Hello AProudLefty,
...requires work.
Thank you very much. Be sure to tip your waitresses.
The biggest mistake about understanding socialism is made by the right. They think a choice must be made. Capitalism or socialism. They don't realize no such choice ever need be made. Capitalism and socialism can be mixed. Socialism for needs, capitalism for wants.
This is, of course, using the loose definition of socialism so often charged by the right when claiming that a government public assistance program "is socialism!"
The mixing of capitalism and 'socialism' is already being done in most modern countries, including the USA. The challenge is to get the balance between the two right. Practically nobody is advocating for the government to own all means of production and prevent private individuals from owning for-profit businesses.
And, of course, there is a huge challenge in simply getting the right to look beyond their propaganda and see reality.
Good luck with that.
The right is hopelessly mired in myths and falsehoods.
Much of it is produced by 'think tanks' funded by the greedy super-rich.
The greedy super-rich want to control government so they can have tax cuts, which they get on a regular basis, inversely proportional to the rise in the federal debt.
In order to do this, the greedy super-rich use these think tanks to condition the minds of the right to hate government. Hating our own government that we created and we have the power to change is ridiculous. If we need to change something about our government all we have to do is agree on what needs to be changed. The people have the power to do that. That is what terrifies the greedy super-rich. That the people would agree to do something the greedy super-rich might not want.
This is why the greedy super-rich use the power of their big money to get the right hating on the left, in order to prevent any agreement.
I refuse to let the greedy super-rich tell me what to believe or how to act, so I don't hate. I am willing to have friendly respectful conversations with any and all who are able. But the greedy super-rich are so effective at generating hatred for the left that not one single Trump supporting poster here at JPP has been able to have a mutually respectful conversation with me, despite the fact that I have been completely respectful to them.
It is so absurd that I don't even get angry at them when I have to explain to them why I won't be talking to them any more after they 'go off' on me. I generally wish each of them well with my final words to them.
It is sad that so many have been so completely conditioned to hate that even when someone is respectful and nice to them, and offers to just have a non-personal conversation about the issues, they respond by lashing out with anger, insults and hostilities, going personal every single time. It says something about them, and it is not good. It is very unfortunate they are unable to even talk to their fellow Americans on an even footing.
How can someone love America, but have such anger for fellow Americans?
That makes no sense.
It is a big problem for our country (by design - the hateful right are the pawns of the greedy super-rich.)
