1725socialist/ words
Are You A Socialist?
A letter by
Harley L. Sachs
There is an
inordinate, irrational fear of socialism in this country dating back to the
1920’s and the infamous Sacco-Vanzetti trial in which two innocent anarchists
were executed for a couple of murders later confessed to by a criminal gang
member. In the 1920’s during the great surge of immigrants from Italy
and other European countries, there was a general fear of anarchists,
communists, and other radicals. The result of his panic was the end of open
immigration and a quota system limiting how many could come to the USA
from various countries. The quotas still exist.
Most Americans
don’t know the difference between socialism and communism, equating them with
something akin to Soviet police state communism. It’s not true.
The United
States is more socialist than you may
realize. Everything funded by taxes is socialist. The postal system is
socialist; public libraries and schools are socialist, state universities are socialist,
Medicare and Medicaid are socialist programs, the VA is socialized medicine for
all veterans, and then there is social security. You can hardly escape American
socialism.
If you are a true
T Party Libertarian, you can refuse Medicare, avoid the Affordable Care Act,
refuse to accept social security benefits, and home school your children. You
can’t avoid the public school tax unless you squat in the woods, for even
renters who own no property pay the school tax as part of their rent.
Ignorance
prevails. We have the American Boobus (as H.L. Mencken called them) screaming
“Keep the government out of my Medicare.” One local Oregon
politician thinks the West Bank of the Palestinians is a
financial institution.
No. we are not a
communist country. How about fascist, where corporations own the government?
That’s a different story.
