Thursday, January 10, 2013

If I hear one more comparison to Greece I'm going to scream

The word socialism is not our modern equivalent of Voldemort. It is not demonic, it is not evil, it is not anti-American, it is not inconsistent with representative government, it is not inconsistent with capitalism, it is not equivalent or synonymous with totalitarianism or dictatorship.  It is not antithetical to freedom or responsibility.

It does however reflect that in some uses it makes a nation stronger, more economically viable and competitive, and can result in healthier and better educated citizens.

Every country which has surpassed the United States by objective metrics, like academic performance, longevity, infant mortality, low teen pregnancy, low firearms deaths, etc. has incorporated, by the democratic process of representative government, some measures which are termed socialism in a thoughtful hybrid with capitalism and democracy.

Socialism is not tyranny, it is not personified by Stalin and Hitler.  It is reflected in the benefits of a healthier population, including a healthier and more competitive workforce through national health systems.  It is exemplified by better public education, and by more pro-active public health initiatives.  It is epitomized by nations that have a more extensive and supportive social safety net resulting in a more stable nation that is then more competitive in the global economy.  It is typified by nations that invest a larger part of their revenues in their infrastructure, making them safer, less subject to natural disasters, and again - more competitive due to their efficient transportation systems, modern and efficient energy sources and power grids, and more competent flood control.  It keeps citizens safer than our laissez-faire libertarian small government idiocy that fails to invest in those things we spent money on in the past.

Socialism is not Voldemort or the boogeyman, it is not communism or the end of the world as you know it; it is smart and it is sane, and it is perfectly consistent with our freedom and national identity, with independence, self reliance, and innovation.  It is the difference between the square deal that became the new deal, not the raw deal that we are being offered by modern conservatives.

2 comments:

  1. "It keeps citizens safer than our laissez-faire libertarian small government idiocy that fails to invest in those things we spent money on in the past."

    We have the government with the largest budget and the most number of departments, agencies, etc and the most laws, regulations, etc - how this a laissez-faire libertarian small government?

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    1. The idiocy to which I refer is the tea partiers, libertarians, and others who as a political philosophy refuse to spend money where it is needed. We spend more money on our military that most of our allies combined. But we don't spend enough on bridges, roads and schools, we don't spend it on the sciences the way we should, or education, or preparing to avoid natural disasters with flood barriers, or providing natural disaster relief promptly when they happen.

      The idiocy is not that we have small government - we don't. The idiocy is the political philosophy that tries to pretend small government would be desirable, or in any way shape or form make us competitive globally.

      The only countries like the government those people want are the worst of the third world countries. Greece has a corruption problem, like we have, increasingly, with big money and government. The right doesn't seem to complain about that too much. The smartest thing we could do is not end big government, but end the corruption in our government and private sectors.

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