Stop Calling Everything “Socialism.”
Actually, not every government action is the first step toward turning America into a Maoist hellscape.
For every new government initiative, you’ll inevitably hear a heroic patriot thoughtfully informing us all that we’re being tricked. “Sorry to bust you out of your safe space, Snowflake, but that program is actually ‘SOCIALISM!!!’ and it’s about to Turn This Country Into Venezuela™!!!”
Sadly, this conversation almost always occurs in place of actually examining even the most basic pros and cons of the policy. (Trust me. If we were on the brink of slipping into a government-dominated Communist hellscape, the James Bond movies would be exponentially better, trillion-dollar companies wouldn’t be paying $0.00 in federal taxes, and Rand Paul wouldn’t be able to single-handedly block federal dollars to benefit 9/11 First Responders, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.)
Just so there’s no confusion, I’m not trying to defend Big Government v. Small Government, here — but can we at the very least stop slapping a “SOCIALISM!” sticker on every new government policy? It just smacks of … I can’t think of how to say this nicely… total ignorance of how modern governments work and have worked for the last 200 years.
If you think I’m not talking to you, ask yourself, “Is the United States a socialist country?”
Please take note, when I say the “United States,” I mean the country where the government provides these massive public benefit programs:
- Medicare (Subsidized to free health care for senior citizens)
- Medicaid (Subsidized to free health care for low-income families and certain individuals)
- Social Security (Financial stipend from the government after reaching retirement age)
- VA Benefits (Subsidized to free healthcare for veterans)
- G.I. Bill (free college for qualifying veterans)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, the food stamps program)
- Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP — food assistance program)
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC — food assistance program)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF — government financial assistance to the impoverished).
- HUD Public Housing assistance program (housing subsidies from the government).
- Farm subsidies (Government payments to farmers who farm, (or don’t farm) certain crops in certain areas).
- Public schools (and before you skip past this one, these are state-run, state-funded institutions with state-selected curriculum, with mandatory attendance requirements.)
- Public libraries
- Public parks
- Public television
- Public radio
- Pell Grants (free federal funding for college)
- Unemployment benefits
- Disability benefits (Supplemental Security Income — SSI)
This list omits the federal and state governments’ jaw-droppingly massive defense and police expenses, but you get the picture.
So… is a country with trillions of dollars in public-benefit spending like the United States a socialist country?
It should be obvious by now that I’m trying to trick you.
If you say, “No the United States isn’t a socialist country. Those are just normal government programs,” the natural response is this: “If these massive government programs aren’t socialism, then on what basis is it logical to demonize any tax increase or any expansion of these benefits as the first steps toward the fabled Obama-Marxist Apocalypse?” (Side note: Did you know Obama was a Secret Muslim™ who founded ISIS? I know! Crazy!) If giving out trillions of dollars in health, food, retirement, disability, and education aid isn’t socialism, I’m a little confused as to what you think socialism is.
If you say, “Yes, these are socialist programs,” then (1) do you support the continued existence of socialism in the United States? If so, Привет, Comrade. We’ve been waiting for you; or (2) do you (increases speed to 88 mph) support building a time machine and transporting our country back to the the Pre-Depression Era before we had pesky programs like Social Security and Medicare — arguably the most successful legislative programs in the history of the United States, which substantially contributed to cementing the modern-day life expectancy of individuals in our country, and countries with similar benefit programs. (Relatedly, if you’re gung ho to shut down a pinko-commie program like Social Security, can I have your contributions? Patriot Alphas like you don’t need to debase yourself with dirty money like that anymore. Let me relieve you of that burden.)
Or maybe………just maybe…….… it’s not so black and white. Maybe the United States is just like virtually every country on the face of the earth: a hybrid of public and private programs and services, with capitalist businesses operating amidst a government regulatory framework.
If this doesn’t strike you as obviously correct, I have some questions for you:
- At what magical point does the marginal tax rate switch from “normal” to “socialism”? Is it 39%? 51%? 1%? Is every tax socialism? Just the ones you don’t like? Seriously, what?
- Is any government program the first slide down the slippery slope to communism? If not, where does the dreaded “socialism” line hit? Does Medicare at age 65 not qualify but Medicare at age 55 does? How are you drawing these lines?
- Is it not socialism if you merely support Medicare existing, as is, but it is socialism if you think Medicare should be expanded to cover more people?
I’m asking because I honestly don’t have the slightest clue what you’re talking about when you say, the word “socialism.” And after the thousandth time, I guess I finally snapped.
At a bare minimum, stop labeling every person who supports expanding a government program (like Medicare) a socialist. Stop calling every tax and subsidy a socialist program. That’s not the reality we live in. #MAGA
