Hi Casey I come from Venezuela, we were sold Socialism as a way to give real power to people with phrases similar to those that you wrote, and Yes, I read it but in practice that's not what truly is. That's what they sell so you vote for them. People tend to confuse Socialism and I recommend you this article https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/americans-are-still-confused-about-what-socialism-actually-is/ to read. If you love your country, please never vote for them and this is not a political point of view, this is a person who has experienced it, telling you that whatever they sell is fake.
I want to also thank you for sharing that article. I had come across it previously, not surprisingly, as some of the research I was reviewing for a recent post about these topics.
For every article that says socialism is great, we need just as many that say why it isn't. We also have to distinctly point out the flaws in presented socialism vs the real idea and focus on the current implementation.
I totally understand your apprehension with the social construct that your country and others were sold, but it was hidden behind true Communism.
That is where the examples of what a real socialist dynamic is made up of is important to note. There are similarities between the two, but they are also drastically different. What I am pushing for is a true socialized system. There are those who want the same thing. Most of the officials who are pushing for this, are not your typical politicians, instead, they are regular people who happen to hold office, who want stricter term limits, fresh ideas, for real people to be involved in the conversation. The emphasis has to be placed into the community, schools, educating children at all levels, including college levels, taking care of the elderly and the poor.
The idea of socialized medicine was intentionally left off of my list, because that has the worst track record worldwide. It does work when applied appropriately, but socialized medicine will fail in the US as long as capitalism wins out - Big Pharma, Biotech companies having monopolies are just two examples of how the deck is stacked. We have too many officials who have their hand in the proverbial cookie jar, and they are allowing that to influence their decisions.
There are things about socialism that we have already, and that we need.
The more certain elected officials strip people of their rights and freedoms, the closer they push us to the type of system you are talking about having experienced. I too share your apprehension, I know all too well how quickly people are led astray, and how awful things turn out for the people who are supposed to have the control. They end up being controlled.
Casey, you’re confusing social welfare programs with socialism. And no, I didn’t live in a communist country—it was socialism. Only those who have actually lived through it can truly tell you how damaging it is. I understand your fascination; I was in your place 20 years ago, with the same ideas and beliefs. Back then, Cubans warned us not to fall for it, but I didn’t listen, we didn't listen—my convictions were stronger than their experiences. Sadly, reality proved them right in the hardest way.
Today, I don’t even live in my own country anymore. I had to migrate to be able to provide for my son. I can’t go back, and I can’t even renew my passport. I’m sorry to say this, but it’s easy to support a system you’ve never had to live under.
I know you probably won’t fully accept what I’m saying. You might try to understand, or look for arguments to prove me wrong—I know, because I was you. I believed in a version of socialism that would truly help people, but I was mistaken. And sadly, the world keeps falling for it. As Venezuelans have experienced over the past 27 years, things can deteriorate very deeply.
I totally understand what you are saying, and I fully sympathize with your story. I have heard it from many others, including some of my own clients. Yours is a common story, not a rare one. I am so very sorry that you cannot go back to the place that was once your home, but I firmly believe that wherever you have settled, you made the right decision for you and for your son.
This is why I am so firmly set on my opinions, and I fully accept that maybe I am wrong. What is happening in the US cannot continue, not for the kids today, or the kids who will be part of this world someday. I fight this hard in memory of my own daughter, and for all of the kids in my life who range from 25 years old to 6 months old. They deserve better than whatever the hell this world is becoming, and I am open to anything that is the antithesis of this.
Whether you want to frame some of this as social welfare systems or accept that this is part of socialism, I do not see the need to argue. I am not going to belabor a point when in reality, we both want the same things for these kids. These programs do work, and we need more of them. However that is framed, fine by me.
I want to continue to educate people in the difference between communism and socialism, as well as fascism and capitalism, this is one way of doing that. Unfortunately, I don’t think there has been a single modern society to date that hasn’t had some influence of the best and worst of all of these things - that is maybe the most disheartening part of it all. The one thing I know for certain, and a hill I will die on, this is not the best that we can come up with, and we are causing irreparable harm to the coming generations.
If it was only what it was actually supposed to be .. I agree. But unfortunately those in power abuse it. Left/Right socialism/capitalism are all tools of propaganda to control us and keep us arguing with each other about which side is right. In my opinion. I think it’s common knowledge that most politicians just lie to us. Not all but the bad ones seem to outnumber the good ones. Or it feels that way. Both sides sell us lies and everyone just accepts it. I mean what can we do 🤷🏼♀️ we’re too busy trying to survive and provide. That’s just my brain and perspective though. We need something different though that’s for darn sure. Because capitalism sure isn’t/doesn’t work either. It’s just getting worse by the day under this administration too 😫.
Change is coming, it may not be a perfect package, I don't think that even exists, but it is coming. Change is loud, it is uncomfortable, and it takes all of us doing this. I find more people are willing to discuss these topics than before, which is change in and of itself. There are still a large number of good politicians, you just don't hear as much about them unless they have pissed off Trump or one of his supporters. I pretty much only follow political accounts on social media, or political pundits, as well as independent journalists. We will continue to hear the real stories about what is happening, there will be more accountability, and more exposure.
But like you said, most people are either too busy trying to survive or provide to know or to understand the depths of the betrayal at the hands of people who promise to do right by us. We have an obligation to hold them accountable by writing letters, making phone calls, protesting, posting, and getting our asses out there and voting.
This comment is not intended in any way to reflect on you, or, my opinion of you as a person as you have overcome a multitude of traumatic events in your life.
To say that socialism is NOT political is absurd.
Socialism is completely political and is used as a means to control every aspect of the lives of every member of a given society. YOU will eat what you are given when we are motivated to give it to you. You can have access to cash when we give you permission, provided you keep your vaccination passport up to date and do not make any negative comments on any social media posts. These very rules are taking place in the United Kingdom.
In fact, I will go so far as to say that socialism is the polar opposite of freedom. Think back a few years when Joe Biden (central casting) tried to mandate that no American citizen can remain employed unless they get the covid vaccine and all of the boosters, and going on tv to tell us that this is a pandemic caused by the unvaccinated! Sound familiar??
That is what they were after; VACCINE PASSPORTS. Guaranteed.
I thank GOD that President Trump put an end to all of that garbage. The democrats were trying desperately to gain control of us in the euphemism of Socialism.
Everything that you said is communist, not socialist.
The vaccine was never mandatory, except for members of our government, and the military. The vaccine was also weaponized to scare people. It is still being weaponized. You know they used to do that about the flu shot, measles shot, polio vaccine, etc.? There will always be conspiracy theorists and antivaxxers. (I hate that I had to Google that to make sure it was spelled correctly, it went against everything that my brain was telling me was right.)
When you bring up the recommendations for a healthy diet, that changes depending on who is the mouthpiece at the moment. There is somewhat of a worldwide standard that is the general rule of thumb. I have a background in nutrition, besides my legal background, and I can tell you after having done this for years now, there is enough science to back up most of what is said about food. Now, where I agree that people are saying nonsense in this area, it is mostly due to influencers, and the current dumbass who is heading MAHA - Make America Healthy Again. What a farse and a lie, backed by taxpayer dollars, and easily debunked.
People are free to be employed, and sure, it is a requirement to survive in all modern society. All modern society. My biggest issue is that the government has not, and likely will not up the federal minimum wage. Even your President has said nothing on this front. Some states already have implemented higher wages, which is helping a lot of people, but this speaks to capitalism, not socialism. This speaks more to communism influencing capitalism.
I encourage you to look at other posts that I have made recently, I believe from a week ago, now maybe two. There are several very interesting conversations within that thread, including citations of where I gather my research from.
I think that you may want to expand outside of your normal scope of media, and maybe look into some independent journalists. I only look at mainstream media to see how absolutely awful and corrupt it is on BOTH sides. I only support a free and independent press, not that trash on any of the major networks.
Trump is a fucking criminal, and hands down the most corrupt lawmaker in US history. I will continue to say that with my chest.
Are you really still backing the guy that has made billions of dollars while in office while bankrupting our country, killing our service members, and allowing for racism to run wild? I think you’re better than that, Ray.
It’s so scary how the government has made its mission to frighten people to think socialism is bad. Thank you once again for speaking out.
I come from a Socialist country and I can say with experience that only a person who hasn't experienced Socialism can say good things about it
Hi Nella,
What country are you originally from, and what were the flaws in the system?
We do experience socialism on a daily basis in the US. I do hope you took the time to read through even the basic examples that were cited.
Hi Casey I come from Venezuela, we were sold Socialism as a way to give real power to people with phrases similar to those that you wrote, and Yes, I read it but in practice that's not what truly is. That's what they sell so you vote for them. People tend to confuse Socialism and I recommend you this article https://www.rstreet.org/commentary/americans-are-still-confused-about-what-socialism-actually-is/ to read. If you love your country, please never vote for them and this is not a political point of view, this is a person who has experienced it, telling you that whatever they sell is fake.
I want to also thank you for sharing that article. I had come across it previously, not surprisingly, as some of the research I was reviewing for a recent post about these topics.
https://iea.org.uk/what-socialism-means-and-why-it-matters/
Something to add to your list.
For every article that says socialism is great, we need just as many that say why it isn't. We also have to distinctly point out the flaws in presented socialism vs the real idea and focus on the current implementation.
Hi again, Nella,
I totally understand your apprehension with the social construct that your country and others were sold, but it was hidden behind true Communism.
That is where the examples of what a real socialist dynamic is made up of is important to note. There are similarities between the two, but they are also drastically different. What I am pushing for is a true socialized system. There are those who want the same thing. Most of the officials who are pushing for this, are not your typical politicians, instead, they are regular people who happen to hold office, who want stricter term limits, fresh ideas, for real people to be involved in the conversation. The emphasis has to be placed into the community, schools, educating children at all levels, including college levels, taking care of the elderly and the poor.
The idea of socialized medicine was intentionally left off of my list, because that has the worst track record worldwide. It does work when applied appropriately, but socialized medicine will fail in the US as long as capitalism wins out - Big Pharma, Biotech companies having monopolies are just two examples of how the deck is stacked. We have too many officials who have their hand in the proverbial cookie jar, and they are allowing that to influence their decisions.
There are things about socialism that we have already, and that we need.
The more certain elected officials strip people of their rights and freedoms, the closer they push us to the type of system you are talking about having experienced. I too share your apprehension, I know all too well how quickly people are led astray, and how awful things turn out for the people who are supposed to have the control. They end up being controlled.
Casey, you’re confusing social welfare programs with socialism. And no, I didn’t live in a communist country—it was socialism. Only those who have actually lived through it can truly tell you how damaging it is. I understand your fascination; I was in your place 20 years ago, with the same ideas and beliefs. Back then, Cubans warned us not to fall for it, but I didn’t listen, we didn't listen—my convictions were stronger than their experiences. Sadly, reality proved them right in the hardest way.
Today, I don’t even live in my own country anymore. I had to migrate to be able to provide for my son. I can’t go back, and I can’t even renew my passport. I’m sorry to say this, but it’s easy to support a system you’ve never had to live under.
I know you probably won’t fully accept what I’m saying. You might try to understand, or look for arguments to prove me wrong—I know, because I was you. I believed in a version of socialism that would truly help people, but I was mistaken. And sadly, the world keeps falling for it. As Venezuelans have experienced over the past 27 years, things can deteriorate very deeply.
Nella,
I totally understand what you are saying, and I fully sympathize with your story. I have heard it from many others, including some of my own clients. Yours is a common story, not a rare one. I am so very sorry that you cannot go back to the place that was once your home, but I firmly believe that wherever you have settled, you made the right decision for you and for your son.
This is why I am so firmly set on my opinions, and I fully accept that maybe I am wrong. What is happening in the US cannot continue, not for the kids today, or the kids who will be part of this world someday. I fight this hard in memory of my own daughter, and for all of the kids in my life who range from 25 years old to 6 months old. They deserve better than whatever the hell this world is becoming, and I am open to anything that is the antithesis of this.
Whether you want to frame some of this as social welfare systems or accept that this is part of socialism, I do not see the need to argue. I am not going to belabor a point when in reality, we both want the same things for these kids. These programs do work, and we need more of them. However that is framed, fine by me.
I want to continue to educate people in the difference between communism and socialism, as well as fascism and capitalism, this is one way of doing that. Unfortunately, I don’t think there has been a single modern society to date that hasn’t had some influence of the best and worst of all of these things - that is maybe the most disheartening part of it all. The one thing I know for certain, and a hill I will die on, this is not the best that we can come up with, and we are causing irreparable harm to the coming generations.
Yes, I get what you mean, and at the end of the day we, the people, just want a better place for our families, and we should never stop pursuing that.
If it was only what it was actually supposed to be .. I agree. But unfortunately those in power abuse it. Left/Right socialism/capitalism are all tools of propaganda to control us and keep us arguing with each other about which side is right. In my opinion. I think it’s common knowledge that most politicians just lie to us. Not all but the bad ones seem to outnumber the good ones. Or it feels that way. Both sides sell us lies and everyone just accepts it. I mean what can we do 🤷🏼♀️ we’re too busy trying to survive and provide. That’s just my brain and perspective though. We need something different though that’s for darn sure. Because capitalism sure isn’t/doesn’t work either. It’s just getting worse by the day under this administration too 😫.
I totally agree, hun.
Change is coming, it may not be a perfect package, I don't think that even exists, but it is coming. Change is loud, it is uncomfortable, and it takes all of us doing this. I find more people are willing to discuss these topics than before, which is change in and of itself. There are still a large number of good politicians, you just don't hear as much about them unless they have pissed off Trump or one of his supporters. I pretty much only follow political accounts on social media, or political pundits, as well as independent journalists. We will continue to hear the real stories about what is happening, there will be more accountability, and more exposure.
But like you said, most people are either too busy trying to survive or provide to know or to understand the depths of the betrayal at the hands of people who promise to do right by us. We have an obligation to hold them accountable by writing letters, making phone calls, protesting, posting, and getting our asses out there and voting.
Time will tell.
This comment is not intended in any way to reflect on you, or, my opinion of you as a person as you have overcome a multitude of traumatic events in your life.
To say that socialism is NOT political is absurd.
Socialism is completely political and is used as a means to control every aspect of the lives of every member of a given society. YOU will eat what you are given when we are motivated to give it to you. You can have access to cash when we give you permission, provided you keep your vaccination passport up to date and do not make any negative comments on any social media posts. These very rules are taking place in the United Kingdom.
In fact, I will go so far as to say that socialism is the polar opposite of freedom. Think back a few years when Joe Biden (central casting) tried to mandate that no American citizen can remain employed unless they get the covid vaccine and all of the boosters, and going on tv to tell us that this is a pandemic caused by the unvaccinated! Sound familiar??
That is what they were after; VACCINE PASSPORTS. Guaranteed.
I thank GOD that President Trump put an end to all of that garbage. The democrats were trying desperately to gain control of us in the euphemism of Socialism.
Oh boy. Hi Ray.
Everything that you said is communist, not socialist.
The vaccine was never mandatory, except for members of our government, and the military. The vaccine was also weaponized to scare people. It is still being weaponized. You know they used to do that about the flu shot, measles shot, polio vaccine, etc.? There will always be conspiracy theorists and antivaxxers. (I hate that I had to Google that to make sure it was spelled correctly, it went against everything that my brain was telling me was right.)
When you bring up the recommendations for a healthy diet, that changes depending on who is the mouthpiece at the moment. There is somewhat of a worldwide standard that is the general rule of thumb. I have a background in nutrition, besides my legal background, and I can tell you after having done this for years now, there is enough science to back up most of what is said about food. Now, where I agree that people are saying nonsense in this area, it is mostly due to influencers, and the current dumbass who is heading MAHA - Make America Healthy Again. What a farse and a lie, backed by taxpayer dollars, and easily debunked.
People are free to be employed, and sure, it is a requirement to survive in all modern society. All modern society. My biggest issue is that the government has not, and likely will not up the federal minimum wage. Even your President has said nothing on this front. Some states already have implemented higher wages, which is helping a lot of people, but this speaks to capitalism, not socialism. This speaks more to communism influencing capitalism.
I encourage you to look at other posts that I have made recently, I believe from a week ago, now maybe two. There are several very interesting conversations within that thread, including citations of where I gather my research from.
I think that you may want to expand outside of your normal scope of media, and maybe look into some independent journalists. I only look at mainstream media to see how absolutely awful and corrupt it is on BOTH sides. I only support a free and independent press, not that trash on any of the major networks.
Trump is a fucking criminal, and hands down the most corrupt lawmaker in US history. I will continue to say that with my chest.
Are you really still backing the guy that has made billions of dollars while in office while bankrupting our country, killing our service members, and allowing for racism to run wild? I think you’re better than that, Ray.