Quote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanaC
The 'voluntary' aspect of taxation comes in when we as a country vote not to remove them and to continue providing support where needed...
MaggieL:
Yes, there's that collectivist first person plural again. Of course there's more than one "we" in this equation...there's at least the "we" that pays taxes, the "we" that doesn't, and the "we" that makes money from the whole transaction.
And the "we" that votes.
All non-identical, but fun to blur together in rhetoric.
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In this snipped of our conversation you refer to the use of the word 'we' as collectivist. Did you really mean the political ideology of 'collectivism'? Which you later claim I am unable to distinguish from democracy, or did you mean collective decision making which (as I have already stated) bears a striking resemblance to Democracy. If you insist on categorising this as collectivism then I am afraid you are the one who has misunderstood the difference between collectivism and democracy.
I was comparing
your apparent definition of collectivism with the definition of democracy.
The definition of collectivism where it pertains a specific political ideology is:
collectivism
noun {U} SPECIALIZED
a theory or political system based on the principle that all of the farms, factories and other places of work in a country should be owned by or for all the people in that country
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That is not what we were discussing. We were discussing the idea of collective decision making as expressed through an electoral system. ie: Democracy.
I am a socialist, not a collectivist. There is a difference.
Definition of socialism:
socialism
noun {U}
the set of beliefs which states that all people are equal and should share equally in the wealth of the country, or the political systems based on these beliefs
I am a believer in democracy and I am a socialist. I am not a communist or a collectivist. The definitions of these words have changed over time. Where once socialism was seen purely as a stage between capitalism and communism, it is now usually seen as a system in its own right and not a precursor to another. I suppose the most accurate description of my beliefs would be 'democratic socialism'. I do not believe that all production should be nationalised. I do however believe that my country's basic infrastructure and amenities should be. The corner shop should belong to the shopkeeper.....gas supplies, healthcare, electricity, water and public transport should belong to the country. The factory which makes toys should belong to the entrepeneur who started it.....the Universities and schools should belong to the nation.
