Would you stay in a socialist country or emmigrate?

Kennyboy66

michaels wrote: »

We are being offered a choice of staying with a mixed market economy or moving towards a socialist paradise where govt determines prices. A sort of Venezuela lite (light). If we move towards the latter would you stay or look to take your family elsewhere?

An odd phrase of question, "the UK becomes...."

It would take more than an energy price gimmick to make the UK anywhere like socialist (look at the UK economy from 1945 - 1976).

Besides, socialist states don't tend to let their beloved people have free travel to other countries.

ILW

I doubt many would be happy with a totally free market economy either.

Can anyone define at what point socialism begins?

StevieJ

Rugged and his mob should be happy, Ed is looking to move us back to the 60's or 70's (or so the Tory press would have us believe), remind me wasn't that 'the land of milk and honey' boomer time in its prime?

grizzly1911

StevieJ wrote: »

Rugged and his mob should be happy, Ed is looking to move us back to the 60's or 70's (or so the Tory press would have us believe), remind me wasn't that 'the land of milk and honey' boomer time in its prime?

Wasn't that a period when the economy grew in terms of per capita income?

Haven't many economies actually prospered in a more regulated protectionist framework, introducing free market ideology when it suited them to trade?

michaels

Kennyboy66 wrote: »

An odd phrase of question, "the UK becomes...."

It would take more than an energy price gimmick to make the UK anywhere like socialist (look at the UK economy from 1945 - 1976).

I agree but in a way once you decide that one 'essential' that also turns to to be an internationally traded commodity should be subject to price controls then can you not apply the same logic to many other things, like food for example which forms a much higher proportion of people's essential expenditure than fuel. Having started down such a path, how long till you end up with no toilet paper in the shops?

Historical and International experience suggests that trying to fix such prices is ultimately bound to fail but will destroy the economy along the way in demonstrating that it can't be done?

(Off topic, rising fuel costs send a market signal that switching away from carbon fuel sources is a good thing because they are becoming more scarce and they also have an environmental disbenefit, trying to override this price signal will have the perverse affect that people will use more and make less effort to look for alternatives such as better insulation or wearing another sweater)

StevieJ

grizzly1911 wrote: »

Wasn't that a period when the economy grew in terms of per capita income?

Haven't many economies actually prospered in a more regulated protectionist framework, introducing free market ideology when it suited them to trade?

Yes, countries like Sweden seem to do OK.

antrobus

StevieJ wrote: »

Yes, countries like Sweden seem to do OK.

In what way do you believe that the Swedish economy operates in a "more regulated protectionist framework".

gadgetmind

michaels wrote: »

A sort of Venezuela lite (light).

A relative of mine is currently working in Caracas and things are going from bad to worse. The government meddles in everything, constantly fights against commerce and industry, and generally makes it a place where no-one can do business. As a result, the shelves are pretty much bare and there is even a national shortage of bog roll!

How many times do we need to see this style of government fail before we accept that it can never work?

If Miliband gets into power, our only source of light might well involve sticking a wick into him and settling light to it thus filling the house with a greasy yellow light and an irritating whine.

CLAPTON

StevieJ wrote: »

Yes, countries like Sweden seem to do OK.

sweden has a very free market economy with e.g. no national minimum wage

it does have a very extensive welfare provisions and very liberal criminal justice system

Voyager2002

Bizarre question...

If you remember, the utilities always used to be run as a public service, for good economic reasons. When they were privatised, a certain Mrs Thatcher put in place a system of regulation to prevent them from extorting monopoly profits and ensure that they operated in ways that were good for the economy as a whole as well as for their shareholders' interests.Crucially, the powers of the regulators included limiting prices and capping profits.

Fast-forward twenty years, and there is general agreement that the system of regulation has not proved to be effective. All that Mr Miliband has promised is to make it effective, so he is essentially standing on the same policy platform as Mrs Thatcher. If that is Socialism, I dread to think what Conservatism would look like!