Reply #25: Socialism, the Democratic party and my take

[ACK]

We live in a capitalist state. The vast majority of Americans like it that way.

A social safety net and progressive tax system are there to protect not destroy the capitalist system.

Beyond the benefits of a progressive tax system that taxes the haves harder than the have nots, redistribution of wealth in this nation is not something the majority of Americans want at all. Not only that, a good tax system is beneficial for a capitalist society. It gives those who have less more breathing room as they fight their way up inside the capitalist model.

On the social safety net, markets are cyclical but not god-like in their majesty. Blind faith in the markets is pure insanity. Unemployment, disability insurance and social security are all there to protect people when the excesses of the market economy smack them down. Grandma can have the best money manager in the universe at her side and still lose her entire savings in another Wall Street scandal. It can happen and has happened. The most skilled worker in the world is still SOL when everyone downsizes at once to compensate for the down market. The social safety net preserves the people and insulates from these cycles.

To protect the common good and civil liberties of the people, businesses have to be regulated. When the business interests and public interests collide there is only one force in a capitalist society powerful enough to protect the population. That is a representative democracy. Otherwise, even a few disreputable businesses can destroy the lives and livelyhoods of millions of people.

That is my take. You have to balance the reality of the markets and the capitalist society with the protection of the common good and the liberties of the individuals on which the democracy is founded. That protection may take a form that resembles socialist policies. However, these policies are actually vital to the protection of the capitalist society.