Why not Socialism?

I was talking to someone about the 25 to 40% cuts in the budgets of UK goverment departments. They were pointing out how this was going to hard on people on welfare, while I personally was selfishly thinking about the effect on the science budget.

On reflection I thought I should spent some time reeducating myself. So I ordred the short book: why not socialism? by G A Cohen. The book starts with a parable about a camping trip with friends and family. What would happen if people behaved like members of a capitalist society. Then your friend would think you were a selfish twat. He then trys to extend the insight gained from this model to the running of society.

Of course because Cohen was an Oxford don, he only thought about camping rather actually going camping. The last time I was in a tent was at the Green man festival. Al the tents looked like a big sprawl of suburbia. Somebody did help me put up my tent, because I looked like a festival virgin.