Lawrence O'Donnell was right on his show tonight, we're all socialists now. And he was right, there is good socialism and there is bad socialism but don't tell that to those people who haven't even figured out the difference between socialism and communism. To have any type of safety net for those who are old, unemployed, disabled or otherwise unable to afford retirement or basic services on their own qualifies as socialism. To what extent it goes and how it is carried out determines whether or not it is "good" or "bad" socialism, not by the opinion of a tubby cable news pundit who sees a traitor behind every tree and scares his elderly viewers into buying gold.
Excessive nanny state socialism is toxic to business and unbridled, unregulated capitalism is poisonous to society as a whole. The trick is to find a happy medium between the two, to have a population that doesn't fall through the cracks in hard times but at the same time, is motivated to be self reliant, not dependent on handouts for an entire lifetime. Common sense would dictate that this is possible but common sense seems to be lacking any more. At least that's the conclusion one would draw from watching any news program and their politicians who rail on about the evils of socialism while assured of government funded healthcare and a pension most of us could only dream about.
It would be nice if there was some sort of common sense solutions, but the fact is, that we have both parties buying votes with "Socialist" promises. How is it that the able bodied are GIVEN Foodstamps with out being required to do a job like clean a toilet in a Government building? How is it that those who are receiving our assistance (Unwillingly taken) have so much free time? Today I had to go to the Bingo Hall, and was awe struck at the sights that I saw. Who is in there? How do they have the time? We have given it to them.
ReplyDeleteI fully understand the difference between Socialism and Communism. I have read the Communist Manifesto. So I do know that Socialism is Communism lite. It is a step, a compromise. It is what happens when they are priming to people for the idea, but know that they are not quite ready for Revolution.
Absolutely. Anyone who is able bodied should be required to participate in some work program in exchange for the freebies they haven't earned.
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