That Monster Socialism!

I could not resist writing this article. Bernie Sanders was vilified and mocked for his firm stance that he was a Democratic Socialist. He knew the scorn he would face from the right wing and other detractors for making that statement. Only Bernie knew at the time he was bringing that word out in the open for public debate. The word socialism has been thrown against the wall by the Republican Party since the days of McCarthy. If you are too young to know who Joe McCarthy is, you will need to go look it up.

The Republican Party has for decades tried to build a direct link between socialism and communism. In their minds and the minds of their constituents, they are the same. I assure you they are not. The social programs we had in the middle of the last century are what made America stand above all others in the treatment of our citizens and helped drive the economic engine that created a living standard that was unmatched in the world.

I had seen the following list on the DAILY KOS and I wanted to borrow it for some time. Now is the time. I hope you enjoy it.

The next time you fall out of bed in the morning and prepare to go about your day, think about how many of these items you are going to encounter or use. If you are insistent that socialism is the ruination, you should abstain from using any of those services. Can you do it?

75 Reasons Not to Fear Socialism.

Socialism Is Responsible For All Of This

1. Military 2. Highways and Roads 3. Public Libraries 4. Police 5. Fire Department 6. Postal Service 7. Student Loans and Grants 8. Bridges 9. Garbage Collection 10. Public Landfills 11. War 12. Farm Subsidies 13. CIA 14. FBI 15. Congressional Health Care 16. Polio Vaccine 17. EPA 18. Social Security 19. Museums 20. Public Schools 21. Prison System 22. Corporate Subsidies 23. Veteran’s Health Care 24. Public Parks 25. Every Single Elected Government Official 26. Food Stamps 27. Sewer System 28. Medicare 29. Court System 30. Bird Flu Vaccine 31. GI Bill 32. Hoover Dam 33. Zoos 34. IRS 35. Free Lunch Program 36. The Pentagon 37. Medicaid 38. FDA 39. Health Care for 9/11 Workers 40. Swine Flu Vaccine 41. SSDI 42. Beaches 43. Corporate Bailouts 44. State Construction 45. Unemployment Insurance 46. City & Metro Buses 47. WIC 48. State Snow Removal 49. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) 50. CDC 51. Welfare 52. Public Street Lighting 53. FEMA 54. Public Defenders 55. SCHIP 56. Amtrak 57. NPR 58. Department of Homeland Security 59. OSHA 60. State and National Monuments 61. USDA 62. Government Scholarships 63. Health and Human Service 64. Census Bureau 65. Department of Energy 66. Border Protection 67. Department of Education 68. Secret Service 69. Peace Corps 70. Department of Justice 71. National Weather Service 72. The White House 73. Government 74. The Law 75. Civilization

Now there will be those who have read this and are certain that I am a socialist. So there is no ambiguity, I will tell you I believe everyone deserves fairness and an opportunity. And from that point I will leave you with the thought that I have many more opinions on the subject of fairness.

Article contents courtesy of Jerry Nelson who is a freelance writer and photographer who covers social justice issues globally.

Thanks Jerry,

Jack L. Wilson