Ernie : The best I can tell you is that the word "Socialism" was invented by Robert Owen even though the concept was first put together by Saint-Simon a few years earlier. But Owen actually lived in the USA for a couple of yeas in the 1820s, at a community called "New Harmony," in Indiana. I have seen the site, and there also is a statue of Paul Tillich in the vicinity since he spent time there also, much later of course, for something only remotely related. New Harmony was supposed to become an ideal community that would show the way to a better future for all. So, best I can figure, his word coinage was adopted thereafter , not only by his followers, but by others with similar ideas. Not sure when, exactly, the word Socialism became normative, but as late as the late 19th c some people used the word ( lower case ) "communistic." That word was in common currency also in Europe and Marx adopted it, also this general era of history, like he adopted the word Socialism, and redefined it for his own purposes. Common theme in all "Socialist" movements was dignity of labor and the need for fairness in working conditions and remuneration. Along with that went any number of related issues, depending on which group you are talking about. The early 20th century Socialists also had roots in the US labor movement independent of Europe, dating back to the first attempts to organize New England mill workers in the water wheel era, also around the 1820s. That didn't, pan out either, but industrialization continued and the need for better conditions for labor only grew with time Distrust of capitalism Definitely a factor from the beginning, with the caveat that at least the early Socialists were open to the efforts of philanthropic Capitalists. That was what Owen was, for example. Of course, he was also a free thinker and had ideas for wealth egalitarianism which never worked out, and no sense for clash of egos, so New Harmony fell apart. More realistic, but also fell apart , was a similar experiment in California , called Kaweah, in the early 20th c. Valuing community responsibility more than individual rights This is too strong but, yes, the general idea, and it was attached to the movement from very early. Why I like Saint-Simonianism is that, coming at the very beginning, it was hybrid by necessity and in it you get community plus individual rights in rough balance. In terms of labor, the S-Simonian view was what we now would call a profit sharing or stakeholder system. Since it was part Capitalist, S-Simonianism came to the US in the form of a plan for a joint stock company based on selling stock to investors in railroads with the idea being that workers would own a part of everything. It was partly modeled on a similar plan under Louis Napoleon III which, in France, was big success. LN III was more-or-less Saint-Simonian. at least for the first decade or so of his rule. Alas, in America a variety of swindlers got involved and Credit Mobilier, as it was called, went bust and that ended Saint-Simonianism in America. Until rediscovered by Billy Rojas and preached to Radical Centrists year after year, whether or not anyone liked to listen. Not the Credit Mobilier stuff, just the good stuff. Billy ================================================== message dated 1/19/2011 10:59:38 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, [email protected] writes: Hi Billy,
Sent from my iPhone On Jan 15, 2011, at 11:03, [email protected] wrote: > Socialism. n. political movement with various sub-categories derived from > several sources which, by the first years of the 20th century, has coalesced > into a loose alliance increasingly influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx. > This entry concerns Socialism in the United States only. A nice description, but not my idea of a definition. What themes tied them together, or at least inspired them to choose that name? Distrust of capitalism? Valuing community responsibility more than individual rights? Limits on private property? E > -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org
