Let's stand up for socialists

[LuckyTheDog]

I am getting a little tired of hearing the world "socialist" used as a slur. There were many great American socialists who made significant, positive contributions to this country. Among them: Eugene Debs, Norman Thomas, the Reuther brothers, Michael Harrington and Sen. Bernie Sanders (who, unlike the others I mentioned has the benefit of being still alive and fighting the good fight).

I think we should be pushing back against the notion that socialists are somehow automatically bad Americans and/or enemies of freedom. It is nonsense and we need to say so. Many DUers (probably the vast majority) would not describe themselves as socialists. But even so, I think most of us here recognize that many great Americans were socialists.

Thoughts?

[enlightenment]

1. As a self-described socialist, I agree. nt/

[Echo In Light]

2. Rec

[billyoc]

3. Hasta la victoria siempre.

[dana_b]

4. I agree

to make it simpler for those who are afraid of socialism, i think to what Thom Hartmann says. Tell them "I love my socialist firehouses, police stations, my socialist library, my socialist roads, post office, etc.". There is no reason that we have to exclude some of the good socialist aspects of a functioning society. There is no reason to be afraid of the word "socialism".

[FLyellowdog]

5. Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security

All socialism...I'm for it. :bounce:

[Billy Burnett]

6. Checking in.

www.ypsl.org

---

[loudsue]

7. And populism, in general.

I think the best system is a mix of socialism and capitalism....both with limits.

On edit: I guess I should say that I think a combination would work the best, but I'm ALSO in favor of HEAVILY REGULATED CORPORATE POWER, federally funded elections, and criminal penalties for congress critters taking campaign donations or job offers of any kind from lobbyists.

[silverweb]

8. K&R

Americans have been conditioned against the words "socialist" and "socialism" for decades, yet they can't distinguish socialism from totalitarian communism.

To attempt to avoid knee-jerk prejudice, I describe myself as a "civil libertarian and social democrat" -- (basically a Democratic Socialist, but don't say that aloud!).

I'm all for helping change erroneous perceptions, but it's going to be like swimming against the rapids with the ignorant loons we'll have to deal with.

[painey]

9. ok

socialism is great, communism too. as long as it is all in the correct proportions, there is no chance of the united states being a majority country of either of these.

[LuckyTheDog]

11. Communism is not "great"

Democratic socialists have, however, made a very positive contribution to the U.S.

[lapislzi]

16. Communism can work on a small scale

With small collectives of like-minded people, communal living (or, communism) can be a very positive social experiment. It is just very difficult to bring together sufficient people with both the same mind set and the necessary variety of skill sets. That's why you see it in action so infrequently.

[LuckyTheDog]

17. But as it has been practiced...

... communism has been a mostly bad thing. Yes, the Stalinists brought Russia into the 20th century, and Cuba's regime taught its population to read and gives it decent medical care (within its means). But the costs for progress under communist regimes has been steep. On a national level, democratic socialism is a far better thing. Agreed?

[lapislzi]

19. 100% agreement

Although it can be argued that the Soviet Union under and after Stalin was communist in name only. It was really a form of state capitalism/party cronyism. It's Stalin and those who came after who really gave communism a bad name.

[AntiFascist]

21. What do you call the current system in China?

It looks more like state-run corporatism than anything, catering to foreign corporations.

[steelmania75]

10. I'm proud to be a liberal, apparently those in Congress aren't

Conservatives brag about being conservative, then why don't liberals?

[readmoreoften]

12. As a socialist, I thank you for your solidarity!

:hi:

[napoleon_in_rags]

13. Hats off to this American Socialist:

Read his arguments for it here:

http://www.monthlyreview.org/598einstein.php

[LuckyTheDog]

14. Exactly

I am scratching my head about why groups like the Democratic Socialists of America are not seizing the opportunity to fight back against all the negative "socialism is evil" talk.

[SammyWinstonJack]

15. K&R

[mopinko]

18. the city of milwaukee

had a socialist mayor for many years and was repeatedly rated the best run city in the u.s.
:shrug: yeah, what's wrong with it?

[GreenArrow]

20. Socialist?

So what.

[windoe]

22. When it comes to service professions, I am a socialist

libraries, fire and rescue, postal service, social services, medical services and the like.

It is identified as secular by the religious right, who have been educated in their schools to have a dominionist point of view, which is a big hurdle in retaining these programs.

Separation of church and state must be a foundation for these programs to be a permanent part of our national structure.

[DonCoquixote]

23. I do not hate all socialists

But I do get tired of folks like Che and Fidel getting canonized.

[LuckyTheDog]

24. My post...

... did not mention those folks. Norman Thomas, Michael Harrington, et al are in a different category.

[ContinentalOp]

31. Yeah, our revolution was the only good one huh?

Latin Americans should have had the good sense to remain a loyal subjects to corporate American interests.

[DonCoquixote]

45. and that somehow redeems

all the Latin Americans killed by Che and Fidel, all the homosexuals they threw in jail just to win the hearts of the common folk?

I can see that they did some things right, but they were not saints, and I say this as a Puerto Rican, who knows that they wanted to export the same sort of mayhem to Puerto Rico.

[Orwellian_Ghost]

25. K&R

[crazy_vanilla]

26. Yes, I agree

Fear of "socialism" is an obsolete idea from the 1950s. It is the 21st century already and people need to remember it. If socialism means helping all people live better lives, taking care of the socially and economically weak, and not allowing the rich to become ever richer on the backs of the masses (health insurance companies come to mind), then what is so terrible about it?

[ellie]

27. YES!

My dad was a socialist. He was awesome. Everything he said has come true. He was some kind of weird prophet. My mom and I talk about how right he was about things.

[AndrewP]

28. Great post

I'm a Socialist, and damn proud of it.

[stevedeshazer]

29. Standing and applauding.

:)

[Mnemosyne]

30. Born socialist here. :) KnR! n/t

[QC]

32. Thank you for this thread! It's an excellent break

from the usual red-baiting that has become a constant thing on this site the past year or two.

[leftstreet]

33. K&R

[WillyT]

34. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[slay]

35. Socialist is the new liberal

In the way that Republicans used to use the word "liberal" to scare people, now they use "socialist". It's fucked up.

[Mythsaje]

36. Not exactly my favorite example,

but the guy who wrote the pledge of allegiance was a socialist. (Something good to toss into the discussion when you want to watch a Republican's head explode). ;)

[Vidar]

37. I agree.

[mr blur]

38. As a lifelong proud socialist, I thank you. nt

[glowing]

39. I've heard many people say Obama is a socialist.. AND I say, "regrefully, he is not.

I wish he was more socialistic. I'm a socialist." It shuts people up when a person like myself blows their mind away with what a "socialist" looks like and sounds like.

[dobegrrrl]

40. I decided to "join" the Democratic Socialist of America!

No more donations for the Dems either unless they grow a spine. I sponsor the Young Dems at a high minority high school in VA, and am very conflicted with carrying on this year. And Creigh Deeds! better than the alternative but another blue dog for sure.

[snot]

41. And what about Europe's Socialist Democracies?

[LisaLynne]

42. As with far too many of the rallying cries of the RW ...

they use phrases that their either ignorantly don't understand the meaning of or intentionally misrepresent. Right now, the way they use "socialist", I think they mean ... well, I have no idea what they mean. It just represents for them everything they don't want -- change, an end to white/male/hetero privilege, etc. It's one of the reasons why they're so hard to talk to: they aren't really clearly expressing their objections.

[Cybergata]

43. The Republicans made the word LIBERAL a "bad" word as well.

Call the boogie man a "socialist" to scare people. That scare tactic has been with us for a long time. The boogie mans was called a "liberal" back in Reagan days. Before that simply being called a "red" or a "Communist" meant you were the boogie man.

[LWolf]

44. I'll stand up for socialists. nt