Earl, do you understand what the word socialism mean????????????????
This word entered the English lexicon around 1832, stemming from a French word 'socialisme'. It refers to an economic system where property, labor, and/or people are 'community owned', as opposed to capitalism, which is voluntary production and sale of products and services at the agreed upon price (free market economy). ALL socialism is based on theft of wealth. Capitalism is the only economic system that creates wealth, so capitalism must be nearby to steal from, or socialism collapses. This pattern has happened through history, bringing with it great misery in the process.
There are three major forms of socialism:
Fascism, or government manipulation of markets, is government not actually owning a business or production, but acting as if they did. You take the risk for starting the business, but government comes along and tells you how to run it. They tell you who you can hire, who you can fire, what you can sell your product or service for (price controls), what you are allowed to buy (you can only buy THIS kind of toilet, THIS kind of lighting, THIS kind of energy, etc.). Fascism was described by Karl Marx as well, and is the first stepping stone on the road to:
Communism, or government ownership of markets. In this stage, government now owns businesses and production. They usually have expanded their fascism to many markets, but some they now own outright. Since government is not an expert at any market, they don't know what they are doing, and the product is inferior and more expensive, and is usually not even what the people want at the time.
Slavery, or ownership of labor. This is simply theft of labor. The mistreatment of such people is well recorded throughout history.
Socialism is based on compulsion. It creates misery and is destructive. Since it is based on theft, it can usually only be implemented by force, using an oligarchy or dictatorship to implement it.
Capitalism is completely voluntary. No government needed (other than to assist dealing with thieves). It is the only system that creates wealth. It is capitalism that built the cities out of the wilderness. It is capitalism that created whole industries, including the personal computer industry and made the internet into what it is today. It is capitalism that created AI and has improved it to the point that it's a very useful tool for anyone. It is capitalism that brought cheap steel, cheap concrete, automobiles, aircraft, even housing and food.
It is SOCIALISM that made these things expensive.
Socialism exists in every nation (including the U.S.). Capitalism also exists in every nation (the free market cannot be killed...it's immortal. Even if it's driven to be a black market, it's still there).
Capitalism gives the poor freedom to improve their lot and make something of themselves, and become rich.
Socialism seeks to make everyone poor, except for the Elite.
Too many Democrats embrace socialism. Some may publicly 'condemn it, but they practice it all the same.