From: Charles Hixson (charleshixsn@earthlink.net)
Date: Thu Nov 07 2002 - 16:09:20 MST
On Wednesday 06 November 2002 21:02, Dehede011@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 11/6/2002 4:51:35 PM Central Standard Time,
> charleshixsn@earthlink.net writes: You learned what an apple was by
> examining a large number of instances of the class and extracting what
> seemed to you to be the common features. But this requires a large number
> of instances, not a single instance.
>
> We have also had 200 years of history including several dozen socialist
> countries and several hundred socialist communitys spread across the world.
> From that we have extracted that you don't wish to discuss anything about
> real world experience with socialism.
> Ron h.
Unless you list for me the groups that you consider socialist, and end up with
more than 50 groups, then that's an insufficient basis for me to form a
definition. Even then I'll be guessing at what features you consider they
have in common. And I may not have read the same history books that you
have.
Why do you say 200 years? Groups that had what I understand to be the
essential features of socialism extend back at least as far as the Essene
religious communities, and probably a lot further. Did something happen 200
years ago that created a "defining characteristic" of socialism? If so, then
knowing what that was might be helpful.
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