The current Republican Party has reverted to the ace card it held in the 1950s: its followers refer to every government program as socialism. SOCIALISM!! This one word is supposed to terrify everyone into fearing that government is about to take away their freedoms. Those politicians who do this should be asked if they are willing to abandon their own right to Social Security and Medicare. One of their favorite targets in recent years is public education. They are trying to persuade the public that their local public schools are socialism. This is nonsense. The following opinion piece by Janet Ward appeared in the Concord Monitor.
A few years ago at a gathering in my town, a fiery speaker said that our government is reaching into our pockets through taxation in order to steal our hard-earned money to pay for programs that are simply giveaways to growing numbers of the “undeserving.” This is not true.
This lie has been created because the former president, the moneyed interests who support him, and the inventors and funders of the “Big Lie” regarding our free and fair 2021 election are painfully aware that the people they wrongly label as the “undeserving” have the right and the power to vote.
Let us be clear. The former president and his supporters are convinced that our democracy itself poses an existential threat to their way of life. They would prefer a plutocracy, a government controlled by the wealthy.
In our democracy, we, you and I, govern ourselves through representation by legitimately elected legislators. Social programs exist because we the people believe that these programs are necessary and appropriate and that such programs, like our public schools, contribute to the common good, to the well-being of our entire society. But an insidious revolution, decades in the making, is bearing terrible fruit.
The long-standing belief that public schools benefit our entire society has been intentionally and successfully undermined through a decades-long strategy organized and executed by such entities as the State Policy Network and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) which provides templates of legislation to Republican lawmakers in every state to achieve such things as the dismantling of public education. But why target public schools?
Last year the Republican majority in our New Hampshire Legislature voted to approve a school voucher program. It is now legal for public tax dollars to be used to pay for private, religious or home-schooling programs over which we taxpayers have virtually no oversight. When asked why they supported school vouchers, Republican legislators, most of whom had been educated in public schools, said that they believed New Hampshire public school students were being brainwashed by teachers’ unions to believe in socialism. This is not true.
Good government is not socialism. Socialism is a system of government in which the government owns the means of production. Our country is not socialist. It is a capitalist country where individuals or corporations own the means of production and where decisions regarding prices, production and the distribution of goods are based on competition in a free market….
What will happen if Big Lies are allowed to prevail? Our democracy will be destroyed. The perpetrators of these lies will become the governors of our nation, and the dreams of Americans like Jefferson, Madison and Lincoln will die.
The death of our democracy will happen soon, on our watch, unless each of us uses the powerful weapon that our democracy has provided to us — our vote. Remove the liars and manipulators from office. Vote to restore our democracy.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with democratic socialism. So why this never ending hysteria? Take a look at the Scandinavian countries…all with social democratic governments…and also look at their high standard of living…thanks to socialism.
Social democracy IS good government. There are all these existence proofs of highly successful Social Democratic states like Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Germany. High standards of living. Longevity. Relative equality. The healthiest and happiest peoples on the planet.
“but Cuba!!!” America will be like Cuba.
I think Cuba might be the only socialist bogeyman left for Republicans to invoke to scare little children and their parents now that the Republicans want to elevate Putin and Russia as the ideal nation for us to aspire to. I don’t think “Canada” works very well with most voters.
One thing that is shocking to me — how in the world can the Republicans still invoke “scary socialism” and get anyone to believe them? Wait, never mind, why did I even as? I forgot they always use the co-opted media and some self-described non-Republicans to confirm their false narrative instead of informing voters of what should already be obvious — it just isn’t true.
I agree! Americans don’t know what they’re missing and certain factions don’t want people to know that by investing in social programs and living arrangements it will lead to happy lives for all.” Living” in the U$A is all about having the most things and the most $$$. “Caviar dreams and Champagne wishes”. A Capitalistic society doesn’t work, just like a Socialistic society doesn’t work. We are WAY out of balance and the Billionaires are winning and living like Kings….the rest of us>not so much.
It’s like swimming up river trying to convince people who are working like dogs to put Kraft Mac n Cheese on the table and WalMart brand shoes on kids feet, that they are being bamboozled. They have nothing left to give at the end of the day.
I agree. But it is currently the case that Republicans are calling every government program (except the military) “socialism.”
I have long wished that reporters would start asking these morons, every time they use the term “socialism,” to define what it means.
I knew exactly what you meant, Diane.
For example, universal healthcare is not Socialism. It’s common decency.
And it is supported by the existence proofs of all the universal healthcare systems that actually work–that have better health outcomes, more health equity, and much lower costs than in the United States, where per capital healthcare costs are TWICE those of the OECD because of the siphoning off of healthcare dollars into private profits.
What’s interesting here is that the military is arguably the most socialist institution in the United States. And the VA health care system is the closest thing in this country to European-style socialized medicine.
Greg, I spent a few hours today with a Vietnam vet who had two major brain surgeries at the best hospital in NYC and months of residential rehab. Every expense was covered by the VA.
“Legitimately Elected Legislators”!
Fake Phony Bogus Electors gathered Dec. 14, 2020, the day of the electoral college vote, in 5 states Biden had WON.
AZ, GA, MI, NV and WI. Declared themselves “duly elected and qualified” and sent signed certificates to Washington purporting to affirm Trump. Washington Post
This is what treason looks like, and it was run from the very highest levels of the Idiot’s maladministration.
Those opposed to socialism should privatize the US military, the public libraries, the Interstate highway system, the local police departments, the public schools (they are trying), the US postal service (trying here, too), etc.
Read Donald Cohen’s book “The Privatization of Everything.” The greedy are already trying to privatize the military, the Postoffice, public schools, highways, parking meters, public libraries.
And, read Jon Michaels’ book, Constitutional Coup: Privatization’s Threat to the American Republic.
And let’s not forget that tens of millions of Americans equate vaccine mandates with socialism. The ignorance is astounding and deadly. But this is one of the few times I could get through more than one minute of FOX. The report even had me laughing and smiling at the end.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/robert-lamay-gov-jay-inslee-vaccine-mandates-covid-19-washington_n_61f4d1d4e4b04f9a12bd8084
If you want to win elections, leave the word Socialism out of the conversation. The preamble to the Constitution is clear about promoting the “GENERAL WELFARE.” The objective is to win elections not promote a political philosophy for a word. Winning elections is gaining power to do what needs to be done. Promote the preamble, the American reason for our government.
“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
In the process label every single Republican as promoting an oligarchy, a plutocracy. they want to take away our Social Security, our Medicare, our Public Community Schools and other general welfare programs that we all take for granted. They will deny it but ignore it. Repeat, and repeat it over and over again, DON’T STOP! Use the words of the Constitution as you do it. That’s what the framers wanted as they wrote the Constitution.
It is Republicans who use the word “socialism” to label and demean every social program that promotes the GENERAL WELFARE. This is their strategy.
Socialism has nothing to do with the government. In fact, perhaps the opposite. Socialism is a stateless, classless society in which the means of production are controlled by workers, or, more broadly, in which the people have direct control of all decisions that affect them. Socialism starts at anti-capitalism, and every government in the U.S. is strongly capitalist, so by definition they are not socialist.
I’m not so sure the Kochtopus and neoliberal billionaires lead people into any intellectual understanding of the relationships between governments and markets. They seem to think of the word socialism on a two year old’s level: “Mine!” Discussion of the means of production is lost on them.
“Socialism is a system of government in which the government owns the means of production. Our country is not socialist. It is a capitalist country where individuals or corporations own the means of production and where decisions regarding prices, production and the distribution of goods are based on competition in a free market….”
The first statement is true. This is the only measure of socialism as described by Nineteenth century thinkers. In modern times, essential services like fire protection and fresh water supply have been seen almost across polities as most effective if based in local government effort. Some nations have decided that Health care fits into this category, and most include education of children.
The second statement in the above paragraph might want some qualification. Are prices really established by market forces, or are there power centers in the pricing of goods that make this description inadequate? We all know about cartels. What about hidden handshakes and behind the door deals among the power brokers of the economic world?
Socialism is an ECONOMIC SYSTEM in which WORKERS own and control the means of production. Big differences. An Employee Stock Ownership Plan, for crying out loud, is Socialist. Democratic Socialism is a third way, in which capitalist incentives still operate, but within a system which limits both monopoly power and the aggregation of wealth to individuals, empowers workers via trade unions to have real say in corporate governance and even ownership of their businesses, uses steeply progressive taxes to fund programs to the benefit of all, like prenatal care, universal healthcare, social security, good schools, public safety, and public amenities. And there are some businesses, such as energy and healthcare, that are fundamental and must belong to the commons, as quasi-governmental organizations.
With an unwillingness of the US to enforce our anti-trust laws and most goods and services operated by four or five different companies, there is some collusion on pricing instead of the market setting prices. This is happening in some of the inflation we are currently experiencing.
exactly
Thank you! Sanity prevails!
The GOP did the same socialism-communism-Stalinism, etc., fear mongering when Social Security was being proposed under FDR and and when Medicare/Medicaid were being created by LBJ. Thank goodness for these social programs, they have certainly improved my quality of life in retirement from teaching. In addition, my teacher’s pension helps me survive in a decent fashion. The righties and the libertarians portray teachers’ pensions, as well as the other social programs, as crimes against humanity and theft from the “producers.” Total baloney.
Joe Jersey, stop stealing from the billionaires!
LMAO!!!
I read yesterday that a bill was introduced to the Arizona legislature that would give the legislature the final decision to accept the results of an election in Arizona, or not, after all the votes were counted.
If legislation like that is voted in and survives the challenges that will probably climb all the way to the US Supreme Court, our votes would not count anymore.
Lloyd, if states pass laws like that, the state should skip the election and go straight to the legislature.
Arizona HB 2596 (2022), 16-641 (1)
THE LEGISLATURE SHALL CALL ITSELF INTO SESSION TO REVIEW THE BALLOT TABULATING PROCESS FOR THE REGULAR PRIMARY AND GENERAL ELECTIONS AND ON REVIEW SHALL ACCEPT OR REJECT THE ELECTION RESULTS. IF THE LEGISLATURE ACCEPTS THE ELECTION RESULTS, THE ELECTION CANVASS AND RELATED CERTIFICATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS MAY PROCEED AS OTHERWISE PROVIDED BY LAW, AND THE LEGISLATURE MAY ADJOURN ITS SESSION. IF THE LEGISLATURE REJECTS THE ELECTION RESULTS, ANY QUALIFIED ELECTOR MAY FILE AN ACTION IN THE SUPERIOR COURT TO REQUEST THAT A NEW ELECTION BE HELD.
This is truly shocking.
If we are not going to get voting rights passed, we should pester Democrats to expand the Supreme Court. BTW, Alabama created an anti-minority gerrymandered voting map that was challenged in the courts. Alabama is asking the Supreme Court to intervene! If Democrats do nothing, democracy is done.
Absolutely with you there, RT.
But Manchin and Sinema would kill this. The midterm election is essential, and Biden needs to start playing FDR-style hardball.
The Democrats can’t expand the Supreme Court because Manchin and Sinema are opposed.
This is how it works in banana republics. If the Glorious Leader loses, the election is held again until he wins.
I wonder what Sinema thinks of this law that she is facilitating.
If the Republicans win back the House and the Senate in the Midterms and win it all in 2024, it will be because Manchin and Sinema hobbled Biden’s administration. He has been a far greater president than I expected him to be. As Diane has said here, if I am remembering this correctly, with a Democratic House and an actually Democratic Senate, he could be FDR.
In Arizona Latino voters are organizing an “Adios Sinema” campaign to get her out of office.
YES!!!!
Is “democratic socialism” socialism?
It’s a Golden Mean between Socialism and Capitalism.
Aren’t we getting our terms mixed up? Neither socialist democracy nor democratic socialism is what’s widely practiced in Europe– even tho they have party names suggesting that. Their mode of govt is democratic capitalism.
Ravi Gupta who, IMO, has been significant in advancing the charter school agenda has a new group, Arena-Run that “supports progressive political candidates and reforms.” The Arena team “convene, train and support the next generation of candidates and campaign staff.”
Relative to public education, identifying Arena’s financial backers, if any, would be helpful as well as having an understanding about what issues training may be included in the Arena program.
Gupta has been described as a speech writer for Susan Rice, who is incredibly wealthy. (Intercept’s Sara Sirota identified Rice’ portfolio as, at one time, having $1,000,000 in Netflix stock and options. Netflix’ Reed Hastings is partnered in a charter school chain. He called for an end to democratically elected school boards.)
Susan Rice is a domestic advisor to Biden.
The GOP on Medicare/Medicaid:
Ronald Reagan: “[I]f you don’t [stop Medicare] and I don’t do it, one of these days you and I are going to spend our sunset years telling our children and our children’s children what it once was like in America when men were free.” [1961]
George H.W. Bush: Described Medicare in 1964 as “socialized medicine.” [1964]
Barry Goldwater: “Having given our pensioners their medical care in kind, why not food baskets, why not public housing accommodations, why not vacation resorts, why not a ration of cigarettes for those who smoke and of beer for those who drink.” [1964]
Bob Dole: In 1996, while running for the Presidency, Dole openly bragged that he was one of 12 House members who voted against creating Medicare in 1965. “I was there, fighting the fight, voting against Medicare . . . because we knew it wouldn’t work in 1965.” [1965]
The GOP said pretty much the same things in the 1930s against the creation of Social Security and other New Deal social programs.
Exactly. And a year and a half ago, McConnell was making the rounds of the talk shows, pitching dramatic reductions in Medicare and Social Security.
just responding to title of blog: Good government is not socialism. And socialism is not bad government.
>
“Our country is … where decisions regarding prices, production and the distribution of goods are based on competition in a free market….” Who are you kidding? There’s this thing called neoliberalism…
Kenysian economics was a MIXED economy. Neoliberalism, which replaced it since 1975, has been a “socialism” for the 1% with a reverse distribution from 90% of American workers into the pockets of the 1% and the privatization of everything. Nothing wrong with socialism (workers own the means of production and have input). That’s how and why we created unions.
yes!!!
The GOP is confating socialism with authoritarianism. They always have. Few Americans even know what socialism or communism are. It’s about time they learned. Thank god, this younger generation is learning.
Agreed, bfw!
Just a cursory read of the daily news makes crystal clear what Republicans are FOR and what they are AGAINST:
“The state’s Republican-controlled legislature passed the law establishing no-excuse mail-in voting for all voters in 2019 with bipartisan support. Previously, Pennsylvania voters could cast absentee ballots if they met certain criteria…In bringing the legal challenge, some Republicans in the state echoed Trump’s baseless claims of widespread voter fraud and his criticism of mail-in voting, with several seeking to undo the law for which they once voted…The panel of the state court that declared the law unconstitutional is made up of three Republicans and two Democrats. The three Republicans ruled in favor of a group of Republicans in the state legislature, who challenged the law in light of Trump’s baseless claims of election fraud. The two Democrats dissented.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/28/pennsylvania-mail-voting-courts/
“Republicans in the Virginia House of Delegates voted down a bill Friday that would have made it illegal for police to forge documents to use in interrogations…The legislation, proposed by Del. Jackie Glass, D-Norfolk, was inspired by revelations that in at least five interrogations police in Virginia Beach had shown suspects fake DNA reports on Virginia Department of Forensic Science letterhead…Republicans, who hold a majority in the chamber, noted that police have long been allowed to lie to suspects during interrogations. They said that should include fake documents.”
https://www.virginiamercury.com/blog-va/house-gop-blocks-bill-that-would-ban-police-from-falsifying-documents-in-interrogations/
“The judges met, in private, over a two-day period in May, for what might seem like a minor task: to choose the fifth member of an elections board in rural Spalding county, Georgia…There is no record of their vote or their discussions…the judges chose a Republican, someone who had never served in a government position related to elections, to be the fifth and deciding vote for the Spalding county board of elections and registration. Almost immediately, that Republican, James Newland, cast that deciding vote to cancel Sunday voting – a historically heavy turnout day for Black, largely Democratic voters.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/30/georgia-county-purges-democrats-from-election-board-and-cancels-sunday-voting
“Republican state lawmakers across the United States have proposed – and in some cases passed – legislation that they say keeps the government from interfering with doctors who want to prescribe ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine to help prevent and treat Covid-19…But those treatments have not proven effective at preventing or treating Covid and infectious disease experts see the bills as examples of right-wing lawmakers politicizing medicine…In addition to Republican lawmakers, promotion of ivermectin has come from public figures such as comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan, who said he used the drug to treat himself when he became sick with Covid, and Fox News hosts Tucker Carlson and Laura Ingraham.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/30/republican-lawmakers-ivermectin-hydroxychloroquine-covid-treatment
“Trump suggested Saturday night he will pardon the rioters charged in connection with the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol…his comments at a Texas rally on Saturday marked the first time he dangled pardons, an escalation of his broader effort to downplay the deadly events of Jan. 6…Authorities have arrested and charged more than 700 people in connection with a sprawling investigation into the insurrection. Earlier this month, the Justice Department charged Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right Oath Keepers group, and 10 other members or associates of the group with seditious conspiracy…”
“Trump also bashed the House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, as he continued to spread baseless claims that the 2020 election was rigged and stolen from him…Trump was impeached by the House for a second time after the Jan. 6 insurrection, and since leaving office, he and other Republicans have aggressively defended those who broke into the Capitol as patriots…”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/01/29/trump-jan6-protesters/
“Voting laws are intended to reconfigure the composition of today’s electorate; the teaching bans aim to shape the attitudes of tomorrow’s…Proposals to limit how public K–12 schools—and even public colleges and universities—talk about race are exploding…In 2021, nine Republican-controlled states approved laws limiting the discussion of racism and four others imposed restrictions through the state’s board of education.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2022/01/critical-race-theory-voting-rights-gop/621383/
Isn’t it clear who and what these people and their supporters are?