Can Socialism Succeed?

A friend of mine was in a bad relationship and choose to end it by moving away. She was able to get welfare, but when she tried to get off the workers tried everything to convince her to stay at home. She figured that she had to get a job that paid $35,000 a year to break even with welfare. She is now making $40,000+ but has to drive 100 miles rt two days a week for her job. Her parents instilled in her a sense of pride and she could not stay on welfare. As you say too many people find welfare comfortable and a nice life style. As cold as it sounds we have to have a three tiered system of welfare. One for the people who are working poor and index benefits so they can work their way out. The second tier is a basic three meals a day and a roof over their head with a little left over for clothing. Poverty is uncomfortable and not nice. The third is for those who are too physically or mentally unable to work. These would basically be the people who are being cared for by someone else.

We need lower taxes, Lower Capital Gains tax. Fewer government regulations. Let the free market work.

I am assuming by "basic" needs you mean food, shelter and clothing. You don't include flat screen TV, computers, the latest electronic gagits the newest clothing lines and money to eat out 5-7 nights a month as "basics".

Definitely not, though it does include being able to go to the doctor without being forced into indentured servitude.

All the gadgets & amenities you'd have to earn. That's the part that keeps it from being fanatical socialism. Fanaticism is always going too far.

I completely agree with you uath, a certain degree of socialism is right, complete socialism is just an utopia that doesn't work in the real world.

but do not the rich deserve what they have? Why does anyone else deserve any part of someone else's wealth?

Well the point is that if everyone did work as best as they can for society's sake everyone would deserve to have richness. The point is that in the real world people won't work if they don't personally gain something so true socialism is just an utopia, people would just stop working and exploiting those who work for them.
But i believe that society should guarantee some basic human rights, regardless of how much a person earns, healthcare and education are not services they are rights, so it is not leeching if people have to pay tax to make everyone use them.
It is like saying that if you are killed by someone, that person should not be prosecuted if the killed person didn't pay taxes.

My wife is a teacher and is in the same situation. She works several night a week after school and the teacher across from her(and English Teacher) is also there correcting essays. Another English teacher teaches literature and the students read, discuss take a multiple choice test and exchange test to correct. The teacher does enter the grades. All are paid the same. It is called a Union shop.

I wish we had a union. We are promised raises that don't come. It is amazing how people all hear the same thing and misunderstand it.

I prefer working it makes the time go faster but when people take advantage of you on dump on you...I get aggravated. So I work hard with or without the incentive it is the way I am. But I think a union at least adds some protection.

I also work in a job where I have a high probability of getting injured. If we don't recover from our injuries within 3 months we become unemployed. I don't think a union would allow that.

Even Russia under Communisum Allowed small private gardens so that the people could get fresh fruit and vegitables. A person working for themselves always does a better job than one who works for the "good of all".