Socialism
Over a century of anti-communist propaganda has made debate regarding the role of government and labor in the running of the economy nearly impossible. A significant portion of the population has been fully trained to react with Pavlovian negativity to any suggestion of worker empowerment, regulatory authority, public ownership, or anything that exists outside of laissez-faire capitalism. In order to achieve progressive reforms, we must change the conversation around these issues to avoid these deeply ingrained emotional reactions and reconnect to our shared goal of improving quality of life.
Communism is a Red Herring
Socialism is a red herring, due to its constant confusion with Communism by pretty much anyone who makes arguments against it, and occasionally when quoting the movie Clue. Given their close political motivations and the fact that most people can't tell them apart anyhow, both topics will redirect to this page.
The Proletariat Hasn't Read Theory
Lefties who are way too into "theory" will probably not appreciate this approach. However, metaculture seeks to meet people where they are at in terms of education and beliefs. And the unfortunate truth is that more than a century of capitalist propaganda has made the distinction moot in the minds of most. So even though most Communist and Socialist theory is spot-on in its criticism of capitalism, and has moved far beyond Stalinism and Maoism in its prescriptions for society, an explicit endorsement is not practical for rhetorical purposes. The Pavlovian rejection of anything labeled "Socialism" and "Communism" are too strong in the minds of the general public, and must be avoided in the interest of actually being persuasive.
What Has Worked Best?
Communism has been tried and it did not succeed in producing a happier society, nor did it succeed at producing actual communism.
A mixed economy has produced the best historical outcomes for both wealth and happiness.
The best way for Capitalism to avoid promoting Communism in the next generation is to implement Socialist reforms to improve economic justice.
A Constantly Improving Society, Not Utopia
metaculture's philosophy is rooted in realism not utopianism, and evolution instead of revolution. If a mixed economy is the goal, revolution is unnecessary. We must avoid the inevitable war that will result if large-scale transformations in the economy and distribution of wealth are implemented without sufficient democratic support and incrementalism. Tax rates should be increased slowly, and incentives should be used in favor of mandates in order to encourage transition towards worker ownership.
Find Out More
See Economics and Capitalism.