Communism

BillieTheBot

I would post a reply on the last post but it would have been lost and no one would have read it!

In case nobody has noticed Britain is a mismatch of different ideologies thrown into one country. We have Imperialist, Capitalist and Communist. Imperialist because we have a monarchy and we still have "assets" abroad. I assume everyone knows why we are capitalist, and communist. In case everyone missed it Britain has a welfare state, this marks us out and puts us alongside the communist countries who also do this, for example China and Cuba, Cuba having one of the best welfare states in the world, they have a cure for Menningitis type B for God's sake! I remember reading that Britain would be an ideal communist country because we already have a communist infrastructure in place, now all we need is a revolution! Just dont tell the Yanks

Former Member

Originally posted by Whowhere:
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In case everyone missed it Britain has a welfare state, this marks us out and puts us alongside the communist countries who also do this
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While our welfare state may be more of a 'socialist' model than most, it is worth noting a few things.

All developed countries that I know of have some form of health care that is at least partially state organised. Even America has a very basic 'safety net' for people without health insurance (according to the Californian economics student next door to me). It's very poor, and anyone with enough money and sense makes sure they have more than that. Most countries have a mix of state and private involvement, and Britain is moving in that direction ATM (PFI etc.), because (at least in an increasingly market driven, deregulated capitalist economy) the welfare state is not easily sustainable (I'm not going to argue about taxation here).

... Cuba having one of the best welfare states in the world, they have a cure for Menningitis type B for God's sake!

It's true (sort of). I found the following quote on a Cuban web site:

Linda Glennie, medical information officer for the Meningitis Research Foundation, said: "In the 1980s Cuba had a big problem with meningococcal disease which it appears to have solved.

"The situation in the UK is more complicated because we have many different types of B strain.

"However, we hope that this research project will provide vital clues which will enable scientists to develop a vaccine against B strain which accounts for about 60% of cases of the disease in this country."

They've developed a vaccine which works perfectly for the strain in Cuba, but not so well in general. The National Insitute of Public Health in Norway has developed a vaccine (I don't know if it's been released even in Norway yet though) which it has been looking to develop and market with Chiron, but I don't know what's happened in the last few months. This one, from trials in Norway and Chile, appears to have been more effective than the Cuban one.

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We have Imperialist, Capitalist and Communist. Imperialist because we have a monarchy and we still have "assets" abroad. I assume everyone knows why we are capitalist, and communist. I remember reading that Britain would be an ideal communist country because we already have a communist infrastructure in place
...

I hardly think Britain's attitude to its 'assets' qualifies as Imperialist - they could split away if they wanted to. And Imperialism isn't really anything to do with a monarchy (especially one that is rich and famous, but not very powerful at all): look at American foreign policy and use of the CIA + military throughout much of the latter half of this century. That's what I'd call modern Imperialism.

Capitalist? Why yes, we have a mostly market driven, extremely deregulated (in many respects more even than America) and increasingly laissez-faire economy. Most people also hold capitalist, property motivated points of view on their lives.

But communist? And a communist infrastructure (what exactly is a communist infrastructure here)? The state provides plenty of services for the people, and depending on the government may implement more or less taxation designed to decrease inequality and redistribute wealth. But again pretty much all the other capitalist countries do so as well.

Of course it's a mixture, but it's predominantly and increasingly capitalist, sometimes socialist, very rarely imperialist. Also, I think your traditional use of the concept of imperialism is probably insufficient and not very relevant nowadays (monarchy + overseas assets).

[This message has been edited by JB (edited 04-12-2000).]

Former Member

*Increasingly* laissez-faire? I would argue the opposite - Britain has been moving away from laissez-faire ever since the days of Gladstone, most notably in the Liberal 1906-15 and Labour 1945-50, 50-51 governments. On the other hand, I can see some of those moves now being retracted by Blair's New Labour camp. Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony...

Mac

[This message has been edited by MacKenZie (edited 11-12-2000).]