Can socialism be self-sustained through natural regulation?

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Nan said:
Redistribution ALWAYS requires a loss in efficiency. I'm not sure that applies totally to social systems. Allow me an example. A child who would remain uneducated if the society did not provide for education through the means of taxation. They would likely be less productive in adulthood, more likely to become a revenue drain or provide less in future tax revenues, etc. than if that child got a useful, good education and became productive as an adult. Right? Its a positive feedback mechanism which requires a redistribution to accomplish.
I'll qualify: I mean only the redistribution transaction itself, e.g. tax, collect, spend somewhere else. Of course people propose societal good justifications for this such as yours - some reasonable, perhaps impossible to accomplish otherwise (common defense), and some not. Regardless of the reason, I'm pointing out that the process of redistribution itself always incurs costs.
 
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mheslep said:
I'll qualify: I mean only the redistribution transaction itself, e.g. tax, collect, spend somewhere else. Of course people propose societal good justifications for this such as yours - some reasonable, perhaps impossible to accomplish otherwise (common defense), and some not. Regardless of the reason, I'm pointing out that the process of redistribution itself always incurs costs.

I think the differentiation is if the cost or redistribution is an investment for common good, which is productive itself, in a society and purposes, like defense, like education. For a society to be classified as civilized, it requires that it cares for its most vulnerable of citizens, rewards for productivity to include freedoms which allow for planning/providing for ones future and enabling of families and communities, as well as individuals in a fair/equitable way. The greed is good paradigm is false as it produces massive imbalances which are negative.
 
Thanks.

The www has this awesome, rarely used feature known as a "link", obviating the need to pliagiarize giant blocks of text, which is both against PF guidelines and, technically, illegal.
 
DaveC426913 said:
Thanks.

The www has this awesome, rarely used feature known as a "link", obviating the need to pliagiarize giant blocks of text, which is both against PF guidelines and, technically, illegal.

:blushing: I'm new here, my apologies, won't happen again.
 
russ_watters said:
Um, that's basically a paraphrase of Hobbes and his concept of the "State of nature".

true dat.
 
I believe a more engaging discussion would revolve around how stringently we wish to apply neoclassicist models. (probably limited to discussion of 1 country alone).