What kind of 'ism' is best?

[scott-atkinson]

Given our ever changing world, what in your view is the best form of society to have, I have listed some below from definitions on the internet, perhaps we should combine some to make the perfect 'ism' what is your view;

republicanism
the principles of a theory of government in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and exercised by representatives they elect directly or indirectly and by an elected or nominated president.

democratism
a doctrine of or belief in social equality or the right of all people to participate equally in politics.

capitalism
a system of economics under which ownership of and investment in the means of production and distribution depends chiefly upon corporations and private individuals

communism
a political and economie theory proposing the replacement of private ownership of goods or capital with common ownership and distribution upon need.

socialism
a theory or system of social organization advocating placing the ownership and control of capital, land, and means of production in the community as a whole

fascism
a totalitarian governmental system led by a dictator and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism, militarism, and often racism.

 

[kevlray]

Every 'ism' I have seen has flaws. Part of the issue is man's greed for power and wealth. I do not believe man can come up with a perfect 'ism'.

 

[scott-atkinson]

Every 'ism' I have seen has flaws. Part of the issue is man's greed for power and wealth. I do not believe man can come up with a perfect 'ism'.

What makes us Greedy? Is it in our genetic make up, is it our capacity for thought and cognitive reasoning, or something else...

 

[kevlray]

I am not sure. I know that part of it probably goes back to when food was hard to come by and possibly dangerous. If you can get/store more food you did not worry so much about starving to death or get killed trying to get food.

 

[scott-atkinson]

I am not sure. I know that part of it probably goes back to when food was hard to come by and possibly dangerous. If you can get/store more food you did not worry so much about starving to death or get killed trying to get food.

So if things that us as Humans required were in plentiful supply, there would be no Greed, sounds reasonable..

But what about the need for a human to be better than another Human, is that in our doctrine, or is this simply Greed...

 

[kevlray]

I think that can be trained/taught out. But it would probably take several generations. They there is the unknown psychological aspect (I am not a psychologist, so there maybe something ingrained in some people to always want to be 'better' than other people).

 

[Steve R.]

Culture. There is no one best "ism". Cultural sub-factors affecting the "isms" include what values the citizens are taught, the commitment of the citizens to the political/economic structure, the size of the society, common language, religion, ethnicity, etc.

There is no reason why Communism couldn't be considered the best "ism". For it to be the best "ism", (from my point-of-view) it would have to be a "small" society that can kick-out those who do not conform, such as a Monastery.

The effect of culture on "ism" can also be observed by the relative success of countries that have adopted the Protestant work ethic versus those that did not.

Also, your "isms" mix political and economic systems. While not "isms" there are other alternative political systems such as: Monarchy, Dictatorship, and Theocracy. Given the appropriate context, each of these political systems could also be considered "best".

 

[The_Doc_Man]

Not a fan of most "ism" types but I can think of an "asm" that isn't bad. Starts with ORG.

 

[MarkK]

I think reality is chaotic, ambiguous, and subject to interpretation, and I think what we see in reality changes with where we happen to look at it from. This is fundamental to the theory of relativity: that there is no objective reality, and that all measurements are altered by the location of the observer in respect to the event.

"Isms" allow us the illusion that reality is clear, organized, and precise, and so they are very appealing. Chaos and ambiguity are uncomfortable. People want predictability and certainty.

I say we should reject all "isms" out-of-hand. We should approach each problem without prejudice and see to do the greatest good and the least harm for the most people, without determination for what school of thought the solution might be said to have arisen from.

 

[Thales750]

One of the common failings of all the systems, is that over time they concentrate the power into the fewest hands.

We are at the end of unfettered capitalism, and we see the results all around us.

A new paradigm will need to immerge. And eventually that one will need to be destroyed in favor of another new one.

It is this churning of isms that produces progress.

We live in a time of the end of a Phoenix, what come next is up to us.

 

[Steve R.]

One of the common failings of all the systems, is that over time they concentrate the power into the fewest hands.

True.

We are at the end of unfettered capitalism, and we see the results all around us.

Unfettered capitalism died years ago. We are now in a post capitalistic era where those who are at the "top" use the legal systems as a sledge hammer to quash any would-be competitors. US Supreme Court to decide on Aereo, an obscure start-up that could reshape the TV industry.

Getting back to a cultural/economic integration. Unfettered capitalism, even though it is "dead", is still being portrayed as the bogey man to promote the era of "big" government, where government is now the Nanny State. Obama shouldn’t rewrite history on the Keystone XL oil pipeline

We live in a time of the end of a Phoenix, what come next is up to us.

In the US, it would appear that the Phoenix is rising in the form of a populist Nanny State. The populist Nanny State is based on "bread and circuses" funded through continued deficit spending. The emergence of the "Tea Party" was an demonstration of a push-back to that trend. How much further the Phoenix will rise is unknown. The results of the 2014 and 2016 US elections may portend the future of the Phoenix.

 

[MarkK]

It is this churning of isms that produces progress.

How do you know it's not the churning of progress that produce isms?

 

[Charl80]

How do you know it's not the churning of progress that produce isms?

That's a brilliant response. I reckon it's not a one way process, and both statements are true.

Agree more generally with the idea that no "ism" is perfect, and would add that it is probably healthy to keep questioning political systems or modes of thought. Although my views lean towards socialism/democratism, I dislike labeling myself as a socialist because that would suggest I agree with everything involved in that mode of political thought without question or nuance, which isn't the case.

 

[Thales750]

Entrepreneuralism

 

[RainLover]

To me I believe that the best form of government is that of a Benevolent Dictator with the occasional assassination.

 

[RainLover]

Yes! First you elect a dictator allow him to realign the social and financial fabric of the society. Then you simply cut his bloody head off, problem solved.

You can let him stay in power while he is doing good. Usually anything from 2 to 5 years. Then cut his head off and install a new one.

I think that this must be covered in the Holy Book called the Grail. Or is it simply the life of Monty Python.

 

[The Archn00b]

Fascism is not inherently racist. See Mussolini and Franco.

 

[WhiteRex]

Every single one of the ism's has flaws, there is no perfect system because no system suits every individual

 

[Thales750]

Every single one of the ism's has flaws, there is no perfect system because no system suits every individual

That is the basis for much discontent, people start to think the individual needs and rights usurp the needs of the many.