Socialism and Talk:Hurricane Allison (1995): Difference between pages

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{{GA|topic=Natsci|date=19 December 2006}}

'''Socialism''' refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a [[socio-economic]] system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109587 "Socialism"] ''[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]''. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.</ref> This control may be either direct—exercised through popular collectives such as [[workers' councils]]—or indirect—exercised on behalf of the people by the state. As an [[economic system]], socialism is often characterized by [[state]] or community ownership of the [[means of production]].

{{oldpeerreview}}

==Merge==

The modern socialist movement had its origin largely in the [[working class]] movement of the late-[[19th century]]. In this period, the term "socialism" was first used in connection with European social critics who condemned [[capitalism]] and [[private property]]. For [[Karl Marx]], who helped establish and define the modern socialist movement, socialism implied the abolition of [[money]], [[market]]s, [[capital (economics)|capital]], and [[Labour (economics)|labor]] as a [[commodity]].

Too little info, not notable enough. This can be easily merged. [[User:Hurricanehink|Hurricanehink]] 16:11, 8 December 2005 (UTC)

:Despite my extensive copyedit, I tend to agree. [[User:Jdorje|Jdorje]] 06:11, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

A diverse array of doctrines and movements have been referred to as "socialist." Since the 19th century, socialists have not agreed on a common doctrine or program. The various adherents of socialist movements are split into differing and sometimes opposing branches, particularly between [[reformism|reformist]] socialists and [[communism|communists]].

::Agreed. I have posted a merge template. We should have enough consensus to merge it soon. This article should not be. -- [[User: E. Brown|Hurricane Eric]] - ''[[User talk: E. Brown|my dropsonde]]'' - <small>''[[Special:Contributions/E. Brown|archive]]''</small> 22:42, 20 December 2005 (UTC)

Since the 19th century, socialists have differed in their vision of socialism as a system of economic organization. Some socialists have championed the complete [[nationalization]] of the means of production, while [[social democracy|social democrats]] have proposed selective nationalization of key industries within the framework of [[mixed economy|mixed economies]]. Some [[Marxism|Marxists]], including many 20th-century Communists inspired by the [[Economy of the Soviet Union|Soviet model of economic development]], have advocated the creation of centrally [[planned economy|planned economies]] directed by a state that owns all the means of production. Others, including Communists in [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]] and [[People's Republic of Hungary|Hungary]] in the 1970s and 1980s, [[Chinese Communist Party|Chinese Communists]] since the [[Chinese economic reform|reform era]], and some Western economists, have proposed various forms of [[market socialism]], attempting to reconcile the presumed advantages of cooperative or state ownership of the means of production with letting [[market]] forces, rather than central planners, make decisions about [[production]] and [[exchange]]. <ref>"Market socialism," ''Dictionary of the Social Sciences''. Craig Calhoun, ed. Oxford University Press 2002; and "Market socialism" ''The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Politics''. Ed. Iain McLean and Alistair McMillan. Oxford University Press, 2003. See also [[Joseph Stiglitz]], "Whither Socialism?" Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1995 for a recent analysis of the market socialism model of mid-20th century economists [[Oskar R. Lange]], [[Abba P. Lerner]], and [[Fred M. Taylor]].</ref> [[Anarcho-syndicalists]] and some elements of the U.S. [[New Left]] favor decentralized collective ownership in the form of [[cooperatives]] or workers' councils. Others may advocate different arrangements.

<s>:::Agreed. One of the few articles which I believe shouldn't exist. The only non-notable Allison. [[User:CrazyC83|CrazyC83]] 06:10, 23 December 2005 (UTC)</s> With many new articles being created, I decided to get back to work on this one. [[User:CrazyC83|CrazyC83]] 04:02, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

==History of socialism==

{{Main|History of socialism}}

Based on the consensus, what should be kept and what should be cut out? I say a shortened early formation, shortened storm history, and slightly condensed impact section. I just say that because keeping the entire section would negate the purpose of merging it back. [[User:Hurricanehink|Hurricanehink]] 02:34, 27 December 2005 (UTC)

===Early socialism===

:All useful info should be moved to the main article section (if it isn't already there) and then the article should be redirected to the main article, standard procedure. Based on the consensus of five users, I deem it appropriate to conduct the merge now. -- [[User: E. Brown|Hurricane Eric]] - ''[[User talk: E. Brown|my dropsonde]]'' - <small>''[[Special:Contributions/E. Brown|archive]]''</small> 18:24, 27 December 2005 (UTC)

In the history of political thought, certain elements of what is typically thought of as socialism long predate the rise of the workers movement of the late 19th century, particularly in [[Plato]]'s ''[[Republic (Plato)|Republic]]'' and [[Thomas More]]'s ''[[Utopia (book)|Utopia]]''. During the 18th century [[Enlightenment]], criticism of the idea of private property appeared in the work of political theorists such as [[Jean Jacques Rousseau]] in France. Later, following the upheaval of the [[French Revolution]], criticisms of private property and profit began emerging in political doctrine. [[François Noël Babeuf]], for instance, espoused the goals of common ownership of land and total economic and political equality among citizens.

== Todo ==

The term "socialism" was first used in the context of early-19th century Western European social critics. In this period, socialism emerged from a diverse array of doctrines and social experiments associated primarily with British and French thinkers—especially [[Robert Owen]], [[Charles Fourier]], [[Pierre-Joseph Proudhon]], [[Louis Blanc]], and [[Claude Henri de Rouvroy, Comte de Saint-Simon|Saint-Simon]]. These social critics saw themselves as reacting to the excesses of poverty and inequality in the period, and advocated reforms such as the egalitarian distribution of wealth and the transformation of society into small communities in which private property was to be abolished. Outlining principles for the reorganization of society along collectivist lines, Saint-Simon or Owen sought to build socialism on the foundations of planned, [[utopian]] communities.

Any more impact? The article relies on only a few sources, so there's probably more info. Did you check HPC's rainfall map for this storm? That should be added, and it has rainfall for SE United States. Also, the fact that operationally it was a hurricane at landfall should be mentioned. The NCDC probably has more; you should check there. All in all, good redo, but still needs more info for B class. [[User:Hurricanehink|Hurricanehink]] (<small>[[User_talk:Hurricanehink|talk]]</small>) 05:33, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Early socialists differed widely about how socialism was to be achieved; they differed sharply on key issues such as centralized versus decentralized control, the role of private property, the degree of [[egalitarianism]], and the organization of family and community life. Saint-Simon proposed that production and distribution be carried out by the state, which would be ruled by scientific and technological experts who would devise a scientific division of labor leading to social harmony. Fourier and Owen, meanwhile, advocated the transformation of society into small, local collectives without such elaborate systems of social organization. Moreover, while many emphasized the gradual transformation of society, most notably through the foundation of small, utopian communities, a growing number of socialists became disillusioned with the viability of this approach and instead emphasized direct political action. Early socialists were united, however, in their desire for a society based on cooperation rather than competition.

:I didn't know it was operationally a hurricane at landfall. I never went to those sources; I'll do that later. [[User:CrazyC83|CrazyC83]] 05:35, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

::Yea. It was also considered to be the earliest U.S. hurricane landfall in a long time, but not so in the aftermath. The NHC has news reports and local reports that should be worked in. [[User:Hurricanehink|Hurricanehink]] (<small>[[User_talk:Hurricanehink|talk]]</small>) 05:38, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

:::I added the rainfall pic, but can you give me the link that mentions allison's landfall as a hurricane operationally? [[User:Icelandic Hurricane|íslenskur]] '''''[[User:Icelandic Hurricane/Contributions|fel]][[User:Icelandic Hurricane/Esperanza|<font color="green">lib</font>]][[User:Icelandic Hurricane/Contributions|ylur]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Emailuser/Icelandic_Hurricane #12]''''' _{[[User talk:Icelandic Hurricane|(samtal)]]} 03:10, 12 November 2006 (UTC)

::::Mostly just unofficial news reports that don't say it explicitly. In fact, it's mostly [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/allison/news/mh0605p4.gif things like this], which, by the way it is worded, implies it was a hurricane at landfall, though there was uncertainty. Also, [http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/archive/storm_wallets/atlantic/atl1995/allison/public/paal0195.011 this public advisory] just before landfall has it as a hurricane. [[User:Hurricanehink|Hurricanehink]] (<small>[[User_talk:Hurricanehink|talk]]</small>) 03:28, 12 November 2006 (UTC)

:::::There, I added that stuff, but is there a source for formerly being the earliest US hurricane landfall? [[User:Icelandic Hurricane|íslenskur]] '''''[[User:Icelandic Hurricane/Contributions|fel]][[User:Icelandic Hurricane/Esperanza|<font color="green">lib</font>]][[User:Icelandic Hurricane/Contributions|ylur]] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Emailuser/Icelandic_Hurricane #12]''''' _{[[User talk:Icelandic Hurricane|(samtal)]]} 12:53, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

::::::Not sure. [[User:Hurricanehink|Hurricanehink]] (<small>[[User_talk:Hurricanehink|talk]]</small>) 15:29, 27 November 2006 (UTC)

Crazy, could you add the NCDC event report information? I consider that a must for any WPTC article. [[User:Hurricanehink|Hurricanehink]] (<small>[[User_talk:Hurricanehink|talk]]</small>) 03:34, 8 December 2006 (UTC)

The words "socialism" and "communism" were used almost interchangeably in the beginnings of the socialist movement, prior to the formation of communism as a distinct movement. According to some accounts, the use of one term or the other was related to the perceived attitude toward religion in a given culture. In Europe, communism was considered to be the more atheistic of the two. In England, however, that sounded too close to [[communion]] with Catholic overtones; hence atheists preferred to call themselves socialists.<ref>{{cite book

| last = Williams

| first = Raymond

| authorlink = Raymond Williams

| title = [[Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society|Keywords: a vocabulary of culture and society]]

| publisher = Fontana

| year = 1976

| id = 0006334792}}</ref>

===TheGA riseon of Marxism=Hold==

I've put the GA nomination on hold based on my review of the article.

[[Image:Karl_Marx.jpg|thumb|Karl Marx]]

*Well-written- Pretty good - two typos, though overall writing is decent. Phrases in parenthesis should be avoided. The storm history could use another look-through to smoothen things out and make sure everything is there.

*Factually accurate and verifiable - Good

*Broad in coverage - I'd like to see more links that aren't from NHC

*Non-POV - Good

*Stable - Good

*Images - Good, though more satellite images never hurt

[[User:Hurricanehink|Hurricanehink]] (<small>[[User_talk:Hurricanehink|talk]]</small>) 04:42, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

In the mid-19th century, the transformation of socialism into a political doctrine occurred as [[Karl Marx]] and [[Friedrich Engels]] developed their own account of socialism as the outcome of a revolutionary [[class struggle]] between the [[proletariat]] and [[bourgeoisie]].

:Fixed from my vantage point. [[User:CrazyC83|CrazyC83]] 02:49, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

::Looks good. [[User:Hurricanehink|Hurricanehink]] (<small>[[User_talk:Hurricanehink|talk]]</small>) 05:15, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

Marx and Engels regarded themselves as "[[scientific socialism|scientific socialists]]" and distinguished themselves from the "[[utopian socialism|utopian socialists]]" of earlier generations. For [[Marxism|Marxists]], socialism is viewed as a transitional stage characterized by state ownership of the [[means of production]]. They see this stage in history as a transition between [[capitalism]] and [[communism]], the final stage of history. For Marx, a communist society entails the absence of differing [[social class|social classes]] and thus the end of class warfare. According to Marx, once private property had been abolished, the state would then "wither away" and humanity would move on to a higher stage of society, communism. This distinction continues to be used by Marxists, and is the cause of much confusion. The [[Soviet Union]], for example, never claimed that it was a communist society, even though it was ruled by a [[Communist party]] for more than seven decades. For communists, the name of the party is not meant to reflect the name of the social system but rather the party's ultimate goal.

===Moderate socialism and communism===

In 1864, Marx founded the [[International Workingmen's Association]], or [[First International]], which held its first congress at [[Geneva]] in 1866. The First International was the first major international forum for the promulgation of socialist doctrine. However, socialists often disagreed on the proper strategy for achievement of their goals. Diversity and conflict between socialist thinkers was proliferating.

Despite the rhetoric about socialism as an international force, socialists increasingly focused on the politics of the [[nation-state]] in the late 19th century. As universal male [[suffrage]] was introduced throughout the Western world in the first decades of the twentieth century, socialism became increasingly associated with newly formed [[trade unions]] and political parties aimed at mobilizing working class voters.

The most notable of these groups was the [[Social Democratic Workers' Party of Germany]] (today known as the [[German Social Democratic Party]]), which was founded in 1869. These groups supported diverse views of socialism, from the gradualism of many trade unionists to the radical, revolutionary agendas of Marx and Engels. Nevertheless, although the orthodox Marxists of the party, which were led by [[Karl Kautsky]], managed to retain the Marxist theory of revolution as the party's official doctrine, in practice the SPD became more and more reformist.

As socialists gained more power and began to experience governmental authority first-hand, the focus of socialism shifted from theory to practice. Within the government, socialists became more pragmatic, as the success of their program increasingly depended on the consent of the middle and wealthy classes, who largely retained control of the bureaucratic machinery of the state. Moreover, with the beginnings of the modern [[welfare state]], the condition of the working class began to gradually improve in the Western world, thus delaying further the socialist revolution predicted by Marx for Western Europe.

As social democrats came to power and moved into government, divisions between the moderate and radical wings of socialism grew increasingly pronounced. On one hand, many socialist thinkers began to doubt the indispensability of revolution. Moderates like [[Eduard Bernstein]] argued that socialism could best be achieved through the democratic political process (a model increasingly known as [[social democracy]]). On the other hand, strong opposition to moderate socialism came from communists in countries such as the [[Russian Empire]] where a parliamentary democracy did not exist, and did not seem possible. Russian revolutionary [[Vladimir Lenin]] argued that revolution was the only path to socialism. In [[1903]], the [[Russian Social Democratic Labour Party]] split on ideological and organisational questions into [[Bolshevik]] and [[Menshevik]] parties, with Lenin leading the more radical Bolsheviks.

[[Image:Jaurès02.jpg|left|thumb|[[Jean Jaurès]] haranguing workers under a [[red flag]].]]

Meanwhile, [[anarchist]]s and proponents of other alternative visions of socialism, who emphasized the potential of small-scale communities and [[agrarianism]], coexisted with the more influential currents of Marxism and social democracy. The anarchists, led by the Russian [[Mikhail Bakunin]], believed that capitalism and the state were inseparable, and that one could not be abolished without the other. Consequently, they were in opposition to most other socialist groups, who viewed anarchism as far too radical, and a split between the anarchists and the Socialist International soon occurred.

The moderate, or revisionist, wing of socialism, led by [[Eduard Bernstein]], dominated the meeting of the [[Second International]] in Paris in 1889. Lenin and the German revolutionary [[Rosa Luxemburg]] emerged as leaders of the more radical minority, with followers of German theorist [[Karl Kautsky]] constituting a smaller faction. The anarchists were left out entirely. This disparity in views led to further division amongst socialist branches.

After the Second International, in the first decades of the twentieth century, moderate socialism became increasingly influential among many European intellectuals. In 1884 British middle class intellectuals organized the [[Fabian Society]]. The Fabians in turn helped lay the groundwork for the organization of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] in 1906. The French [[Section Française de l'Internationale Ouvrière]] (SFIO), founded in 1905 under [[Jean Jaurès]], and later [[Léon Blum]], adhered to Marxist ideas but became, in practice, a reformist party.

In the U.S. the [[Socialist Labor Party of America]] was founded in 1877. This party, small as it was, became fragmented in the 1890s due to the infighting of various factions. In 1901 a merge between a moderate faction of the Socialist Labor Party of America and the younger [[Social Democratic Party]] joined with [[Eugene V. Debs]] to form the [[Socialist Party of America]]. The influence of the party would, after some fanfare, gradually decline, and socialism would never become a major political force in the United States.

The distinction between socialists and communists became more pronounced during, and after, [[World War I]]. When the First World War began in [[1914]], despite the assassination of influential French socialist Jean Jaurès, many European socialist leaders supported their respective governments. During the war, socialist parties in France and Germany supported their respective state's wartime military and economic planning, despite their ideological commitments to [[proletarian internationalism|internationalism]] and [[solidarity (sociology)|solidarity]]. Lenin, however, denounced the war as an [[imperialist]] conflict, and urged workers worldwide to use it as an occasion for [[proletarian]] revolution. This ideological disagreement resulted in the collapse of the Second International.

===The rise of the Soviet Union===

The [[Russian Revolution of 1917]] marked the definitive split between Communists and social democrats. Communist parties in the Soviet Union and Europe dismissed the more moderate socialist parties and, for the most part, broke off contact.

The [[Communist Party of the Soviet Union]] sought to "build socialism" in the Soviet Union. Arguably for the first time, socialism was not just a vision of a future society, but a description of an existing one. Lenin's regime brought all the means of production (except agricultural production) under state control and implemented a system of government through workers' councils (in [[Russian language|Russian]], ''soviets''). Gradually, however, the Soviet Union developed a bureaucratic and authoritarian model of social development, which was condemned by moderate socialists abroad for undermining the initial democratic and socialist ideals of the Russian Revolution.<ref>

{{cite web

| last = Brinton

| first = Maurice

| authorlink = Maurice Brinton

| title = The bolsheviks and workers control 1917-1921 : the state and counter-revolution

| publisher = [[Solidarity (UK)|Solidarity]]

| year = 1975

| url = http://www.spunk.org/texts/places/russia/sp001861/bolintro.html

| format = HTML

| accessdate = 22nd January

| accessyear = 2007}}

</ref> In 1929 [[Joseph Stalin|Stalin]] came to power and pursued his policy of "[[socialism in one country]]."

The Russian Revolution provoked a powerful reaction throughout Western society, one example being the so-called "[[First Red Scare|Red Scare]]" in the U.S., which effectively destroyed [[Eugene V. Debs]]'s Socialist Party of America. In Europe, [[fascism]] emerged as a movement opposed to both socialism and liberal democracy.

===The interwar era and World War II===

Despite division of the world socialist movement, Western European socialist parties won major electoral gains in the immediate postwar years.

Throughout much of the interwar period, socialist and Communist parties were in continuous conflict. Socialists condemned communists as agents of the Soviet Union, while communists condemned socialists as betrayers of the working class.

However, with the rise of fascism in Italy and Germany in the 1920s and 1930s, socialists and Communists made attempts in some countries to form a united front of all working-class organizations in opposition to fascism. The "[[popular front]]" movement had limited success in countries such as France and Spain, where it did well in the 1936 elections. The [[Nazi]]s came to power in 1933 despite the efforts of German socialists to form a "popular front" in Germany. The "popular front" period ended in 1939 with the conclusion of the [[German-Soviet Nonaggression Pact]]. Socialists condemned this act as an act of betrayal by the Stalinist Soviet Union.

===Cold War years===

In Western Europe, socialism gained perhaps its widest appeal in the period immediately following the end of [[World War II]]. Even where conservative governments remained in power, they were forced to adopt a series of social welfare reform measures, so that in most industrialized countries the postwar period saw the creation of a welfare state.

The period following the Second World War marked another period of intensifying struggle between socialists and communists. In the postwar period, the nominally socialist parties became increasingly identified with the expansion of the capitalist welfare state. Western European socialists largely backed U.S.-led [[Cold War]] policies. They largely supported the [[Marshall Plan]] and the [[North Atlantic Treaty Organization]], and denounced the Soviet Union as "[[totalitarianism|totalitarian]]." Communists denounced these measures as imperialist provocations aimed at triggering a war against the Soviet Union. Inspired by the Second International, the [[Socialist International]] was organized in 1951 in [[Frankfurt]], [[West Germany]], without Communist participation.

In the postwar years, socialism became increasingly influential throughout the [[Third World]]. In 1949 the [[Chinese Revolution]] established a [[Communist state]]. Emerging nations of Africa, Asia, and Latin America frequently adopted socialist economic programs. In many instances, these nations nationalized industries held by foreign owners. The Soviet achievement in the 1930s seemed hugely impressive from the outside, and convinced many nationalists in the emerging former colonies of the Third World, not necessarily Communists or even socialists, of the virtues of state planning and state-guided models of social development. This was later to have important consequences in countries like [[China]], [[India]] and [[Egypt]], which tried to import some aspects of the Soviet model.

In the 1970s, despite the radicalism of some socialist currents in the Third World, Western European Communist parties effectively abandoned their revolutionary goals and fully embraced electoral politics. Dubbed "[[Eurocommunism]]," this new orientation resembled earlier social-democratic configurations, although distinction between the two political tendencies persists.

[[Image:DengMitterrand.jpg|thumb|Chinese paramount leader [[Deng Xiaoping]] meeting with [[François Mitterrand]], the president-elect of France and the leader of the [[Socialist Party of France|Socialist Party]] on February 12, 1981. In power both Deng and Mitterrand struggled to adapt and modernize socialism in a period of growing globalization and liberalization of the global economy.]]

In the late last quarter of the twentieth century, socialism in the Western world entered a new phase of crisis and uncertainty. Socialism came under heavy attack following the [[1973 oil crisis]]. In this period, [[monetarism|monetarists]] and [[neoliberalism|neoliberals]] attacked social welfare systems as an impediment to individual entrepreneurship. With the rise of [[Ronald Reagan]] in the U.S. and [[Margaret Thatcher]] in Britain, the Western welfare state found itself under increasing political pressure. Increasingly, Western countries and international institutions rejected social democratic methods of [[Keynesianism|Keynesian]] demand management, which were scrapped in favor of neoliberal policy prescriptions.

Western European socialists were under intense pressure to refashion their parties in the late 1980s and early 1990s and to reconcile their traditional economic programs with the integration of a European economic community based on liberalizing markets. The [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]] in the United Kingdom put together a set of policies based on encouraging the market economy while promoting the involvement of private industry in delivering public services.

The last quarter of the twentieth century marked a period of major crisis for Communists in the [[Eastern bloc]], where the growing shortages of housing and consumer goods, combined with the lack of individual rights to assembly and speech, began to disillusion more and more Communist party members. With the rapid collapse of Communist party rule in Eastern Europe between 1989 and 1991, the Soviet vision of socialism has effectively disappeared as a worldwide political force.

===Contemporary socialism===

In the 1960s and 1970s new social forces began to change the political landscape in the Western world. The long postwar boom, rising living standards for the industrial working class, and the rise of a mass university-educated white collar workforce began to break down the mass electoral base of European socialist parties. This new "[[post-industrial]]" white-collar workforce was less interested in traditional socialist policies such as state ownership and more interested in expanded personal freedom and liberal social policies.

Over the past twenty-five years, efforts to adapt socialism to new historical circumstances have led to a range of [[New Left]] ideas and theories, some of them contained within existing socialist movements and parties, others achieving mobilization and support in the arenas of "[[new social movements]]." Some socialist parties reacted more flexibly and successfully to these changes than others, but eventually all were forced to do so.

In the developing world, some elected noncommunist socialist parties and communist parties remain prominent, particularly in India. In China, the Chinese Communist Party has led a transition from the command economy of the Mao period, describing its economic program as [[market socialism]] or "[[socialism with Chinese characteristics]]." Under [[Deng Xiaoping]], the leadership of China embarked upon a program of market-based reform that was more sweeping than had been Soviet leader [[Mikhail Gorbachev]]'s [[perestroika]] program of the late 1980s. Deng's program, however, largely maintained state ownership rights over land, state or cooperative ownership of much of the heavy industrial and manufacturing sectors, and state influence in the banking and financial sectors. In Latin America, socialism has reemerged in recent years as a political banner in some areas. Venezuelan President [[Hugo Chávez]] and Bolivian President [[Evo Morales]], for instance, refer to their political programs as socialist.

==Socialism as an economic system==

{{See also|Socialist economics}}

The term "socialism" is often used to refer to an economic system characterized by state ownership of the means of production and distribution. In the Soviet Union, state ownership of productive property was combined with [[planned economy|central planning]]. Down to the workplace level, Soviet economic planners decided what goods and services were to be produced, how they were to be produced, in what quantities, and at what prices they were to be sold (''see'' [[economy of the Soviet Union]]). Soviet economic planning was touted as an alternative to allowing prices and production to be determined by the market through supply and demand. Especially during the [[Great Depression]], many socialists considered Soviet-style planning a remedy to what they saw as the inherent flaws of capitalism, such as [[monopoly|monopolies]], [[business cycle]]s, [[unemployment]], vast inequalities in the distribution of wealth, and the exploitation of workers.

In the West, some economists, including [[Nobel laureates]] [[Friedrich Hayek]] and [[Milton Friedman]], argued that central planners could never match the overall information inherent in the decision-making throughout a market economy. Nor could enterprise managers in Soviet-style socialist economies match the motivation of private profit-driven entrepreneurs in a market economy (see the [[economic calculation problem]]). For these reasons, they argued that socialist planned economies would eventually fail.

Following the stagnation of the Soviet economy in the 1970s and 1980s, a number of socialists began to accept some of the critiques of state planning from Western market economists. [[Poles|Polish]] economist [[Oskar Lange]], for example, was an early proponent of "market socialism."

==Socialism and social and political theory==

Marxist and non-Marxist social theorists have both generally agreed that socialism, as a doctrine, developed as a reaction to the rise of modern industrial capitalism, but differ sharply on the exact nature of the relationship. [[Émile Durkheim]] saw socialism as rooted in the desire simply to bring the state closer to the realm of individual activity as a response to the growing [[anomie]] of capitalist society. [[Max Weber]] saw in socialism an acceleration of the process of rationalization commenced under capitalism. Weber was a critic of socialism who warned that putting the economy under the total bureaucratic control of the state would not result in liberation but an '[[iron cage]] of future bondage.'{{Fact|date=February 2007}}

Socialist intellectuals continued to retain considerable influence on European philosophy in the mid-20th century. [[Herbert Marcuse]]'s [[1955]] ''[[Eros and Civilization]]'' was an explicit attempt to merge Marxism with [[Freudianism]]. [[Structuralism]], widely influential in mid-20th century French academic circles, emerged as a model of the social sciences that influenced the 1960s and 1970s socialist [[New Left]].

==Criticisms of socialism==

{{Main|Criticisms of socialism}}

Criticisms of socialism range from disagreements over the efficiency of socialist economic and political models to condemnation of states described by themselves or others as "socialist." Many [[economic liberalism|economic liberals]], such as [[Friedrich Hayek]] in his ''[[Road to Serfdom]]'', have argued that the more even distribution of wealth and [[nationalization]] of industries advocated by socialists cannot be achieved without a loss of political, economic, and human rights.<ref>{{cite book| last = Hayek| first = Friedrich | authorlink = Friedrich Hayek| title = [[The Road to Serfdom]]| publisher = [[University of Chicago Press]]| edition = 50th anniversary ed.| date = 1994| id = 0-226-32061-8}}</ref> Hayek argued that the road to socialism leads society to [[totalitarianism]], and saw [[Fascism]] and [[Nazism]] as inevitable outcome of the socialist trends in the preceding period.<ref>Hayek, Friedrich. ''The Road to Serfdom'', Routledge (2001), ISBN 0415255430, p.4</ref> [[Communist states]], seen as examples of actually existing socialism, are the object of a particularly virulent criticism and, according to estimates, responsible for deaths of tens of millions of people.<ref>Rummel, R.J., ''Death by Government'', Transaction Publishers (1997), ISBN 1-56000-927-6</br> Courtois, Stephane; Werth, Nicolas; Panne, Jean-Louis; Paczkowski, Andrzej; Bartosek, Karel; Margolin, Jean-Louis & Kramer, Mark, ''[[The Black Book of Communism|The Black Book of Communism: Crimes, Terror, Repression]]''. Harvard University Press (1999), ISBN 0-674-07608-7.</ref>

One of the difficulties of the socialism in the 21st century is that it needs capitalism to generate economic growth and prosperity, and at the same time capitalism doesn't need socialism for providing welfare protection. All this resulted in the loss of confidence by socialist leaders and followers.<ref>Donald Sassoon, "Socialism," [http://uk.encarta.msn.com Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2006]</ref>

==Notes==

<div style="font-size:85%">

<references/>

</div>

==References and further reading==

* G.D.H. Cole, ''History of Socialist Thought, in 7 volumes'', Macmillan and St. Martin's Press (1965), Palgrave Macmillan (2003 reprint); 7 volumes, hardcover, 3160 pages, ISBN 1-4039-0264-X

* [[Friedrich Engels]], ''The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State'', Zurich, 1884

* Albert Fried, Ronald Sanders, eds., ''Socialist Thought: A Documentary History'', Garden City, NY: Doubleday Anchor, 1964.

* [http://www.selvesandothers.org/view804.html Phil Gasper], ''The Communist Manifesto: A Road Map to History's Most Important Political Document'', [http://www.haymarketbooks.org/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=Haymarket&Product_Code=MSACM Haymarket Books], ISBN 1-931859-25-6 paperback, 224 pages, 2005.

* [[Élie Halévy]], ''Histoire du Socialisme Européen''. Paris, Gallimard, 1948

* [[Jesús Huerta de Soto]], [http://www.jesushuertadesoto.com/pdf_socialismo/indice.pdf ''Socialismo, cálculo económico y función empresarial''] (''Socialism, Economic Calculation, and Entrepreneurship''), Unión Editorial, 1992, ISBN 84-7209-420-0

* [[Michael Harrington]], ''Socialism'', New York: Bantam, 1972

* Makoto Itoh, ''Political Economy of Socialism''. London: Macmillan, 1995.

* [[Oskar Lange]], ''On the Economic Theory of Socialism'', 1938.

* Michael Lebowitz, ''[http://www.monthlyreview.org/builditnow.htm Build It Now - Socialism for the 21st Century]'', [http://www.monthlyreview.org Monthly Review Press] (2006) ISBN 1-58367-145-5

* [[Ludwig von Mises]], [http://www.mises.org/books/socialism/contents.aspx ''Socialism: An Economic and Sociological Analysis''], Liberty Fund, 1922, ISBN 0-913966-63-0

* [[Joshua Muravchik]], [http://www.pbs.org/heavenonearth/resources.html ''Heaven on Earth: The Rise and Fall of Socialism''], Encounter Books, 2002, ISBN 1-893554-45-7

* Michael Newman, "Socialism - a Very Short Introduction", Oxford University Press (2005) ISBN 0-19-280431-6

* [[Bertell Ollman]], ''Market Socialism: the debate among socialists'', ed. (1998) ISBN 0-415-91967-3

* [[Leo Panitch]], ''Renewing Socialism: Democracy, Strategy, and Imagination'', ISBN 0-8133-9821-5

* [[Richard Pipes]], ''Property and Freedom'', Vintage, 2000, ISBN 0-375-70447-7

* [[David Selbourne]], ''Against Socialist Illusion'', London, 1985, ISBN 0-333-37095-3

* [[James Weinstein]], ''Long Detour: The History and Future of the American Left'', [http://www.westviewpress.com/about.html Westview Press], 2003, hardcover, 272 pages, ISBN 0-8133-4104-3

* Peter Wilberg, [http://www.newgnosis.co.uk/deep.html ''Deep Socialism - A New Manifesto of Marxist Ethics and Economics''], 2003, ISBN 1-904519-02-4

* [[Edmund Wilson]], ''To the Finland Station: A Study in the Writing and Acting of History'', Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1940.

==See also==

{{Political ideology entry points}}

* [[Alter-globalization]]

* [[Anti-capitalism]]

* [[Fabian Society]]

* [[History of socialism in Great Britain]]

* [[Labour movement]]

* [[Participatory economics]]

* [[Progressivism]]

* [[Socialism in the United States]]

* [[Syndicalism]]

==External links==

;Resources on socialism

* [http://www.marxists.org The Marxists Internet Archive] (online library of Marxist writers)

* [http://www.marxist.net Marxist.net] - a resource on socialist writers

* [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/socialism.htm History of socialism at Spartacus Educational]

* [http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook33.html Modern History Sourcebook on socialism]

* [http://www.whatnextjournal.co.uk/Pages/History/Articles.html Socialist history at ''What Next?'']

* [http://www.pbs.org/heavenonearth/ PBS' "Heaven on Earth: the Rise and Fall of Socialism"]

* [http://www.ecn.wfu.edu/~cottrell/socialism_book/new_socialism.pdf ''Towards a New Socialism''] by W. Paul Cockshott and Allin Cottrell

;Introductory articles

* [http://www.monthlyreview.org/598einst.htm "Why Socialism?"] by [[Albert Einstein]]

* [http://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1880/soc-utop/index.htm "Socialism: Utopian and Scientific"] by [[Friedrich Engels]]

* [http://libcom.org/library/soul-of-man-under-socialism-oscar-wilde "The Soul of Man under Socialism"] by [[Oscar Wilde]]

* [http://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/shaw/works/guide2.htm "Socialism and Liberty"] by [[George Bernard Shaw]]

* [http://www.anu.edu.au/polsci/marx/contemp/pamsetc/twosouls/twosouls.htm "The Two Souls of Socialsm"] by [[Hal Draper]]

;Socialist organizations

* [http://www.socialistinternational.org The Socialist International]

* [http://www.pes.org The Party of European Socialists]

* [http://www.wsws.org World Socialist Web Site published by the International Committee of the Fourth International]

* [http://www.iww.org Industrial Workers of the World]

;Critical appraisals

* [http://www.mises.org/etexts/ecopol.asp#_Socialism "Socialism"] ''Economic Policy'' 2nd Lecture, by [[Ludwig von Mises]]

* [http://www.mises.org/etexts/hayekintellectuals.pdf "The Intellectuals and Socialism"], by [[Friedrich A. Hayek]]

* [http://www.mises.org/etexts/Soc&Cap.pdf "A Theory of Socialism and Capitalism"], by [[Hans-Hermann Hoppe]]

* [http://www.econlib.org/LIBRARY/Enc/Socialism.html "Socialism"], by [[Robert Heilbroner]]

* [http://flag.blackened.net/daver/anarchism/tucker/tucker2.html "State socialism and anarchism"] by [[Benjamin Tucker]]

* [http://www.marxists.org/reference/subject/philosophy/works/at/freud.htm Lecture XXXV "A Philosophy of Life"] includes a critique of marxist socialism by [[Sigmund Freud]]

{{ History of economic thought}}

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