Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. "Socialism." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2006. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. . As an economic system, socialism is usually associated with state or collective ownership of the means of production. This control, according to socialists, may be either direct, exercised through popular collectives such as workers' councils, or it may be indirect, exercised on behalf of the people by the state.

The modern socialist movement had its origin largely in the working class movement of the late-19th century. In this period, the term "socialism" was first used in connection with European social critics who condemned capitalism and private property. For Karl Marx, who helped establish and define the modern socialist movement, socialism implied the abolition of markets, capital, and labour as a commodity.

It is difficult to make generalizations about the diverse array of doctrines and movements that have been referred to as "socialist." The various adherents of contemporary socialist movements do not agree on a common doctrine or program. As a result, the movement has split into different and sometimes opposing branches, particularly between moderate socialists and communists. Since the 19th century, socialists have differed in their vision of socialism as a system of economic organization. Some socialists have championed the complete nationalization of the means of production, or decentralized ownership in the form of cooperatives or workers councils. Others have proposed selective nationalization of key industries within the framework of mixed economies. Stalinists insisted on the creation of Soviet-style command economies under strong central state direction. Others advocate "market socialism" in which social control of property exists within the framework of market economics and private property.

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L.A. Times - Politics

Flap over dean's hiring doesn't keep UC Irvine's law school from lining up prominent staff
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
The controversy over Erwin Chemerinsky has not hindered the institution, as some predicted. The 'dream team' faculty has been praised by legal experts and educators. After liberal constitutional scholar Erwin Chemerinsky was hired, fired and then rehired as dean of the fledgling UC Irvine School of Law last year, some said the politically charged controversy meant Orange County had missed its shot at a nationally renowned law school.
Housing crisis poses test for McCain
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Will he support a congressional plan to bail out mortgage giants Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae? Or might he propose a more radical solution? His conservative base is watching. John McCain has been winning over skeptical conservatives by embracing tax cuts while promising a new era of fiscal discipline if he wins the White House. But his fragile relationship with the Republican base will be tested again as he decides whether to support controversial plans for addressing the mortgage crisis.
Obama trip full of opportunity and risk
Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700
His foray to the Middle East and Europe could improve his image on foreign policy -- or validate GOP-fostered doubts. On his trip to the Middle East and Europe, Barack Obama hopes to reassure Americans that he has the foreign-policy expertise to keep the nation safe. Images beamed back from Jerusalem, Berlin and other cities next week will show him meeting heads of state with all the formal trappings of summitry.

Politics

Flip-Flop Flap
Hendrik Hertzberg Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:00:00 -0000
One of the World Wide Web’s most distinguished organs of fake news, the Borowitz Report, leads its current issue with this flash: The liberal blogosphere was aflame today with new accusations that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill) is trying to win the 2008 presidential election. Except that sometimes it’s hard . . .
Obama’s Iraq Problem
George Packer Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0000
In February, 2007, when Barack Obama declared that he was running for President, violence in Iraq had reached apocalyptic levels, and he based his candidacy, in part, on a bold promise to begin a rapid withdrawal of American forces upon taking office. At the time, this pledge represented conventional thinking . . .
What’s The Big Idea?
Dorothy Wickenden Mon, 23 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0000
On October 7, 2002, in Cincinnati, Ohio, George W. Bush delivered the defining speech of his Presidency. In the face of “clear evidence of peril” from a regime harboring terrorists and weapons of mass destruction, he declared, “we cannot wait for the final proof--the smoking gun--that could come . . .

washingtonpost.com - Politics

U.S., Iraq Agree To 'Time Horizon'
Dan Eggen and Michael Abramowitz Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
President Bush and Iraq's prime minister have agreed to set a "time horizon" for the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq as part of a long-term security accord they are trying to negotiate by the end of the month, White House officials said yesterday.
Obama Going Abroad With World Watching
Dan Balz Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
Sen. Barack Obama will make his international debut as a Democratic presidential candidate in the coming days with a weeklong tour of the Middle East and Europe designed to deepen his foreign policy credentials, confront questions at home about his readiness to be commander in chief, and signal the...
Move to Digital TV Faces Language Barrier
Kim Hart Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
The television set in Marisa Orozco's Falls Church living room is almost always tuned to Spanish-language stations. For her parents, who don't speak English, the telenovelas -- soap operas -- and newscasts are a strong connection to their former lives in Colombia. The shows, received through the old...

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