Quote:
Originally Posted by Xurtio
It's only in a polarizing light that capitalism and socialism are viewed as mutually exclusive. I'm all for a hybrid.
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Capitalism is private ownership over the means of production. The working majority have to earn their living by selling their labor to a handful of capitalists, who extract profits. Socialism, on the other hand, is collective ownership of the means of production. This requires workers to take control over their workplaces, and establish a state that is democratically biased towards the workers, just as states in capitalist countries are biased towards the capitalist class.
To socialists who belong to the Marxist tradition, the question of capitalism vs socialism isn't a question of "bigger" or "smaller" government, or simply more or less economic equality - Norway is just as capitalist as the USA, even though we have more extensive public welfare programs. The question of capitalism vs socialism is all about which class is dominant. Who owns and controls the means of production? Who controls the state apparatus? If you look at it this way, capitalism and socialism are mutually exclusive.