Socialism

Having exhausted all the usual refuges of scoundrels, the right wing talking heads have fallen back on screaming "Socialism" at anything they might not like at the moment. Consequently, I would just like to get this little dictionary definition on the record:

so⋅cial⋅ism  –noun

1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.

Note that there is nothing in that definition about taxes, welfare, or any of the other bogeymen that haunt the dreams of wingnut wackos.

In the United States and Western Europe, ownership of the means of production and distribution, capital and land is overwhelmingly in private hands. Every country assigns some services to the state, however: especially defense, police, money and taxation. Schools and major features of infrastructure like roads, harbors, parks, dams and canals usually are included. Health care is socialized in part in every advanced country, least of all in the US.

The US, like every other country, is a mixed economy, with socialized and private components. Get used to it, because that's the way it is always and everywhere - and thats the way it will be even if Ron Paul gets elected - assuming the country could survive such an event.

Nobody said it better than Lincoln: the government should do for the people only such things that they can't do, or can't do as well, for themselves. It is fine to argue about which functions belong in which category, but going around crying hysterically about "socialism" is as pointless as baying at the moon. We have always had a degree of socialism, and always will. So does every other country. The successful countries are those that used logic instead of hysteria to choose the balance.

It's safe to say that a lot of those yelling loudest are not actually interested in socialism at all. What they are interested in is keeping the network of special deals and privileges that strongly favor the rich - their vision of the legacy of Reagan and the Bushes.

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