'Socialism' the most looked-up word of 2015 on Merriam-Webster

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

'Socialism' the most looked-up word of 2015 on Merriam-Webster

Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders sparked 169% rise in look-ups, says the US
dictionary publisher, which awarded word of the year to the suffix ‘ism’

Alison Flood
Wednesday 16 December 2015 15.00 GMT

“Socialism” was the most looked-up word on Merriam-Webster’s site this year, a change the American dictionary publisher attributes to US presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, who has positioned of himself as a “democratic socialist”.

Last year, “culture” was the dictionary’s top word; this year, socialism sparked “intense” curiosity, with an increase of 169% in look-ups compared to 2014, according to the dictionary. “Socialism has been near the top of our online dictionary look-up list for several years,” said editor-at-large Peter Sokolowsk. “However, this year look-ups for socialism moved up even further, beginning with the July campaign events for Bernie Sanders, remaining high throughout the following months and spiking again after the first Democratic debate in October.”

Merriam-Webster said that the fact that Sanders has embraced socialism “shows the term has moved beyond its cold war associations”. It has now included new information in its dictionary entry for the term, writing: “In the modern era, ‘pure’ socialism has been seen only rarely and usually briefly in a few communist regimes. Far more common are systems of social democracy, now often referred to as ‘democratic socialism’, in which extensive state regulation, with limited state ownership, has been employed by democratically elected governments (as in Sweden and Denmark) in the belief that it produces a fair distribution of income without impairing economic growth.”

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/dec/16/socialism-most-looked-up-word-2015-merriam-webster-bernie-sanders

[randys1]

1. Exactly what I have said for a long time, many here have. Bernie's existence (as opposed to some,

not all of his supporters) has had a tremendously positive effect on the overall conversation this nation is having.

Sure, on the right the conversation is how much they hate Brown people and especially Muslims, but some of them are even wondering about this "democratic socialist" thing, as in a good way.

[libdem4life]

2. FDR was the Real Socialist. Schools K-12 are socialist. Libraries are socialist. Civic Servants

pay and duties are socialist, i.e. the Firemen come to anyone's house regardless if they pay taxes, are R or D are socialist. Heck, firemen now even carry tiny pet oxygen masks, or get scared cats down from trees. You don't have to write a check.

One can go to court for free with a state attorney, guilty or not guilty. Insurance is socialist. Everybody pays, but if someone has a large loss, it's paid. Even if one does not pay, it's covered under Uninsured Motorist fees across the board.

Airports are socialist...almost anybody can get in one and on the plane for the price of a ticket. Taxpayers build the airports. Even sports...taxpayers build stadiums and everyone pays the same ticket respective to their seating.

Could go on and on. Free college? Not quite as socialist as it would seem. These days, it takes a college degree to get the same job 50 years ago that required a high school diploma. Now you need a Master's Degree to stand out from the crowd as far as education is concerned.

Oh, and Social Security and Medicare. Not all old people "paid in" for the degree of income and care they get. An income of $250,000 ... just guessing ... is probably closer to $50,000 a few decades back. As a teacher in California in the 70s, I had elementary classes with up to 32 kids and got a whopping $469 a month to start.

Groceries are not socialism...you pay for what you get. (Discounting Food Stamps) Houses to live in are not socialist...the market determines what you pay unless you're under HUD. Gasoline, clothing...same thing.

Just my thoughts.