I’ve noticed lately that there are some people beginning to use the scare tactics about socialism becoming part of the system of the United State. The point, I think, in the authors minds is that if you vote Democrat or Progressively that you are allowing Socialism into this country. The targets of the campaign are young people who basically have no experience with socialism, or at least that is the claim.
Socialism has many forms, here is one definition: “Socialism is a range of economic and social systems characterized by social ownership of the means of production and workers’ self-management as well as the political theories and movements associated with them. Social ownership can be public, collective or cooperative ownership, or citizen ownership of equity.”(Wikipedia).
The truth is, when executed properly and when abused, socialism can be a really good thing. It is when people who are greedy for money and power that problems arise.
One of the points, I’d like to make to the older people who are so against socialism. It is not so much about income redistribution. In the true sense of the words, it is about a more equal system, removing caste, and class. It is about giving the underdogs a hand up.
One of the reasons older people, especially are so against socialism is that they are products with a memory of a memory — somewhere along the line Russia got mixed into the definition of Socialism. Russia (or probably more properly, the U.S. S. R) was never run under the net of socialism that I know of. As far as I a know it was run under the auspices of Communism. We are talking apples and oranges here.
In modern times, specifically 1930, Stalinism came into being. Wikipedia says about Stalinism: “the ideology and policies adopted by Stalin, based on centralization, totalitarianism, and the pursuit of communism.” Three leaders later, the Premiere tried to move some powers of the government to the smaller Republics under the umbrella of the USSR. Coming forward into present times, unfortunately, scholars say that Russia now is in the early stages of Fascism.
Here is the definition of Fascism: “Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalist characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and of the economy which came to prominence in early 20th-century Europe.” Wikipedia
I believe some people have confused the terms completely. Fascism is exactly where our country is heading today. It has been mislabeled as Socialism.
The countries that exist today that considers themselves socialist their official “party” in power are Communist. It is Communism that causes their socialist systems to fail. Todays idea of Communism as it is run by their leads is corrupt and is not being run like the true idea of communism: “The belief in a society without different social classes in which the methods of production are owned and controlled by all its members and everyone works as much as they can and receives what they need.” source: (Cambridge Dictionary)
People really need to educate themselves about what they are arguing about. Truth of the matter isn’t that even living under a Monarchy is not necessarily such a bad thing as our Founding Fathers thought. It all depends on how corrupt the system is, and whether the Monarch becomes a dictator or not. The problem in the time of the Founding Fathers was colonialism not the monarchy in and of itself. Having said that, the King at the time, ran the colonies as if were a dictator rather than as a caring head of state.
The examples below show that the happies countries in the world live under a combination of Representative Democracy and a Monarchy.
The examples below show that the happies countries in the world live under a combination of Representative Democracy and a Monarchy.
The UN says that the happiest people in the world live here:
- Finland
- Denmark
- Norway
- Iceland
- The Netherlands
- Switzerland
- Sweden
- New Zealand
- Finland lives under a “framework of a parliamentary representative democracy.”
- Denmark lives under a “framework of a parliamentary representative democracy, a constitutional monarchy and a decentralized unitary state” (A Nation State)
- Norway lives with a “framework of a parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy.”
- Icelands’ government is a constitutional republic with a multi-party system.
- Switzerland: “…is the closest state in the world to have a direct democracy where citizens may challenge any law voted by the federal assembly.”
- Sweden: “parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy.”
- New Zealand: constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government”
- The Netherlands has been a constitutional monarchy with a framework of parliamentary government.
Socialism under the true sense of the definition exists all over the world, including in the United States. There is absolutely nothing wrong with socialism.
“Socialism is an economic and political system. It is an economic theory of social organization. It believes that the means of making, moving, and trading wealth should be owned or controlled by the workers. This means the money made belongs to the people who make the things, instead of a group of private owners.”
Please note that people in America who are running as Socialists are not claiming to be wanting to create a Socialist State. There is a HUGE difference between a Socialist System and the social programs (or social safety nets) that are government run within a Democratic Republic which is what we officially live under here in the United States.
Although there is NOTHING wrong with a socialist government if run in the truest sense of the definition, what our elders are afraid of is actually corrupted forms of communism and flat out Fascist governments.
The social programs that they are using to justify the war on a potential Socialist State have nothing to do with taking care of people who live under our individual countries Constitution and are disabled, live in poverty, or whatever their circumstances are. Socialism is not social programs.
Most people who use Social Programs here in America do NOT take advantage of our social programs. Instead they usually use the programs as a kind of hand up and out of their circumstances. Those who are involved with the programs for long term or even a lifetime have a tendency to be disabled in one form or another. The disability might be unseen, but it doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, and we as a people need to be less judgmental about others.
Having said all this… there is nothing in this world that is FREE. Not even a FREE lunch. People really lament those other countries in the world where universal health, housing, and other social programs keep their populations guarded from extreme poverty (think about that list of happiest people). Their income taxes are usually over the 50% mark.
At least they have transparency in how their programs are truly paid for. Here in America we are hacked to death with taxes on products, taxes on property, taxes on income, taxes on taxes. Some of it goes to line a few Politian’s pockets no doubt. But, truth of the matter is that huge amounts of those taxes go to programs that are meant for the good of all our citizens: Military, health coverage (Medicare, Medicaid), roads and other mundane things that we all have the advantage of having: Sewer systems, water systems, etc.
When an employer is told they must pay for health insurance for their employees then we pay the price after they jack up the cost of their service, or product. Then we pay sales tax on top of that to help pay for the Medicaid programs (for example).
All this anger about Socialism in this country is moot. It’s a red herring. There is nothing in this country to fear about Socialism. The problem is social programs and realizing the truth about how it is paid for, and how they are needed, and what we are going to do about it. Emotionalism really doesn’t belong in the argument. Except that, I beg you all to put yourself in the place of a person born with some sort of “disability” that keeps them from what is know as a “participation of parity”. This means that they can participate in life to the best of their ability. It might mean they need supported in some way. There is nothing wrong with this and we should be helping people like this.
As of 2018, the population of the US is 327.2 million people. According to Dreamscape Foundation, “In the United States alone, 48.9 million people have at least one form of disability. From physical impairments to mental ones, these challenges pose limitations on their lives and the world’s accessibility.”
Political systems are not America’s problem, except to say that Fascism is becoming a bigger problem every day.
And the truth of the matter is that disabled people are in the minority and helping them is not an unconquerable problem.
Part of the problem is political systems that are defined improperly and the fact that people are insinuating them into our system which helps to create anger and divisionism. Emotions run so high over these mistaken definitions that people are attacking others. There are hard feelings being created over ideas that people are terribly mistaken about.
People are arguing for social programs not knowing that history proves that social programs have existed since at least before the year 1500!! Many of their own ancestors could not have survived without the programs regardless of who or what ran the programs, and how they were run.
People are arguing for social programs not knowing that history proves that social programs have existed since at least before the year 1500!! Many of their own ancestors could not have survived without the programs regardless of who or what ran the programs, and how they were run.
In a very short and terse: American’s are very ignorant and judgmental. I personally would throw in a big dose of arrogance in on that too. I know a lot of people who very arrogantly defend their ignorant arguments. I could take pity on them except that a lot of them are actually quite educated. Which really elicits fear and anger in me, because it shows how dug in they are with their misconceptions.
Sources:
Wikipedia
United States Census Bureau, World Bank, ONS UK
