Is the public-school system one of the purest examples of socialism existing in America?
954852
School boards are elected by the public. Politicians are elected by the public. I do agree with you to a degree but as the public we have the power to change things if it were important enough to us.
734423
No.  Socialism is just one step away from Communism.
1009451
Sure as long as Americans don't get involved.\n\nWhat brand of socialism do you have in mind? \n\nDemocratic socialism is a broad political movement propagating the ideals of socialism within the context of a democratic system. In many cases, its adherents promote the ideal of socialism as an evolutionary process resulting from legislation enacted by a constitutional parliamentary democracy. Other democratic socialists favor a revolutionary approach that seeks to establish socialism by creating a non-parliamentary, more direct democratic system, usually based on democracy rooted at the local level as well as at the national level, including broadbased popular associations such as workers' councils, consumer councils, community groups, and other similar organizations.\n\nLibertarian socialism is any one of a group of political philosophies dedicated to opposing any form of authority and social hierarchy, in particular the institutions of capitalism and the State. Some of the best known libertarian socialist ideologies are anarchism - particularly anarchist communism and anarcho-syndicalism - as well as mutualism, council communism, autonomist Marxism, and social ecology. However, the terms anarcho-communism and libertarian communism should not be considered synonyms for libertarian socialism. Anarcho-communism is a particular branch of libertarian socialism.\n\nMarket Socialism is an economic system in which the means of production are owned either by the state or by the workers in each company (meaning in general that "profits" in each company are distributed between them: profit sharing) and the production is not centrally planned but mediated through the market. Its central idea is that the market is not a mechanism exclusive to capitalism and that it is fully compatible with collective worker ownership over the means of production — which is one of the fundamental principles of socialism.\n\nSyndicalism refers to a set of ideas, movements, and tendencies which share the avowed aim of transforming capitalist society through action by the working class on the industrial front. This idea was founded by Georges Sorel. This emphasis on industrial organisation was a distinguishing feature of syndicalism when it began to be identified as a distinct current at the beginning of the twentieth century. Most socialist organisations of that period emphasised the importance of political action through party organisations as a means of bringing about socialism. Although all syndicalists emphasize industrial organisation, not all reject political action altogether. For example, De Leonists and other Industrial Unionists advocate parallel organisation both politically and industrially. For syndicalists, labor unions are the potential means both of overcoming capitalism and of running society in the interests of the majority. Industry and government in a syndicalist society would be run by labor union federations.
470475
Well, it's not one school system, it's many.  Some are very poor, and some are very good.  I graduated from a school system that sends many students on to Ivy League schools and has a very strong academic reputation.  I taught in a school system that has a very poor reputation and has many students who struggle with remedial classes at the local colleges.
291999
Most societies, despite rhetoric, are socialist to some extent.  Specifically, this means at least some central government control of economic events.  Look at most 1st world countries for your answers (example: USA or UK).  Pure socialism cannot exist, although you get some countries calling themselves "social capitalists." (If that interests you, study Scandinavian countries)\n\nCommunist politics are generally difficult to untangle from economics.  Theoretically, communist countries must be consensus democracies, but this is impossible outside of small, like-minded groups, hence actual communist economies have possibly only existed in small, isolated villages (usually 3rd world), where the pay is the same because everyone lives in the same hut and there is no currency.  Communism is utopian (a pipedream).  Otherwise, the best answer is by consensus, which would be nice, but isn't politics (resultant over conflicts of interest).  My best guess would be that ALL people in such a society would place conflict resolution and equality over profit and selfishness such that any conflict would be resolved out of not only a personal but a societal desire to avoid conflict.  (Note: small isolated villages also have many of the health and sanitary problems that we internet users tend to lack.)\n\nIronically, pure capitalism is the same as communism.  Everyone is looking out for themselves: anarchy.  But it's an untenable position as some people will find that it's in their best interests to form coalitions for protection and self-preservation and - viola! - hello socialism!  If you want to see something approaching pure capitalism, enter a room full of maximum security prisioners for several hours and nothing to do.  This is why some people prefer the delusion of communism over capitalism, despite the fact that neither is realistic because not everyone is altruistic or violently selfish.  How can you tell we are not a pure capitalist country?  Child sex slavery is illegal.\n\nIF, however, you want to go with polical rhetoric definitions, please see your party representatives to give you their nonsense dogmatic responses.  (PS: Subtext is that the "communist party" never really was communist, but like our political parties, knew how to play on a popular lie.)
1003871
No, just look at us here in America.  Though suffering a decode of defeats the Democratic party still have a huge number of followers, all waiting for the chance to vote themselves a welfare check.\n\nLook at the poor souls in New Orleans they sat there waiting for the Government to help them before even considering helping themselves.\n\nIt is a truely pathetic side of the human race, but Socialism in every method it has ever been tried has failed, because it rewards laziness and punishes success.  Relying on the government is a one way ticket to despair.
877174
post office, public hospital, public transportation, public school, fire station\n\nThese institutions do not have to do much with socialism itself, but I guess this was your question.
1100824
There are problems with the education systems in every country in the world.  To single America out is unfair and biased.
1046966
Please!  We all know the definition of Communism in its true since, but China, Cuba an others are still considered Communist countries.  America is a Capitalist/Socialist country as well given that we supply benefits to the elderly and many, many, many other services.\n\nRepublicans like to label Socialism as horrible as if it were a third world country democracy.  Socialism does what a government is suppose to do and that is Protect freedom, and offer services to its people.  Does this not sound like America!!!  Most Socialist countries might pay higher taxes, but there citizens dont pay for health care, retirement and many others we pay a fortune for.  Many citizens in socialist countrys live better lives than we do in America.
583967
No.\n\nAll states are legally required to provide a free, appropriate public education to students.
972992
Everybody goes to school, all types of education, all types of schools. best education system in the universe.
440233
Socialism is a social and economic system (or the political philosophy advocating such a system) in which the economic means of production are owned and controlled collectively by the people. This control may be either direct, exercised through popular collectives such as workers' councils, or it may be indirect, exercised through a State. In the latter case, the issue of who controls the state is crucial. A primary concern of socialism (and, according to some, its defining feature) is social equality and an equitable distribution of wealth that would serve the interests of society as a whole.[1][2]\n\nHistorically, the ideology of socialism arose with the rise of organized labor, and the socialist political movement has found most of its support among the urban working class and, to a lesser extent, the peasantry. This has led to socialism being strongly associated with the working class and often identifying itself with the interests of workers and the "common people". In many parts of the world, the two are still strongly associated with one another; in other parts, they have become two distinct movements.\n\nPure socialists hold that capitalism is an illegitimate economic system that serves the interests of the wealthy and exploits the majority of the population. As such, they wish to replace it completely or at least make substantial modifications to it, in order to create a more just society that would reward hard work, guarantee a certain basic standard of living, and extend economic and cultural opportunities to all.[3]\n\nSocialist theory is diverse, and there is no single body of thought that is universally shared by all socialists. Rather, different socialist ideologies have arrived at similar conclusions by different paths. There are some common themes, however. One such theme is the idea that humans are inherently social beings that require social interaction and the companionship of others in order to survive and develop both physically and mentally[4]. Individuals cannot maintain their humanity if they are separated from the rest of society for too long. Thus, socialists believe that the individual and society are inseparable, and they reject individualistic schools of thought which assert that society is the voluntary creation of individuals who chose to interact with each other.[5]\n\nMarxism is an ideology which has had a powerful influence on socialist thought. For over 50 years, from the Russian Revolution of 1917 to the 1970s, the majority of socialists were Marxists of one kind or another. This has not been the case for several decades, but Marxist ideas - particularly notions of class struggle - are common themes across a broad range of modern socialist groups. Marxism itself continues to be a strong current in the broader socialist movement.\n\nMany Marxists, past and present, use the term socialism to refer to the form of society that is supposed to replace capitalism and later develop into communism.\n\nWithin the socialist movement, there are several different ideas on how to create a socialist society and economic system, and what form this society will take. As a result, the movement has split into several different and sometimes opposing branches, which are discussed further below.
709434
Extreme liberalism is on the verge of Socialism...so yes.
883990
It's called public school, the great failure of American society....
952350
Truly understood modern socialism.
220119
yes.\n\n  All of history is full of bad examples of communism that were misrepresented totalitarianism in disguise. But pure unpolitisized communism is a quest for a utopic society where no one person is any better than the next, and everyone shares the wealth of the community as well as their fair share of the work that supports it. That is the true reason for The west's aversion to the idea of socialism and communism. We here are a pyramid society that takes from the bottom to support the top 10% of the population's interests and agendas. AAnd more times than not those agendas are to keep the pyramid stacked in their favor at the expence of the bottom 90% of the population. That is what is at the heart of modern capitalism. Before capitalism there were other ways to rule over the masses, such as slavery, indentured servitude, religious superstision....but the basic pyramid was the same and has been passed down to modern times because 90% of the people are asleep at the wheel for their entire lives.
338760
Absolutely nothing. Socialism theoritically sounds great. In practice, no one is so altruistic to believe in socialism. In fact socialism has caused severe damage to people than Capitalism. At least in capitalism the best make it somewhere on the top or just above the middle or at least above poverty level. Socialism in the long run creates poverty, no jobs, spoilt education, lopsided views and revolutionary ideas that might lead to terrorist activities. Socialism must be shunned like communalism and terrorism. It has been proved to be a failure and I do not know why there is so much of talk about it. If socialism has to succeed, we need humans like Gods. By the way, have you heard of Dachas?? They were part of a socialistic government and leaders of politburo used it. So much for socialism.