This thread is making an interesting turn actually.

Your comments are exactly why I call myself a socialist but not a communist. I communism the ideal is to support everybody to an average living standard nt matter how dumb they are or how bad their work is. As there is hardly any improvement in living standards when performing quality work or being smart you end up with a society of losers. As a socialist I believe so should provide ample opportunity for everybody to improve on their living standard and status/position in society, but this doesn't mean that anybody refusing to be smarter or more active in bettering himself should get anymore then the bare minimum to keep himself alive and out of crime.

So I'm not shedding any tears for Joe Bubba. I would support any state program to buy his junky car at a higher value then markt price so he CAN buy a fuel efficient car that he couldn't do earlier, but only one time. Or any program that allows Joe to bridge the gap in investment that he will pay for in small weekly terms and see he earn money (not spending it) in the long run. But Joe decides that a V8 6 liter fuel pump matches his self image better then I say let him take the full 5- 6 dollar per gallon hit.

Actually such a society is the only way to maintain a minimal of smart thinking among the populace; a critical and strategic necessity if you ask me. Or do you really want all the better paying jobs to be outsourced to foreign nations ?

Wouter