Socialism

The other day someone called President Obama a socialist. It took me aback.

Wait a minute, isn't the U.S. a bit socialist?

The very 1st definition of socialism per Meriam Webster Dictionary is:

Any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods.

Socialist programs in the U.S. and Carlisle County, Kentucky, include:

• The Carlisle County Senior Citizens Center
• The U.S. Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force
• Fire  Departments - as in the Paducah Fire Department
• Police Departments - including our County, State and Federal Jails (Paducah, no website for Carlisle County)
• Roads - County Roads, State Roads, Interstate Roads
• City Public Works - as in the Paducah Engineering Department
• Many Water, Sewer and Electric Systems (some are privatized, but many are city or county. Ours in Arlington comes from Mayfield and is publicly owned)
• Social Security
• SSI - Supplemental Security Income (disability and aging help for the poor)
• Medicare
• Medicaid
• The U.S. Post Office
• Libraries - McCracken County Public Library
• State and National Parks - as in Columbus Belmont State Park and Yellowstone National Park
• Schools - Carlisle County
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) 
• Food Stamps/Snap and WIC

In other words, in the U.S., "public" is another word for socialist programs.

The 2nd definition of socialism per Meriam Webster Dictionary is:

• a system of society or group living in which there is no private property
• a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state

Now you really can't convince me that the Obamas are eager to give up their private property. That house in Chicago is awesome. Click here for a picture.

The President may want to increase some systems or conditions in our society, but we're already pretty socialist. And if you think I want to privatize Social Security as the Republicans are advocating, I have some bottom land and a bridge I'd like to sell you. 

The 3rd and last definition of socialism per Meriam Webster Dictionary is: 

a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

Okay, this one is a bit academic.  Ain't gonna go there.  However, I think I can safely say Pres. Obama isn't a "stage of society."

We need to think about ourselves and what socialist programs we actually live with. If we're going to slam socialism, are we willing to give up what we already have - our roads, parks, libraries, fire & police depts., schools, Social Security, sewage, and so on?

Do we really and truly think private companies can and will manage these things as well or better and economically all the while making a profit, which is a company's bottom line? If we don't pay taxes for these services anymore, do we think the private companies' service fees will be equal to the taxes saved? Do we think their service fees will never exceed the going tax rate? Are we willing to give up a say in who runs the "company" or in which "company" controls what, i.e. - voting - Board of Education, Sheriff, etc.?

To me, the label of "socialist" that's been tacked to Pres. Obama is the result of fear mongering and extremism. Fear mongering, per Meriam Webster Dictionary, is scaremongering, which isn't defined as a verb, but a scare monger is:

One inclined to raise or excite alarms especially needlessly

Per Wikipedia, fear mongering is:

the use of fear to influence the opinions and actions of others towards some specific end. The feared object or subject is sometimes exaggerated, and the pattern of fear mongering is usually one of repetition, in order to continuously reinforce the intended effects of this tactic, sometimes in the form of a vicious circle.