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One of the ways Americans are divided politically is in their view of “socialism.”
Republicans view socialism as government control of society, ranging from controlling the means of production in the economy to controlling what people think, say, or do.
Democrats see socialism as a way to treat people more fairly and to help the government improve people’s lives with things like universal health care, better policing and maybe free tuition for the university.
An October 2018 Gallup poll article shows how Americans ‘views on socialism have changed since the 1930s. It states: “Today, almost 70 years later, Americans’ views on socialism have changed. are expanded. While many still see socialism as government control of the economy, as a modified communism, and as embodying restrictions on freedoms in several ways, an increased percentage see it as representing equality and the government’s provision of benefits.
These results clearly show that socialism is a broad concept that can – and is – understood in various ways by Americans.
Republicans, who are extremely negative towards socialism, tend to view socialism as government control of the economy and in derogatory terms, while Democrats, the majority of whom are positive towards socialism, are more likely to view it as a government service delivery. “
I grew up in a Republican farm family in Nebraska that didn’t care much about government, but benefited greatly from government social programs. My biological father was killed in an Air Force plane crash before I was born and because of this my mother, who remarried, received government payments for me for 18 years .
Without this help, I would never have been able to go to university or medical school.
As a doctor at Park Rapids many of my patients have obtained funding for their health care through Medicare and Medicaid and now that I am retired some of my income comes from Social Security.
So you could say that I have been unemployed by the government my whole life. For that I’m grateful and think I paid some of it back through work and taxes.
The preamble to the Constitution says that one of the goals of government should be “to promote general welfareâ€.
I don’t believe in socialism as being the total control of society by the government, but rather as a way to help people live better. I would like to see universal health care as well as tuition assistance for post-secondary students. I think people should be treated equally regardless of their skin color. I love the government programs that help ensure clean water, food, air, good roads and bridges, police and fire protection, a great recycling center and a good education .
As someone who has a retirement portfolio with stocks and bonds, I love capitalism and its benefits, but I would like the government and business to put more emphasis on reducing fuel use. fossils, promoting clean energy to mitigate climate change and maintain America’s energy independence.
I think wealthy individuals and businesses should pay their fair share of taxes.
So, I guess I’m a Democratic Socialist, and I’ll just have to put up with the Republican criticism about it. So be it.
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