Could Socialism work in the UK?

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Narcissism, psychopathy etc. which are often seen to be beneficial for success in 'big' business, are rather negative IMO when it comes to 'self preservation of humanity'. Those that only care for themselves are a massive detriment to others.
Lots of issues which need fixing: poverty, human rights, climate change, and so forth. which someone with those traits wont care for at all.
That may or may not be true, but would you seriously claim that narcissism and psychopathy aren't strongly associated with the rulers of states? At least businesses don't have an army.

Reply 61

hellodave5

Original post by Observatory

That may or may not be true, but would you seriously claim that narcissism and psychopathy aren't strongly associated with the rulers of states? At least businesses don't have an army.

What do you mean? I would say that narcissism and psychopathy ARE (maybe at least reasonably) associated with important people, such as rulers of states.

Anecdotally, politicians tend to have those characteristics don't they (in my experience, quite self serving and grandiose; tho not always the case ofc).

There's a reasonable bit of research on it:

http://wkeithcampbell.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/CampbellHRMR2011.pdf

https://eprints.worc.ac.uk/321/1/Andrews_-_Charm_Charisma_and_Catastrophe.pdf

Reply 62

Captain Haddock

Original post by Observatory

Cuba is just like the better parts of the old Warsaw Pact: creaking police state with 1950s consumer goods and cooked books, collapsing buildings and broken roads, but yes indeed also antibiotics, food albeit rationed, and no AIDS. Something for the UK to aspire to no doubt.

Viva la Revolucion!

But I already said they don't have the same living standards as us. That's not the same as living in poverty.

Reply 63

Observatory

Original post by Captain Haddock

But I already said they don't have the same living standards as us. That's not the same as living in poverty.

They're living in something that would be regarded as poverty in the UK, but not in sub-saharan Africa.

Reply 64

Rakas21

Original post by Captain Haddock

Because they have a shared history, put simply, especially with regards to the Cold War and American involvement in Latin America. It simply makes sense to compare Cuba with countries in the same economic region than with countries in totally different continents in totally different situations.

According to Wiki's list, at least Latvia and Croatia also rank below Cuba. At any rate, Cuba is part of the "very high human development" group and the differences we are talking about here are very small, e.g. Cuba's 0.815 vs France's 0.884 (not adjusted for inequality).

Your point only really stands when comparing the state today against others that saw similar events. My assertion and the one laid out by Observatory is that Cuba pre-Castro had the potential to become a developed nation like those Asian ones mentioned. Instead it's now only the best of a bad bunch.

All your really saying is that socialism can give you a probably decent education and health system, that still does not make up for the fact that Cubans are still poor compared to westerners whereas pre Castro even if not inclusive of society as a whole, it was at a decent standard.

A move towards a more inclusive society is what it needed, not a revolution that has left it poorer than the global average per capita.

Being able to say you lead the second division is meaningless if you were on track for the premiership before new management.