I recently posted a graphic reiterating Alexander Hamilton’s position that a self-serving president might seek to benefit from his position at the expense of the nation he swore to preserve. I received the following response, “You should spend the time teaching your friends the “wonderful “ world of socialism.” My reply follows below.
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Most of my friends already understand “socialism” as a complex nuanced concept that supports capitalism. Only those on the right seem confused. Explaining to them the intricacies of democratic socialism is like trying to explain calculus to a chihuahua. Sure, they look at you like they understand, but as soon as they realize there is no food treat involved, they bend down, lick themselves, and walk away. They will never understand that capitalism relies on the benefits of limited socialistic activities to enable it to function properly. Capitalism does not flourish without an educated and healthy workforce. It cannot function without infrastructure.
Socialist policies support capitalism by maintaining a healthy workforce with public services, reducing poverty and inequality to stabilize consumer demand, and providing safety nets that lower economic volatility and encourage innovation. Public funding for education and healthcare creates a healthier and more skilled population, making for a more productive workforce for businesses to hire. Social programs that reduce poverty and inequality help stabilize demand by creating a more secure consumer base. A robust social safety net encourages people to take entrepreneurial risks, fueling capitalist innovation. Government agencies that regulate corporations and markets help prevent monopolies and market failures in capitalism.
You see, to most on the right, the term “socialism” has been defined as an insult or challenge and it gets used in response to anything else they don’t understand. They toss the term around as a threat as meaningless as the phrase, “I triple-dog-dare-you” as it was used in the movie, A Christmas Story. They think we will wind up like Flick with our tongues stuck to the flagpole.
The original post was a thinly veiled description of president Donald Trump’s activities that seek to benefit him by jeopardizing the nation and our democracy as predicted by Alexander Hamilton over 250 years ago. I see we have been sidetracked.
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