What is your definition of socialism? And why or why not is it an effective system?

Government ownership of industry, no property rights, centralized planned economy.

It fails because it refuses to recognize incentive structures that are inescapably part of being human.

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Leftist here. I’m a long-time lurker, but I like to learn more about the perspective on the opposite aisle.

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Absolute power corrupts absolutely, especially when elections are rigged so that it is impervious to challenge.

Who do you trust to have dominion over you FOREVER and to be kind and benevolent about it?

The fundamental vileness of socialism has nothing to do with policy, it has to do with aspects of human nature that should be obvious even to halfwits.

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What is your definition of socialism? And why or why not is it an effective system?

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Socialism = Pathetic losers needing the productive members of society to take care of their worthless asses.

Socialism - government control of the means of production (which in America is effectively accomplished by excess taxation and regulation), characterized by policies that systematically redistribute wealth.
It succeeds, in Democracies, by buying votes using other peoples' money.

It doesn't work, because once DC decides they can take money to "redistribute it":

1) Even if they're honest, they don't have the data to correctly allocate resources, and
2) More likely, once they take taxpayer money, they'd rather keep it for themselves.

*Venezuela*

because it killed two hundred million people last century is a good start

Its not an effective system for me because I don't care about and should have zero responsibility for people I don't want to.

Many who choose to be lazy, obese, poor, etc.

This country led the world in innovation due to capitalism. It rewards innovation.

Imagine if you were in a class and the teacher said at the beginning everyone gets a C because we treat everyone equally.

What’s the incentive to go for an A? That’s socialism.

Yes, there are winners and losers in capitalism. Anti-capitalists hate that there are losers. But you can’t have one without the other.

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I mostly agree with 2/3. But one of the tenets of socialism is the “workers own the means of production” not the government, no?

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No. That’s communism.

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Socialism goes against science and natural selection

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Yep. Socialism goes against human nature.

Humans are, at our core, selfish and self serving. We will, when push comes to shove, kill, mame, and destroy to survive. Empathy is a lie we convince ourselves of in order to feel better about ourselves.

Our entire existence is to beat out everyone else. Socialism goes against human nature in every way. That’s why it fails.

The masses buy the junk. Those who know what they are and what we are take advantage for themselves. There is a reason sociopaths find their way to the top of the ladder and in the highest positions of governments and corporations. Sociopaths are the highest form of humanity. They see the world for what it is and take what they want. They goad the sheep into doing their bidding.

Socialism works wonderfully for the sociopaths in charge. Horribly for the sheep that follow willingly to slaughter