To think that people have the principles they can afford?

[Hullygully]

Do you have, or know anyone that does, principles that would absolutely not be ditched in the event of greater wealth?

Oh and btw you have all made me feel better, so ta.

(was at a thing).

I don't think that owning and running a business is incompatible with Socialism, for a number of reasons

1. The old definitions of socialism/capitalism etc. are more fluid as things have progressed
2. Even under communism (for brief periods) private enterprise was allowed (even by Lenin - the NEP years) so it's not totally verboten and
3. Depends how you run your company. Golda Meir was a staunch socialist, and while working for the histadrut (the Labour union) she insisted that she be paid less than the cleaner - as the cleaner had 8 children, she had 2, therefore the cleaner had a greater need and deserved more money.

It is very much possible to run a business in a more socialist manner.

Of course you can own a business and be a socialist. You can be a socially responsible business owner; pay your staff decent wages, use fairtrade suppliers, don't support child labour etc.
By running an ethically minded business, you are taking up a space in the market that would possibly otherwise be occupied by a right bastard with no scruples.
My only system would be that at some point I expect I will have to justify all my choices to an earnest teenage son,(when he gets to that point) and I want to be able to look him in the eye and say I did my best to make the world better, rather than worse.

I am just assuming here that Hully's business isn't manufacturing land mines for export to Sierra Leone or something...

just some very small little nuclear things

Oh, that's alright then. And presumably for Iran? For small children to play with?

Following on from Golda Meir's beliefs, my DH pays himself about half what his drivers earn.

Who died and made your mate the ruler of socialism?!

It's like telling someone they can't be a feminist if they shave their legs, or can't be a Christian if they, um, have sex before marriage or something.

You're just a different denomination of socialism from her.

Personally, I don't think you can be into business/capital and be a socialist.

Socialism as a concept is pretty clear. You can't reallly be a socialist-lite.

But that's not to say that the only other alternative is a raging right wing free market economist. You can believe in fully regulated capitalism for the good of the vulnerable for example.

What label can you attach to yourself if yo believe in love and sharing and fairness, and simultaneously do the business/capital thing?

I don't think you need a lable Hully. they're for other folk to identfy you by. Just as you don't need principles to declare and stand by noisily.

What you need is to understand your own moral compass. What are your core values?

As long as everyhting you do is in keeping with your core values then you have your own intergrity.

Enlightened capitalist
Champagne socialist
Realist

Human

perhaps you're a whig, hully? or a conservative anarchist? or a kulak? or a Nu New Labourite? or maybe you should just be a hully?

I don't think I have a core. I think I have a swirly whirly mass where the core should be.

Oo a Whig.

I might look into Whiggery.

Hullygully - always remember that there can be no sharing if there is nothing to share. Human societies need first to create value through business before they can argue over who deserves the proceeds

No whiggery won't do.

I have my own inner moral compass and core values that govern my behaviour isn't very snappy is it?

I like Whig They turned into the Liberals, rather tragically.

Conscience capitalist (often used as an insult) and responsible capitalist (irresponsibly hijacked by D. Cameron).

It's funny, I was just "normal British middle" until the middle skittered over to the right - now I'm a Lefty! Which is problematic, as my views stop well short of proper socialism.

What labels do you use? When required?

Abs
Bonsoir
wordfactory
scummymummy
nowthenwreck
boulevard
exit
?

garlicbum?

Hully the Enigma.

Keep em guessing.

I must admit I can't recall what Whigs believed in. good word though. I think you might need to join the Judean people's front, hully... I myself am planning to join the people's front of Judea.

no no no!

keep on with the labelling, I say

these days I think the word socialis fits so ewhere on the scale between sinister ene y of the state/odd niche interest, like charcoal burning, frinstance

Looking deep into y lefty heart, I find I don't care what people get up to, as long as they continue to identify as socialists, and lift it out of the dirty word/crank bracket

that's one of the things that ade e about your friend's oti es, Hully

I sort of think that any socialist is better n none. I bet ost of the shadow cabinet don't identify as socialists. Tis an endangered species