Does socialism encourage hard work?

[Earth]

The problem in this case, I think, is one of underlying assumptions; that capitalism somehow instills, or rewards "hard work" when it's not that simple. I don't believe this paradigm of hard work would be altered under a socialist system, however vague the system is we're talking about.

Each system, particularly if we're speaking about first world countries, would have incentives to motivate. I don't for the life of me see an American form of 'socialism' doing away with financial incentives, or different levels of luxurious living.

[Earth]

I agree; successful as opposed to difficult. I really save my ire for views that equate successful with "right", though.

but until you come to the conclusion that state control does not exist in a capitalism, we're at a moot point.

State control can and does exist in capitalism, I don't know why you consider them to antithetical. Capitalism can exist in a variety of forms; that is how it manages to undermine opposition, and continue.