Progressives (Liberals)

‘Socialism’ has been the boogeyman in this country since McCarthyism—even though the US has several popular, helpful policies taken from the socialist ethos. FDR saved millions of people in our country by adopting pronounced ‘socialist’ policies.

Perpetuating this fallacious fear is expected of well-meaning (however ignorant) people who have been groomed by establishment political parties to really believe socialist policies will murder America (ironic, because capitalism IS LITERALLY KILLING AMERICANS), but intelligent people in politics, who front that bogus **** are using antiquated propaganda for their own nefarious self-interests.

I consider Warren to be intelligent. And she is guilty.

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/robert-reich-ignore-the-socialism-scaremongering/

The word socialism is being used to scare you.


I keep hearing a lot about “socialism” these days, mainly from Donald Trump and Fox News, trying to scare Americans about initiatives like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, universal child care, free public higher education, and higher taxes on the super-wealthy to pay for these.

Well, I’m here to ask you to ignore the scaremongering.

First, these initiatives are overwhelmingly supported by most Americans.

Second, for the last 85 years, conservative Republicans have been yelling “socialism” at every initiative designed to help most Americans.


It was the scare word used by the Liberty League, in 1935 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed Social Security.

In 1952, President Harry Truman noted that “Socialism is the epithet they have hurled at every advance the people have made in the last 20 years….”

Truman went on to say, “Socialism is what they called public power … social security … bank deposit insurance … free and independent labor organizations … anything that helps all the people. Truman concluded by noting “When the Republican candidate inscribes the slogan ‘Down With Socialism’ … what he really means is, ‘Down with Progress.’ ”

Third, if we don’t want to live in a survival-of-the-fittest society in which only the richest and most powerful can endure, government has to do three basic things: regulate corporations, provide social insurance against unforeseen hardships, and support public investments such as schools and public transportation.

All of these require that we pool our resources for the common good.

Regardless of whether this is called democratic socialism or enlightened capitalism, all are necessary for a decent society.

Fourth and finally, America spends very little on social programs compared to other industrialized nations. As a result, almost 30 million Americans still lack health insurance, nearly 51 million households can’t afford basic monthly expenses including housing, food, child care, and transportation. And we’re the only industrialized nation without paid family leave.

Our infrastructure is literally crumbling, our classrooms are overcrowded and our teachers are paid far less than workers in the private sector with comparable education.

We can and must do more.

So don’t let them scare you with words like “socialism.” These policies are just common sense.

I used to read your posts when you first arrived, but each time, I’ve found them to begin with some peripheral or unrelated premise which then meanders off into some tortured oblivion I choose not to visit.

I don’t take offense, but your quoting me and then that thing you do next takes up a lot of space. I’m thinking of others as well as myself. Perhaps you might find someone to address who may respond.

🙂

It strikes me that you may have no idealogical issue with the elimination of oligarchical hegemony but rather the replacement mechanisms. Open to correction, obviously.

Cognitive Dissonance: The Psychological Phenomenon that Explains Why Intellectuals Can’t Stop Believing Socialism Works

“According to cognitive dissonance theory, first developed by Leon Festinger in the 1950s, people seek to avoid the internal discomfort that arises when their beliefs, attitudes or behavior come into conflict with each other or with new information. In other words, it doesn’t feel good to do something you don’t value or that contradicts your deeply held convictions. To deal with this kind of discomfort, people sometimes attempt to rationalize their beliefs and behavior.

In a classic study, Festinger and colleagues observed a small doomsday cult in Chicago who were waiting for a UFO to save them from impending massive destruction of Earth. When the prophecy didn’t come true, instead of rejecting their original belief, members of the sect came to believe that the God of Earth changed plans and no longer wanted to destroy the planet.

Cult members so closely identified with the idea that a UFO was coming to rescue them that they couldn’t just let the idea go when it was proven wrong. Rather than give up on the original belief, they preferred to lessen the cognitive dissonance they were experiencing internally.”