Red Scare II
Joe McCarthy must be laughing out loud in his little corner of Hell, watching as Democrats and liberals (libtards) are scorned as Commies by the president and his minions. Yes, the Red Scare is back.
Lots of scary words have re-emerged in the political lexicon, being tossed around by folks who have no clue as to their meanings. Communist, Socialist, Fascist, Nazi; the terms are being used interchangeably, despite some being “far right” and others “far left.”
Nazi was the shortened version of the National Socialist Party in Germany, but Nazism had nothing to do with socialism. Hitler’s Germany was a Fascist state; far right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist, repressive, murderous, and regimented. Socialism is a leftist philosophy.
Some see the seeds of Fascism taking root in this country, and not without reason. Alternative facts, labeling the press, intellectuals and scientists as enemies, creating fear and hatred of “the other,” and threatening to jail political opponents are all straight out of the Fascist handbook.
Communism is a political theory where the state owns all property and all are provided for according to their needs. It’s a theory that has never proven successful, mostly because it clashes with human nature. In practice it has resulted in repressive, authoritarian dictatorships and a class system of haves – party officials – and have-nots – the working class. The human attributes of greed, competitiveness, and hunger for power ensure that theoretical Communism will never succeed.
Today, pretty much all so-called Communist states have incorporated capitalism into their systems. While remaining authoritarian and repressive, adding capitalism to the mix allows for an oligarch class.
Socialism, like Communism, aims to create a more equal society, but can also be compatible with democracy and liberty. And with capitalism. While it has sometimes been corrupted into something resembling corrupt Soviet authoritarianism, álaVenezuela, Democratic Socialist countries are among the most successful in the world for standard of living and happiness and well being of their citizens.
Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Great Britain, Holland, Canada, Spain, Ireland, Switzerland, Japan, Australia and New Zealand are successful democratic, capitalist countries that have adopted socialist ideas and policies. Even in the US, programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, farm subsidies, etc., are socialistic in nature.
Democratic Socialism is really just a social safety net, protecting folks from falling through the cracks or losing everything due to a health issue, natural disaster or economic collapse, without infringing on liberty and allowing the people to choose their leaders.
No pure political or economic system is perfect, or attainable. Unbridled capitalism is cruel, unfair and certainly unchristian. A hybrid system of democracy, capitalism and socialism probably comes closest to an ideal. That’s the type of system liberals are pushing.
Few, if any, Democrats or liberals are advocating for Communism, and anyone claiming otherwise is just fanning the flames of division, red-baiting, and making Senator Joe a happy little devil.
Bill King
Thank you, Bill. This is well-reasoned and helpful.