SOCIALISM AND RESPONSIBLE CAPITALISM CAN THEY CO-EXIST? PART 1
Untangling the Meaning of Socialism
Problems with untangling socialism come from the language itself and the meaning attributed by different people to the same word or words.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as a theory or policy of social organization which aims at or advocates the ownership and control of the means of production, (in the 21st century better understood as technology), capital, land, property, etc., (in the 19th century after the Industrial Revolution, including money) by the community as a whole and their administration or distribution in the interests of all.
Community operates in the field of spirituality. Commerce or the means of technology, capital, land, property, etc. operate in the field of science and are described and identified by its monitory equivalent. Though trite, the adage comparing apples to oranges applies to Community and Commerce.
Ideally, Community as a whole encompasses individuals-in-awareness-of-community. Human empathy, a spiritual attribute, contributes to this. Women, in particular, live their lives in innate awareness of the community.
Social Organization is a term that operates in the fields of spirituality and science. The glue for societies is spiritual originating in families and communities or culture. Organizing, however, involves humans’ actions beyond themselves and is in the field of science, where the material interests are operating. It is the goal of all good governments to strive for an administration that acts for the material interests of all. However the idea is to ensure that each individual has basic needs or even rights, met. These are spiritual needs as enough food, water, adequate housing, access to education to the extent of each person’s ability and access to sufficient health care to keep each individual healthy, as well as the community’s spiritual contentment.
As a whole referring scientifically to production (technology), land, property etc. (now including money) appears to encompass in toto, material quantitative things but does not address the human spirit that yearns for individual identification with a divinity and individual aspiration in whatever area of human endeavor that arises innately from within each and every human being.
However, material wealth beginning with money and expanding into what money can acquire came into prominence after the Industrial Revolution. It attached itself to astute individuals, and reduced the capacity of Socialism as previously defined, to be viable without the cooperation of wealthy individuals participating in its basic requirements by diverting some wealth to Community Enhancement, this latter being understood through the natural Law of Proportionality.
From There Are No Enemies
