no, anonymous. The problem with communism is that it’s coercive and tyrannical. A super-duper welfare state is not the same as communism. Especially as productivity goes up. The difference being: under a welfare state you are taxed a portion of what you have, and some of that goes to the poor. Under communism you are essentially owned by the state. The state can tell you when to work, what to work on, and how many hours. The state tells you what you can or cannot buy, because the state decides what will or will not be produced.
Whatever you think about welfare states, communism is something else entirely.
It’s not a hard line. Most welfare states tax some people more and some less, some industries more and some less. All in an attempt to shape society as they see fit.
The difference between that and just declaring outright ownership of the means of production is merely a matter of degree.
no, anonymous. The problem with communism is that it’s coercive and tyrannical. A super-duper welfare state is not the same as communism. Especially as productivity goes up. The difference being: under a welfare state you are taxed a portion of what you have, and some of that goes to the poor. Under communism you are essentially owned by the state. The state can tell you when to work, what to work on, and how many hours. The state tells you what you can or cannot buy, because the state decides what will or will not be produced.
Whatever you think about welfare states, communism is something else entirely.
It’s not a hard line. Most welfare states tax some people more and some less, some industries more and some less. All in an attempt to shape society as they see fit.
The difference between that and just declaring outright ownership of the means of production is merely a matter of degree.