Page 26 | Why is socialism viewed so negatively in politics and media?

Vix150 · 2026-04-08T22:37:06+00:00

Why do people not like socialism? To me it doesn't seem disastrous but it's portrayed in the media as a horrific way for a society to run. Any thoughts?

nearlylovemyusername · 02/05/2026 20:57

Papyrophile · 02/05/2026 20:12

I revised for my A levels in a library lit by candles, because of the three day week.

The 70s were so bright and vibrant culturally, because everyone was poor, and wanted more.

With Maggie Thatcher in the chair, it tipped over into more people doing better, as long as you were not in manufacturing or steel (my SF hated her, and he OWNED a high tech steel company) based on the insight that people work a lot harder for themselves than for the system.

Hence the sale of council houses, which the councils couldn't afford to to repair much less improve. So they were sold. And they were bought by their occupants at pennies on the pound, who did the upgrades that were required to bring them up to decent condition. Once they became owners, they thought like capitalists.

It's a very unpopular opinion here, but capitalism has raised more people out of poverty than socialism. It always will, because people will bust a gut for themselves and their family, if there's a sensible/plausible path set out for them to follow.

This. It's one of the main reasons why USSR collapsed - many decades of poverty, structural to socialism.

Imdunfer · 03/05/2026 09:12

Papyrophile · 02/05/2026 20:46

FFS @Sillycake , big companies don't create jobs. And they don't deliver a nice society, or anything new. I've had AMazon Prime since it launched, and it's great value for me, because my retail environment is otherwise shit. A few years ago, a stroll down my town was enjoyable and visually engaging. Now, it's charity shops (I like them, donate), Boots and barbers (Turkish- or thereabouts-- money laundering) but there is also one very upmarket, expensive clothes shop. Realistically you would say it's a fail, but the owner prospers and has traded through good times and bad. Two owners have known that professional women buy clothes they like and find comfortable to wear that simultaneously declare professional status even before they say anything.

big companies don't create jobs.

How did they get big then?

Of course they do. Aldi has trebled its employment in this area in the last 3 years. Greggs has doubled theirs. Barratt Redrow is responsible for hundreds of new jobs in my one small town, Manchester Airports Group .....

And they don't deliver a nice society, or anything new

They've delivered affordable clothes, affordable tastes of food from around the world, pampering toiletries, incredible health care products (lateral flow CRP blood test on Amazon for £8 anyone?) ....

I could fill pages to show you what a nonsense that statement is. I'm not sure if it was supposed to be sarcasm?

Papyrophile · 03/05/2026 09:34

@Imdunfer no, it was an ill-thought through post! Mea culpa! Blame the last glass of wine.

It was more of a reaction to my small local market town's economy which is much more about SMEs than a large city. Our largest employers would be the huge comprehensive school, then the local district council.

Imdunfer · 03/05/2026 09:35

Papyrophile · 03/05/2026 09:34

@Imdunfer no, it was an ill-thought through post! Mea culpa! Blame the last glass of wine.

It was more of a reaction to my small local market town's economy which is much more about SMEs than a large city. Our largest employers would be the huge comprehensive school, then the local district council.

Gracious response, thanks 😊

SevenYellowHammers · 11/05/2026 21:03

nearlylovemyusername · 02/05/2026 20:57

It's a very unpopular opinion here, but capitalism has raised more people out of poverty than socialism. It always will, because people will bust a gut for themselves and their family, if there's a sensible/plausible path set out for them to follow.

This. It's one of the main reasons why USSR collapsed - many decades of poverty, structural to socialism.

Show quote history

The USSR was a totalitarian state. It might have had socialism in its title but it’s a misnomer.

Socialism and the trade union movement have given us many things we hold dear. To name but a few: maternity leave, health and safety at work, equality laws, health care free at point of entry… and so on.

I’ve never argued for some soviet government where everything is state owned. All luxury items can be part of a free market as far as I’m concerned. However, we now have solid evidence of what happens when water, education, transportation, roads and so on are left in hands of shareholders.

Maybe capitalism can be good but we’re not seeing anything good about it right now are we? Like saying selling of council houses was a good capitalist move- it might have been if more houses were built and sold under same system but they weren’t.

Maybe, closing the mines was a good environmental move IF they’d been replaced by sustainable power?

Nope, if anyone is ever going to convince me otherwise they’ll need to find some better examples of capitalism than this country has had because I’ve never seen it work in a way that benefits people.