Help me understand

[Conservitave4]

Hi my name is ivy and I am new on this site. Let me tart out by saying that I love this country and I have such pride in it. I do NOT understand why there would be any youth in this great country who actallu WANT a socialist government, which in my opinion is one step away from being communist. Please explain to me what all of you are trying to do. I am not looking to argue, I just am totally curious why all of you think about our government And why. Thanks!!

[Jimi4444]

Hi my name is ivy and I am new on this site. Let me tart out by saying that I love this country and I have such pride in it. I do NOT understand why there would be any youth in this great country who actallu WANT a socialist government, which in my opinion is one step away from being communist. Please explain to me what all of you are trying to do. I am not looking to argue, I just am totally curious why all of you think about our government And why. Thanks!!

Hi Ivy, let me start by going over my views of the government of the USA. What socialists want is a genuine socialist democracy, where people can decide what is needed and form the government. Right now, the USA is really a dictatorship of big business. This is because the government is made up of only two parties, that both represent the interests of a small minority of society. Workers have no party that actually represents them, and that is why for such a long time a lot of people have been disinterested in politics. Honestly with the mass gains of the Democrats and a new Democratic president, are things really any different now then under Bush?

If you really take a look at our society, it becomes quite clear why people would want to fight for a new society. Since the 1970s the workers wages here have stagnated at best, while since the early 90s the top 400 families have had their incomes increase by 500 percent. This is even worse for young people, where finding a job is becoming harder and harder. What is needed is a planned economy where things are planned by what is NEEDED in society, instead of the profit for the a parasitic minority. Where we can use the developments in the means of production to have more free time and used for other things that are needed, instead of rotting on the unemployment lines.

Also I wanted to point out that socialism has a lot more traditions in the USA than most think. For example did you know Helen Keller was one of the biggest supporters of the Bolsheviks? Or how about Jack London being a socialist? Woody Guthrie who wrote the song "This Land Is Your Land" had close ties with the Communist Party and was a socialist. Also Marx and Engels learned a lot from the Native Americans. I'd suggest reading Alan Woods book "Marxism and the USA" which www.wellredusa.com just made its second publication. If you have any other specific questions just ask.

[Christopher Hill]

Hello Ivy, I am glad that you are actually asking questions, many people will just spout out the same things they have been told over and over regardless of their truthfulness, Something you should realize is that Socialism isn't all about "Redistribution of Wealth" or at least not in the way the term is used in the mainstream media (In fact, Capitalism has steadily been redistributing wealth from the poor to rich since its beginning), our goal is instead to put the working people in charge of the wealth they produce, to put the average workers in charge of their own workplaces, to allow them to democratically make decisions as to what they would like to do with their own labor power rather than having to choose to either sell themselves (their labor) or starve.
A good resource for more information and possibly an answer to more of your questions can be found on "FAQ" section of this website, here is the link: http://www.newyouth.com/content/view/129/63/

[Conservitave4]

Okay I guess I can understand where you guys are coming from. I honestly believe that bush did a much better job than Obama is dong right now. I am a very firm believer of the constution, and I just can't stand anything where the government would be in charge. I don't like program that have citizens depend on the government, it just gives them more power and becomes closer to communism. I just still am not sure why anyone would want a socialist government? I believe in freedom. And if war is needed to obtain freedom, then so be it. Are most people on here part of the democratic party?

[Jimi4444]

Okay I guess I can understand where you guys are coming from. I honestly believe that bush did a much better job than Obama is dong right now. I am a very firm believer of the constution, and I just can't stand anything where the government would be in charge. I don't like program that have citizens depend on the government, it just gives them more power and becomes closer to communism. I just still am not sure why anyone would want a socialist government? I believe in freedom. And if war is needed to obtain freedom, then so be it. Are most people on here part of the democratic party?

Point being there is really no fundamental change between Obama and Bush. The "Bush Tax Cuts" greatly helped the rich, wish I could say the same about the poor! What do the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have to do with our freedom? Reality is that the wars are for corporate profit and for US hegemony over the region. For all the talk of "Free Markets" take a look at WWII, when the country needed to produce weapons fast who produced it all? Also you have to look at who controls the government or state. Under capitalism it is controlled by the capitalists, but under socialism it will be controlled by the workers. Not for defending private property, but to defend the revolution and to actually help out the workers.

I can't speak for everyone here, but YFIS does not endorse the democratic party. What we call for is the unions to break with the democrats and form their own political party. With the vast resources they have and the millions of members, it is the only possible solution for the working class. I have to agree with you I believe in freedom too. Socialism is the only real freedom for the working class, where capitalism is just another form of slavery. I want the people who create all the wealth to control it and decide on it. Where you can choose your own destiny, instead of wasting away on a dead end job, which is the reality for most Americans. That's the best freedom there is.