I posted this a few years ago, but it is worth doing again because Republicans have nothing to run on in this midterm election - everything that Trump and Republicans touch turns to shit, from the stupid war on Iran to tariffs to rising transportation and food costs to farm bankruptcies to brutal imprisonment of brown skinned Americans, to.... So they try to scare the Fox News bubble MAGA crowd with threats of "Socialism!"
That is the big Republican scare word when they have nothing to sell.
But is socialism bad? Really? How about socialism in America? Do we have some? Is it bad?
Here are things that we have in America that are either socialist or were brought about by people others denounced as socialist.
A good definition of socialism is using taxpayer funds to benefit all people of society - using taxpayer funds to create a prosperous Middle Class
All paid for by funds from the taxpayer for the social good - socialism.
So, maybe everyone isn't going to like everything on this list, but one thing I can say, it is an American list, not a North Korean or Chinese or Cuban list or Soviet Union list. So, maybe it is time to stop being scared into not thinking when someone throws the word socialist at us. Maybe some socialism is actually pretty darned good.
- The Military/Defense - paid for entirely by taxpayer dollars to benefit everyone regardless of who they are
- Highways/Roads -paid for entirely by taxpayer dollars to benefit everyone.
- Public Libraries - almost entirely paid for by tax dollars to benefit all.
- Police - paid for by taxpayer dollars as a public service for all
- Fire Dept. - taxpayer dollars pays for it all for the benefit of all
- Bridges - taxpayer dollars gets you across the river
- War - the biggest socialist projects in history are taxpayer funded wars
- Farm Subsidies - taxpayers support farms to keep them going, which is good, but unfortunately corporate farming probably gets most of the benefits
- CIA - taxpayer funded to keep us all safe - at least until Trump perverted it
- FBI - totally taxpayer funded benefit for society - at least until Trump perverted it
- Polio Vaccine -Dr Salk gave the vaccine to the government which vaccinated America and ended the terrible polio scourge. At least until RFK Jr perverted it
- EPA - necessary socialist intervention to keep air and water healthy - at least until Trump perverted it
- Social Security - we pay taxes to support the elderly - under relentless attacks by Republicans
- Museums, Public Parks, Public Beaches
- Public Schools - public schools largely funded by taxpayer dollars for the benefit of all (except the wealthy who get private schools and some Christians and others who home school).
- Jail/Prison System - mostly publicly funded, but some are private prisons, which is probably a bad idea to have profit connected to arrests and imprisonment.
- Corporate/Business Subsidies - governments use taxpayer dollars to encourage and support selected enterprise - sometimes wisely and sometimes corruptly.
- Veteran's (VA) Health Care - taxpayer dollars to take care of our military in need.
- All Elected Government Officials - all paid for by taxpayer dollars.
- Food Stamps -taxpayers help pay for food for those that can't properly feed themselves, and I don't believe the typical conservative rant about fat people of color getting steaks in front of them at the grocery while the poor white conservative is buying peanut butter. Under attack by Trump and Republicans for years
- Sewer System - taxpayer funded sanitation
- Medicare - taxpayer funded health care for those who are beyond their earning years - under relentless attack by Republicans
- Court System -taxpayer funded justice system which is the necessary heart of capitalism, as well as personal justice and protections. Under attack by Trump
- G.I. Bill - taxpayer money that says thank you for your service
- Hoover Dam - one of the many very productive Great Depression public works projects.
- State/City Zoos - many are there because of taxpayer dollars
- IRS - taxpayer funded collection of taxpayer dollars necessary to run the government that is the necessary force that allows and provides a civilized world. Being attacked by Trump and rich scofflaws
- Free Lunch Program - taxpayers pay for food for children who need it - attacked by Republicans
- The Pentagon - entirely funded by taxpayer dollars
- Medicaid - taxpayer dollars for those poor enough or are mostly incapacitated to be able to provide their own health care.
- FDA - taxpayer dollars gives us food and drugs that don't kill us - under attack by the Republicans and pharmaceutical industry
- Disability Insurance (SSDI) - taxpayer dollars for those injured and unable to take care of themselves.
- Town/State Run Beaches - access to public beaches because of the taxpayer dollars and our governments
- Corporate Bailouts/Welfare - billionaires and corporations are major beneficiaries of taxpayer dollars
- State Construction - potholes, piping, bridge and road repairs etc, all from taxpayer dollars.
- Unemployment Insurance - taxpayer dollars for a time for those who lose a job in a very uncertain economy
- City/Metro Buses - taxpayer dollars for transportation for the less well off
- State Snow Removal - taxpayers pay to keep the roads and thus commerce and education open
- PBS (Public Broadcasting Service) - taxpayers pay for some of actual news rather than propaganda from some of the more suspect sources - under assault by Republicans
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - taxpayer dollars protect our health - being assaulted by RFK Jr
- Welfare - taxpayer dollars help the poor who spend all of it to stay alive, which is a 100% payback into the stimulation of the economy
- Public Street Lighting - taxpayer funded safety
- FEMA - taxpayer dollars respond to the terrible disasters that seem to be multiplying every year - being weakened by Trump and being withheld from states that Trump wants to punish
- Public Defenders - taxpayer dollars help provide some semblance of justice for the poor.
- S-CHIP (State Children's Health Insurance Program) - taxpayer dollars for uncovered children - under assault by Republicans
- Amtrak - taxpayer dollars transport millions
- NPR - taxpayer dollars pay for some of the news to a nation that needs it. Defunded by Trump and MAGA
- The Department of Homeland Security - taxpayer dollars for protection from terrorism - turned into a Gestapo attack on immigrants by Trump, Steven Miller, and ICE
- OSHA - taxpayer dollars to protect workers - being weakened by Republicans
- State and National Monuments - taxpayer dollars to help provide love of this country
- The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) - taxpayer dollars to regulate agriculture and provide safety
- Government Scholarships - taxpayer dollars to educate us
- Census Bureau - taxpayer dollars to try to ensure proper head count to allocate voting apportionment as well as needed info for governmental programs (too bad Republicans are trying to fudge the count!)
- Department of Energy - taxpayer dollars to oversee nuclear weapons, nuclear reactors, energy conservation, radioactive waste disposal, and energy production.
- Department of Education - taxpayer dollars overseeing and assisting education - being attacked by Republicans and Evangelical Christians in government
- Secret Service - taxpayer dollars protect the president
- Department of Justice - taxpayer dollars enforce the law - being attacked by Trump
- National Weather Service - taxpayer dollars provide safety - Republicans want to privatize it and make billions for themselves
- Government - an essentially socialist enterprise which is created "...in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity..."
- Law - is a socialist enterprise that makes democracy possible, makes capitalism competitive and thus possible, makes life in the world livable. Under attack by Trump
- Civilization - without taxation that is used to provide the above "socialist" benefits, we have no civilization, we revert to savages.
- The American Middle Class - these benefits using taxpayer dollars creates a prosperous Middle Class, which is being relentlessly attacked by the Billionaire Class
All paid for by funds from the taxpayer for the social good - socialism.
So, maybe everyone isn't going to like everything on this list, but one thing I can say, it is an American list, not a North Korean or Chinese or Cuban list or Soviet Union list. So, maybe it is time to stop being scared into not thinking when someone throws the word socialist at us. Maybe some socialism is actually pretty darned good.
The Republicans have nothing to run on but fear. To paraphrase FDR, we have nothing to fear but the threats of something to be afraid of, which isn't fearful at all if you think about it.
