I think we need to re-calibrate the register of discourse a bit here - as the commentary from Burning Ghost is based on partial/inaccurate information about capitalism and socialism. To answer the question "is socialism really that bad?" we need to first ask ourselves:
what is capitalism?
Let’s begin with the premise that labor is a fundamental human activity. By working, we use our brains and/or our muscles to transform nature into useful products. So, for instance, the process of work transforms a pile of wood into a table and chairs.
The survival of every society hinges upon two factors. The first is a
means of production –which simply refers to the land, raw materials, resources, and factories that are necessary for the productive process and survival of the human race. The second is a
group of workers who can perform the laborious and strenuous tasks of production.
The most important question is:
who owns the means of production? Keep in mind – there are 7 billion people on this planet. But the means of production are owned privately by a small group of elites. This means that the vast majority of the resources and wealth necessary for the survival of all human beings is concentrated into the hands and bank accounts of a minute segment of the population that sits at the top of the pyramid.
This leaves the masses of people in a desperate position, because they have nothing but their hands to work with. The structure of society is determined by whether or not you own those means of production. If you own the means of production, you are part of the “bourgeoisie” or “the ruling class” which survives simply by owning. But if you do not own means of production, you are part of the “proletariat” or “the working class” which survives by working
for the bourgeoisie. Almost the entire planet must beckon to the needs of a few people in seats of power in the ruling class. The bourgeoisie is greedy for money and power, at the expense of the proletariat; while the proletariat is simply trying to survive. Society is composed of two groups or “classes” that will never see eye to eye: the haves (the ruling class) and the have-nots (the working class). The differences between these two groups are irreconcilable. Society is structured by these class antagonisms. Any thought and/or plan that seeks to perpetuate the antagonistic relationship between these classes is
reformism. Any thought and/or plan that seeks to destroy the antagonistic relationship between these classes is
revolutionary. The commentary of Burning Ghost is reformist and, for that reason, only entrenches the privileges of the ruling class at the expense of the working class around the globe.
"Burning Ghost" said: Economics is the distribution of resources
.
While this is not incorrect, it is only a partial explanation. Whenever workers produce, the goal is to produce more than what is necessary – the goal is to produce a surplus – because we are not in scarcity anymore. We have to produce enough to feed, clothe, and shelter those who cannot work – such as children, the disabled, and the elderly – and to provide security during emergency situations. Once again: the question becomes:
who gets to control that surplus value? Under capitalism, the surplus is produced by workers through labor, but it is appropriated and distributed by the ruling class for expenses that do not benefit the working class (i.e. to pay for CEO bonuses, luxury cars, etc). Workers produce a massive amount of wealth, but receive only a fraction of it in return – that which we call a “wage” or a “salary“. A clear example is the prostitute-pimp relationship. The prostitute charges each customer, lets say, $100 for intercourse. In a day, they meet with 8 customers, which means $800 in value was produced. Does the prostitute take home $800? No. They are given only a fraction of that amount, closer to $100, while the surplus goes to the pimp. Keep in mind: it was the prostitute who performed the services, but the pimp is the primary recipient of labor. Bosses are like vampires who become wealthy by sucking the blood of workers. The ruling class is lazy; a bunch of parasites who prosper off of our labor. They talk about "creating jobs" - but jobs do not create wealth. Labor is the source of all value (that, and nature); so the money they are using to "create jobs" to exploit us was stolen from us in the first place!
This is key: when the group of people who produces the surplus is
different than the group of people that appropriates and distributes the surplus it is
exploitation. But when the group who produces the surplus is the same as the group who appropriates and distributes the surplus, there is
freedom. The goal is to build a society where there is no exploitation. The goal is to build a society where the means of production are not owned privately, but are owned collectively by the people. In doing so, everyone benefits from the surplus that is generated. Such a society is defined as
socialism (the first step toward communism) – which simply means all the resources necessary for human survival are owned in common, not privately.
"Burning Ghost" said: private institutions are required to keep government institutions in check.
This is out of step with historical materialism. What we call "government" - or the State - only came into existence once class society began. In other words: the modern conception of government began as a
consequence of exploitation. Before slavery began thousands of years ago, people were in constant survival mode. But when they learned to domesticate animals and get involved in agriculture, a surplus was accrued for the new slave masters - who relied on government to maintain their power. As stated above, exploitation is the privatization of wealth, whereas freedom is the socialization of resources. The government exists to maintain the regime of private property, not the other way around (i.e. read Friedrich Engels' "
The Origin of the Family, Private Property, and the State").
This is the thing about the ruling class: they always make it seem as if the government is a horrible and bloated force that intrudes upon their existence. Thus, they do not want the government to tax them or regulate them because it would adversely impact their profits. But the ruling class loves the military and the police: both in which are government forces, and they love to pass laws, which is a governmental function. The ruling class picks and chooses when government is important (coercing the working class) and when it is not important (dodging the demands for higher wages, health care, environmental protections, etc).
Capitalism is not freedom. Capitalism is not compatible with democracy. Capitalism is legitimized theft and normalized barbarism. Capitalism is not efficient for anyone except the ruling class. We need to organize against capitalism and build a more humane world. Socialism is a necessary step in that direction.