AlterNet: Why Are We Afraid of Saying "Socialism"?

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Frances Moore Lappé

Why Are We Afraid of Saying "Socialism"?
Knee-jerk reactions to words like "socialism" and "capitalism" get us nowhere. We need to first define the terms.

March 30, 2010 |


“Socialist” has become the new favorite term of derision--working its fear-making magic because, for many Americans, socialism equals the great “government takeover.” It’s assumed to be not just un-American but downright anti-American. Tea Partiers at their round up in Searchlight, Nevada, told us that “socialist” Harry Reid “hates America.”

Our national aversion to the S-word isn’t necessarily a problem. But the term’s rapid rise as a political pot-shot, points to a huge problem: our culture’s lack of a common civic language, words on whose meaning we at least vaguely agree. Without it, we can’t hope to talk to one another about what matters most.

“We have a language of capitalism. We have a language of Marxism. But we have no language of democracy,” historian Lawrence Goodwyn once remarked.

And we need one.

Capitalism and socialism. Imagine if we just got some clarity on these basic terms alone. ..............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/vision/146143/why_are_we_afraid_of_saying_%22socialism%22

[ixion]

1. There's a great D.H. Lawerence quote that describes why:

“The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic and a killer”

I think that sums it up.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Because we have allowed the RWingnuts to frame the debate..yet again!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[FBaggins]

3. Because even our "leaders" are afraid of it.

Reid just went out of his way to agree that socialism was bad (but defend that this wasn't what we were trying to do). Jokingly offered to give republicans a dictionary lesson.

Thing is... the majority of DUers who posted on the thread accepted the premise of the question (socialism - bad) and assumed that anyone (me) who tried to correct them was a RW mole.

[BeFree]

4. An example of socialism

Two people.

First lives in the city and never travels. But he pays federal taxes that go to support overseas US citizen's travels.

Second also lives same city. He travels overseas a lot. His very life, while overseas, greatly depends upon the US embassies, etc, abroad, but his taxes don't even begin to cover the expenses.

So the first guy ends up subsidizing the second guy's overseas travels.

Just one example of the great underground socialist system we all enjoy.

[OnionPatch]

7. US diplomats use the embassies.

Are you suggesting we don't need foreign diplomats in this age of "globalism"?

The good thing about *democratic* socialism is that we get to vote on which "socialistic" things we want and which ones we don't. The democratic part is the most important part, and is the difference between the mixed economies we and most of Europe use and the totalitarian socialist systems that the RW tries to scare us with.

[Captain Hilts]

5. If it's good enough for the US military, it's good enough for me! nt

[Bluenorthwest]

6. Some poster here yesterday was using the word as a slur

typing all caps SOCIALIST. I asked what was up with the Tea Bag use of red baiting terms, but the poster did not reply. I think it was McCarthy's ghost.

[socialist_n_TN]

8. I'm not.......................

:) afraid of the word that is.

Although I SO use the small "s" socialist in my nick. To me, that means that I don't belong to any official socialist party. In Europe my beliefs would probably be considered pretty centrist. IMO, the government is the ONLY entity big enough to provide a check on the corporatist state and they need to be there to provide that check.

I've also gotten used to being called "Socialist" by the righties over the last few election cycles (Clinton on), so my nickname also connotes a little bit of sarcasm.

[MisterP]

9. probably the massive 1947-55 purge in the US:

we were left with no CPUSA, no Marxism in public discourse, and only a go-no-further liberalism that yoked itself to conservatism in glorious postwar consensus that eschewed "extremists"; leftism and critique ended up countercultural with Vietnam, hippies, ethnic movements, and anti-Contra and -nuke protests; interestingly, Britain HAS actual lefties, but its liberal party wobbled for decades and then ran right in the 90s and 00s, a lot like the US's

[Uncle Joe]

10. This is the result from decades of self serving corporate media propaganda,

perfected during the 20th century from the fusion of mass one way communication and psychology.

The American People in large part have been brain washed by their "fourth estate" to have a knee jerk reaction to the word "socialism" in the same manner Pavlov's dog was conditioned to salivate at the sound of a bell as if this signified food.

This is part of the dumbing down process needed in order to promote corporate supremacy over "We the People's" government and in turn over the people.

To that effect these terms have been demonized to the point of almost putting them beyond the scope of reason, bypassing logic and going directly to the emotional core "Communist," "socialism" or "socialist," "liberal," "welfare," "government."

The corporate media's primary motivation is to make profit and promote the perceived best interests of their corporate parents and advertising, commercial buying corporate clients.

To that end government oversight or bureaucracy can be a hindrance, even if said government entity benefits the greater public good or "general welfare," ie; universal single payer coverage subsidized straight up by front door progressive taxes.

Thanks for the thread, marmar.

PS. Intellectual and elite can be added to that list of words as well, they used to be considered good words and have now been morphed in to gray areas.

[Joe Chi Minh]

11. Because antisocial behaviour is so much nicer?

[Diclotican]

12. marmar

marmar

Most americans would not know what sosicalism is, what communism is, what marxism is, what Mao-ism is if it so was coming behind them and bite them in the ass.. Most americans doesn't have the slightest clue of what it is, and what it really means as a political system.. When you are grown up in a world, where your "good" is capitalism, and "free marked" and where a More just system, where also the weakest of people is been cared for, where you have a health care who are PUBLIC, and - for the most also FREE of use for everyone.. And after 60 year, specially after 50 year with the cold war and all the propaganda, millions and millions of sane americans is programmed to believe that just the word socialism is the same as the read menace who was been showed as the evils in old times.. You know where US was under attack, that be from Mars, or from Soviet union...

What americans need to understand, is that you can have a welfare system, and a health care system where the public also have a role, without going into the bed with communism as many belive... Most Europeans country have health care and a well fare system of sorts, and the idea behind it is different, from state taxes, as in the nordic states, to a voluntary insurance between private and the government as in Germany and other country in other parts of Europe.. But the idea behind our well fare and health care system is more or less the same - it is better to pay a little more, to give most people a better life, than to risk ruin everything.. When the first system was made possible - it was coming from Germany, who in the early 1900s was ruled by a rather conservative system. But they wanted peace with a big, poor public, who was living really bad.... And the revolution of the 1840s, where the powers to be, first crushed the revolution in blood, but also made sure with reforms, that a new revolution was not to made place.. And all the reforms, from the 1850s and forward, have made it possible, even for the working class to live far better than even our grandfathers, and mothers would have imagined if they had lived today...

As said, most americans, would not know what socialism is, if it so was biting them in the ass.. Not because of ill will, but rather because of ignorance, and 60 year of brainwash.. But the fact, that US managed to get a form of public health care system is it self a amazing feat if you ask me.. But compared to Europe, it is still in the middle ages so to say.. But as they say, Rome was not build at one day, and the current public option have to build stronger and better in the years to came... I for one hope that most americans, one day can benefit from a public option in health care, as most europeans take for granted.. And not go broke beoouse of a ill health...

Dicloican

[Rage Inc.]

13. Alternet is a good website

Skeptical not only of the wingnut media, but also of the allegedly "liberal" media!