General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Democrats should counter the "Socialism" scare by committing to Social-Democracy. [View all]PatrickforO
(14,573 posts)Social Security is the nationalization of old age pensions. Medicare is the nationalization of healthcare. Both were put into effect for two reasons. The first, obvious moral reason - that we as a society do not wish to have our parents and grandparents starve to death, have to eat out of dumpsters and languish with treatable illnesses.
The second is the point always lost on the Republicans. Social Security provides an income in old age that keeps demand for goods and services up. Medicare provides the medical care needed to keep people healthy so they can use their Social Security money to purchase local goods and services rather than going broke and thus burdening society.
You can also make an argument that local government services, from police, fire and rescue to permitting and zoning are 'socialist,' and certainly our K-12 system is.
This is the argument we have to make - The Republicans say we'd be better off without this but having lower taxes. In fact, Grover Norquist, that scamp, has said we need to shrink government until it is small enough to 'drown in a bathtub.'
There is one other thing, though, that a 'socialist' government does that is desperately needed in a controlled free-market economy such as ours - regulating the excesses of capitalism so that CEOs don't get so carried away in the primacy of the shareholder doctrine that they hurt workers, consumers and the environment just for a few extra dollars in shareholder profits.