Also the amount of people bringing the "the 3 times people tried socialism were bad, so the whole ideology must be bad" argument are way to high IMHO.

How many times was capitalism tried? How many times it worked out? Is the USA a "functioning" state with all the oppression, racism, greed, invading other countries out of monetarian interest and environment destruction?

While I agree with you, that oppression is bad, no matter what the oppressor calls himself, we should talk about policies without resorting to dogmas and generalising people in favor of fear the hegemonic class is propagating to stay in power.

[–] Ginjutsu@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (32 children)

Is the USA a “functioning” state with all the oppression, racism, greed, invading other countries out of monetarian interest and environment destruction?

I hope you realize that this is an incredibly privileged take. The US is rife with issues, but the hardships experienced by the average western citizen doesn't even compare to the suffering that you would find in, say, Pol Pot's Cambodia, or (to a less extreme extent) Maduro's Venezuela. To compare what a US citizen deals with on a daily basis due to capitalism to what a citizen of any of those countries had to go through is very reductive and may be perceived as disrespectful to many who had to live those experiences.

[–] robinn@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

This take, rather than being incredibly privileged, is just stupid. I love the examples used. Pol Pot's Cambodia (which hasn't existed for a while) was propped up by the U.S. Maduro's Venezuela has hardship due to western sanctions (including from the U.S.), which a U.N. report found:

Shrank government revenue by 99% (the report acknowledges the majority of government funds were spent on universal services including free housing) [p. 5].
“had a devastating effect on the people, especially the most vulnerable – such as women, children, the elderly, people with disabilities or life-threatening or chronic diseases, and indigenous communities” [p. 5].
In 2020 alone prevented ~2.6 million people from receiving blood reagents and deprived at least another 123,000 others of blood transfusions [p. 8].
Drastically increased poverty and infant mortality [p. 8].
Prohibited the purchase of certain antibiotics and other treatments which resulted in the prevention of ~180,000 surgeries [p. 8].
Created a reported 50-70% drop in public health workers [p. 10].
Dropped internet coverage in the country from 50-90% of territory to 10% [p. 12].

The U.S. is an imperialist country that drives up oppression in numerous nations, and it is silly and ignorant to talk of its effects in isolation alone. You seemingly ignored the whole "invading other countries for monetary interests part of OP's comment (and the millions killed in Iraq and Afghanistan thereof, for instance). This is the only way that domestic rights in the U.S. have been able to surpass other nations. Even still, there are destitute groups in the U.S. which lack rights and the means of subsistence, and to downplay this by pointing to worse conditions in other nations which the U.S. directly caused is laughable and childish.

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