Is "socialism" a scare word in America?

[Petros2015]

>> is socialism a scare word

Yes - it's been used that way. Talking with a couple of Repub friends they were convinced that the win by Biden would = $12 per gallon gasoline among a host of other Fox-fed paranoias.

Here's a bet for you:

At the end of 4 years, I'll be happy to buy 100 gallons of gasoline for you if it's $12 or more
If it's less than $4 per gallon, you buy me 100 gallons.

Any takers?

 

[Speedwell]

>> is socialism a scare word

Yes - it's been used that way. Talking with a couple of Repub friends they were convinced that the win by Biden would = $12 per gallon gasoline among a host of other Fox-fed paranoias.

Here's a bet for you:

At the end of 4 years, I'll be happy to buy 100 gallons of gasoline for you if it's $12 or more
If it's less than $4 per gallon, you buy me 100 gallons.

Any takers?

Pooh! In ten years I might not have a car that uses gasoline.

 

[ananda]

So how's that going to work? Will the guys at the local restaurants refuse to serve me? What about the grocery store? I don't work in my community, so why would my workplace care about my non-contribution to costs of justice where I live? Will the Wal-Mart greeter tell me to leave and not buy stuff? Will local children pelt my car with rotten veggies when I drive by?

Perhaps many of the above. I doubt many people would want to live in a community that shuns them.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Perhaps many of the above. I doubt many people would want to live in a community that shuns them.

My community doesn't even really know me. How could they shun me?

 

[Petros2015]

So how's that going to work? Will the guys at the local restaurants refuse to serve me? What about the grocery store? I don't work in my community, so why would my workplace care about my non-contribution to costs of justice where I live? Will the Wal-Mart greeter tell me to leave and not buy stuff? Will local children pelt my car with rotten veggies when I drive by?

No, more like this

 

[ananda]

My community doesn't even really know me. How could they shun me?

Then they probably wouldn't, and that's cool with me.

 

[mark46]

1) Yes, "socialism" has been used as a derogatory term and label for many decades it US politics. What the word means in European politics doesn't matter in the context of US politics.

2)Self-labeling as a socialist or democratic-soicalist may help a candidate is very, very leftist districts and states.

3) For the rest, the label hurts candidates. Even more, if a party even hint at accepting part of this label, many moderates will be hurt. This happened in many House races this year.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Then they probably wouldn't, and that's cool with me.

Free loading is the way for me then! Off I go!

 

[ananda]

Free loading is the way for me then! Off I go!

I imagine you shouldn't expect any help from your neighbors.

 

[Albion]

Is "socialism" a scare word in America?

Depending on how "scare word" is defined, yes, it probably qualifies. After all, the tyranny that is Socialism is scary, so why wouldn't the word have an impact?

 

[Nithavela]

AAAAH!

 

[bèlla]

Who defines "Benefit to ourselves"? What "benefit" and to which "ourselves"?

It seems the goal is making people feel bad. Rich and poor are maligned or subject to guilt trips. Or they want you to apologize for this and that. It’s very unhealthy. I ignore them.

Yours in His Service,

~bella

 

[Brightmoon]

But socialism isn’t tyranny . Without some form of socialism we wouldn’t have public schools, paved streets, garbage pick up, fire departments , highways, clean safe water, police , safe gas and electricity delivery, public transportation, public hospitals, building safety codes, weather services, etc etc etc. The overreaction over the word socialism is just buzz word stupidity!

 

[Albion]

But socialism isn’t tyranny .

Uh, yes it is.

And having public schools or electricity isn't Socialism, so that list proves nothing.

 

[NerdGirl]

“Socialism is a scare word they have hurled at every advance that people have made in the last 20 years. Socialism is what they called public power. Socialism is what they called social security. Socialism is what they called farm price supports. Socialism is what they called bank deposit insurance. Socialism is what they called the growth of free and independent labour organisations. Socialism is their name for almost anything that helps all the people."
Harry S Truman, 1952

The word has been twisted and bastardized many times over. What one person defines as "socialism", another does not. We are a far cry from 1952, here in 2020. For that reason, I'll stick to a definition that comes from as non-biased a source as I can find.

Encyclopedia Britannica defines it as: social and economic doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources. According to the socialist view, individuals do not live or work in isolation but live in cooperation with one another. Furthermore, everything that people produce is in some sense a social product, and everyone who contributes to the production of a good is entitled to a share in it. Society as a whole, therefore, should own or at least control property for the benefit of all its members.

Based on this definition, I do not support socialism.

 

[Brightmoon]

Your taxes pay for all of that . A street paved in the next neighborhood doesnt directly benefit you but it was paved with some of your money . Your house isn’t on fire yet your money paid for that to be put out too. Pure Capitalism only directly benefits the person whose money it is. I support these forms of socialism as we don’t want garbage littered streets , and dirty water ,

 

[NerdGirl]

Justice belongs properly to government.

Compassion and community belongs to individuals and individual choice.

You are banging out the wisdom in this thread today, my friend. Keep it up.

 

[Vanellus]

I always enjoy a self-answering question. It makes for a short thread.

From the Truman quote in the OP. Socialism was a scare word 70 years ago and it still is (ref: just see any reference to socialism in popular political discourse today).

So, yes, it is a scare word in America. [/THREAD]

Looks like it won't be a short thread!

 

[Brightmoon]

Depending on how "scare word" is defined, yes, it probably qualifies. After all, the tyranny that is Socialism is scary, so why wouldn't the word have an impact?

having public schools is socialism as your taxes pay for it whether you have school age kids or not.

 

[Albion]

having public schools is socialism

That's just laughable. To have any government at all is not the definition of Socialism.