Today's JG rant

Re John M. Watson’s letter “Right mix of socialism would improve US life” of Mar 3, 2019

Watson’s plea sounds a lot like the usual advocate’s call for socialism – a system that has NEVER worked anywhere it has been tried – “they all just did it wrong.”

I’m pretty sure the people of Venezuela were told that Hugo Chaves had the right mix of socialism.  In Cuba, the Castro brothers had the right mix. In the Soviet Union, the people, at least the ones he didn’t murder in mass, were told Vladimir Lenin had the right mix.

Watson touts programs like Social Security, Medicare and he ACA as proof positive that “democratic socialism” works because all were “favored by a majority of the American population.” 

Nonsense.  If Social Security is “favored by a majority of the US population” why is it mandatory?  Why does the government force employers to withhold the money from employees rather than employees contributing with a monthly check?  Why can’t you opt out and invest your own money in a booming stock market in part or full?  Why can’t you withdraw part of your “contribution” to Social Security in case of an emergency?  Why is it easily recognizable as a total Ponzi scheme always on the verge of collapse requiring levying ever growing financial burdens on one generation to support older ones?

Like all socialist ideas, they work great until you run out of other people’s money.  Medicare for all would cost somewhere between 25-35 TRILLION DOLLARS over a ten year period. So the plan is for Watson to hop in his Glad Machine, fly over to the money tree, collect 35 trillion and bring it back to fund his fantasy.  Also, if this program is so great why does AARP offer supplements to cover unfunded liabilities for this wildly successful government program?  

The ACA is such a great idea that the Caligula, D.C. Ruling Class clowns that passed it exempted themselves and their donors while forcing their unholy, unaffordable mess onto the proletariat.   

Socialist grandees will put us into their pot of freebies and then slowly turn up the heat until we’re all cooked.  They will force us into a lower and lower standard of living while they jet to and fro from meeting to meeting to organize their next five-year plan that requires the masses to work harder, work longer, work faster to prop a form of government that has NEVER worked. 

Right mix of socialism would improve US life

I am writing in response to the Los Angeles Times editorial “Good reasons to ignore GOP wolf-cry of 'socialism' ” of Feb. 21.

Most Americans older than 30 can remember the time when the USSR existed. These people can remember photos in newspapers and magazines taken looking toward the east side of Berlin, along the wall the Russian government constructed, dividing that German city. It looked bleak and deserted in comparison to the western side.

The editorial provided an excellent definition of a true socialist government as one that “takes over the means of production in a country, owning all the factories, employing all the workers and dictating prices and wages.”

I remember seeing evidence of the failure of the Soviet system of socialism in pictures of bare shelves in Russian grocery stores and the gaunt faces of the customers in them.

The editorial cites the partially socialistic stance the government has taken toward programs such as Social Security, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act, all of which were favored by the majority of the U.S. population and became law despite the cries of “That's socialism!” by the opponents of these programs.

It is time for the United States to adopt a democratic socialist stance to broaden programs that are beneficial to all of our citizens – Medicare for all, addressing climate change, providing free college educations to those who wish to participate, and finally really addressing our deplorable infrastructure needs.

I believe people who cry “wolf” to the idea of programs that sound socialistic are equating “socialism” to the definition provided in the editorial, and by extension think we will fall into the Soviet model.

There are plenty of examples of democratic socialism the U.S. can emulate. Countries in the European Union (including the Scandinavian countries) and Canada have successfully incorporated free tuition, free health care, and solid practices addressing their infrastructure needs.

We don't need to fear adapting a more democratic socialistic outlook in this country. We can achieve a proper mix of capitalism and socialism while retaining our democracy.

John M. Watson

Fort Wayne