What is "socialism"? - An attempt to clear up myths/misconceptions

[donathos]

Leadified said:

donathos said:

If the democratic and republican governments of Athens and Rome had produced results on par with the Soviet Union, then perhaps that would have been a good argument to make against making another attempt. For after all, if we do not learn from history, what is our other recourse? If I cannot point to the results of fascism as an argument why fascism is a bad idea, then how do we assess the claim that fascism deserves another try? I expect you might agree with regards to fascism, but socialism did just as much harm.

The Roman Republic is infamous for it's crimes. Julius Caesar said that one million people (mostly civilians) were killed in the Gallic Wars, Carthage was razed to the ground (sometimes referred to as the first genocide). The wars between the Jews and Romans also started during the Republic and ended when the Roman Empire destroyed the Jerusalem and Jewish society in Palestine.

War has been part of every society throughout all of human history. This is why the idea of a socialist society being free of military (and police) seems... well, let's be charitable and call it "idealistic." If the Roman Republic's campaigns in Gaul, et al., were attributable to the republican nature of its government, then it might well be the case that republicanism ought not be emulated. But so far, we've not found a solution for war, under republicanism (or democracy), monarchy, or any other system.