Harold H. Horstmann
Lohman
Dear Editor:
Ms. Gibson suggests one research Democratic Socialism.
Re: https://www.dictionary.com.
Socialism: 1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole. 2. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.
Democracy: 1. government by the people; a form of government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system. 2. a state of society characterized by formal equality of rights and privileges
Republic (Our system of government): 1. a state in which the supreme power rests in the body of citizens entitled to vote and is exercised by representatives chosen directly or indirectly by them. 2. a state in which the head of government is not a monarch or other hereditary head of state.
Socialism and a Democracy or Republic is an oxymoron! Socialism cannot survive if the citizenry has any authority (by voting) to exercise any control over the government bureaucrats. Will the VA ever be improved from the best example of what we have of socialized health care? Even with Trump’s attempts at improving it, is it any better? The same is true for education. The Dept of Education with its Common Core initiative is doing its best to take over education of our children from state and local control.
Health care and education are the two basic needs of the citizenry to survive and if the government can get complete control of them then there can be no stopping socialism. Socialists must also confiscate guns and control the media to control any insurrection when the citizenry finally wakes up to the suppression and inevitable inferior quality of life.
Government services we enjoy such as highways, airports, emergency and security services (police and military) are basic needs that can only be provided by the government. They are not socialistic as we have the freedom of scrutiny and change to those services via free communication with our elected representatives and the ballot box. Healthcare and education are services that need government assistance only for those who cannot afford them from the marketplace and not as controlled by some bureaucrat!