It says it is in their constitution, but it bears little resemblance to Cuba.
Comments
Um...it's not "socialists" who are confused.
The folks who are confused are those who have subscribed to the Glenn Beck definition of "socialism".
We are also a social democracy, but the money changers are trying to turn us into Somalia...
Do they? Labels and terminology provide only grossly approximate descriptions. You are correct in making distinctions because no two countries are alike. Many people put all left wing philosophies in one bag and all right wing ones in the other. But you obviously define "socialism" as the economic system of the former USSR, and pre 1980 China which had a very centralized very conservative system and considered social democrats to be "revisionists."
China does not believe it has abandoned socialism. They have abandoned centralized micromanagement, and embraced the international free market system, but they still exercise a great deal of control over the economy and they are still "communists" meaning that they believe in party oversight and their goal is that their people are provided for and class distinctions will eventually be eliminated. It must really irk so called "capitalists" that "communists" are more successful in the free-market than they are.
Is India Socialist? It says it is in their constitution, but it bears little resemblance to Cuba.
They (the people pulling the strings) do it to
1) Widen the net of support
2) Obfuscate political ideological understanding
3) To hide under the cover of the traditional US social democracy / neoliberalism
Just my opinion
Give it a rest Karl.
Without free enterprise we would have no one to seize the means of production from.
Socialists dont just American liberals do.
Does it matter? They are both terrible philosophies.
Hell if I know what philosophy is what. I just know what I like.
They lack your superior intellect.
True.