From: utzoo!decvax!wivax!linus!genradbo!mitccc!zrm
Newsgroups: net.politics
Title: Re: What IS wrong with socialism
Article-I.D.: mitccc.379
Posted: Tue Feb 22 14:26:20 1983
Received: Wed Feb 23 04:53:56 1983
References: hou5e.234

Mr. Almquist believes I am confusing the "Socialist" governments of, say
Austria, where I lived for 1.5 years, with the socialist (their
terminology) Comecon countries. Well, living a half hour's drive from
Eastern Europe itself, I don't think that I ever foirgot which side of
that border I was on.

The SPOe has been in power in Austria since the Soviet Union gave up its
occupation in the fifties. The government owns most of the big heavy
industry concerns and ALL the banks in the country. It does not own most
consumer goods ventures and most of the "sunrise" enterprises in
electronics and such. This is a mixed economy, and the concept of private
property is firmly embedded in the constitution and laws.

Half an hour east is Hungary, probably the most livable of the Comecon
countries. There all major enterprise from department stores to
distilleries to almost all factories are state owned. One could quibble
without end as to the differences between these two countries, but the
drive from Vienna to Budapest, the foci of the Austro-Hungarian empire,
would make it clear in anyone's mind that Austria embraces "capitalism",
and Hungary has had "socialism" forced upon it.

I don't think I could confuse the two.

Cheers,
Zig