Using the broad definition cons have of socialism, don't they realize America is already socialist?

When are they moving to their third world, laisez-faire capitalist, banana republics?





You know the countries where corporations get away with abusing the worker, polluting the environment, scamming the consumer, and buying the government.





THE UNITED STATES ON THE OTHER HAND...





Has public owned schools for every single child, state owned and subsidized universities, student grants, subsidized loans, GI BIlls, job training, 40 hour work weeks, overtime pay, minimum wage, workman's compensation, unemployment insurance, work place safety laws, social security and medicare for the elderly, medicaid for the poor, food sanitation standards, laws against false advertisement and labeling, environmental protection laws, force banks to insure with the federal government, regulate the stock market, public housing and food stamps for the poor, government grants in research and development, state owned and controlled armed forces, public transportation, public health utilities, etc, etc.

Using the broad definition cons have of socialism, don't they realize America is already socialist?
Neocons don’t bother with definitions as you think of them – in terms of the identification and description of things in the reality-based world.





In the Neocon dictionary, all words mean either ‘good-us’ or ‘bad-them’ and they can be applied to any thing or any concept (at any time) as the situation merits.





For example, it has been pointed out to them that every variant of ‘Islamo-Fascist’ is an oxymoron that has meaning only in the world of the retarded, the pathologically illiterate, and the criminally stupid. And yet, there is the President of the US saying it all the time.





Well… maybe that is not a good example, I’m sure there are people who know how to read that use the term as well.








Sweetpea –





In the US system, administrative costs represent 19-25% of healthcare costs (up to 34% at for-profit hospitals).





Medicare (the US socialist medical care system) actually works better and has administrative costs of about 2%.





You don’t really understand the things that go on in the world, do you?
Reply:public indoctrination, is failing very badly.


job training is a joke in America.


medicare/medicaid/social security are on the way out--also failing miserably.


welfare is also a joke.





we may already be socialist, but we suck at it.








ANYTHING the govt can do, the private sector can do better.





we ALL know what the biggest oxymoron in the world is, and i quote:





"i'm from the government, and i'm here to help."
Reply:Yes we are aware that the USA is well on its way to becoming a socialist state. No, fo rthe most part we do NOT like it.





Yes, China is much more agressively capitalist than we are.


Yes, China's economic growth rate drawfs ours.


Yes, at this rate, we will lose our #1 economic status in a year or so, if we have not lsot it already.





By many reports, China is already the world's leading poluter and their groth rate says they will begin to drawf the USA in a decade.
Reply:It's spelled Laissez-faire.





But more to the point, most "banana republics" are actually to a great degree socialist... whereas the most prosperous places in the world are close to pure capitalism (though there is admittedly no place that is pure).





Even your question is self refuiting... you said "banana republic"... do you know were that term came from? It was originally applied to Honduras, and later expanded to include much of Latin America... here's the definition from Wikipedia:





[A Banana Republic is a] country that is politically unstable, dependent on limited agriculture, and ruled by a small, self-elected, wealthy and corrupt clique. In most cases they have kept the government structures that were modeled after the colonial Spanish ruling clique, with a small, largely leisure class on the top and a large, poorly educated and poorly paid working class of peons. The term was coined by O. Henry, an American humorist and short story writer, in reference to Honduras. "Republic" in his time was often a euphemism for a dictatorship, while "banana" implied an easy reliance on basic agriculture and backwardness in the development of modern industrial technology.





Honduras is not capitalist... if you look at the Index of Economic Freedom Honduras is #102 of 157... very low... furthermore, none of the "banana republics" are very free... and freedom is essential to laissez-faire capitalism...





On the other hand... look at the places with the greatest freedom.... Hong Kong is #1, Singapore is #2, Ireland is #3, then Luxembourg, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Denmark, New Zeland, Australia and the United States round out the top ten. All are developed, rich nations... except Estonia, which was under socialst rule until the 90's, but is making huge strides now!





It's no mistake that laissez-faire capitalism is the key to prosperity, quality of life, and liberty!





This does not excuse the move toward socialism that we've been experiencing since the New Deal... though it's far better in the USA than in socialist nations like Zimbabwe, or North Korea! Is it any suprise that socialst places like France, and Italy have near zero economic growth, while places like Hong Kong and Singapore are exploding in prosperity?
Reply:One of the posters here got my attention....Sweetpea. Let's do a little argument deconstruction!





Ms. Sweetpea has it totally wrong. Nobody has suggested government HEALTH CARE. The question is HEALTH INSURANCE, sometimes called the single payer plan. The Federal government is in a unique position to institute such a plan and replace the bulk of private insurance, a situation that's had it's day. Let's move on into the 21st Century! A fully tax supported, totally transparent, portable system of health insurance for all Americans is an idea that stands apart from what the 'conservatives' and the medical insurance mafia call 'socialism'. It's not anymore socialistic than Eisenhower's National Defense Highways Inititive was. Sometimes the 'government' has to step in and do, as Lincoln said, "...do for the people what the people cannot do for themselves." What the people 'cannot do for themselves' is afford the overhead and restrictions of for-profit health insurance plans. At one time Blue Cross was a non-profit organization....those days are mostly gone. The cost of health insurance is excessive for everyone now and the cost of not having insurance is a disaster. Let's stop trying to put patches on the wornout tire of private health insurance and just get a brand new tire...one that provides the greatest good for the greatest number...single payer!
Reply:The cons have been saying this for 40 years... A bit late to grasp this huh?





What's your point?
Reply:not to them, as long as huge corporations get their big share of corporate welfare, it isn't socialism yet.
Reply:Yes. Read the 10 planks. Those programs are disasters.
Reply:Those are services to enhance our life, but Public education has shown to be a dismal favor, and unemployment insurance is paid for by companies along with Workman's comp. Those that think that the government can provide us a good health care are retarded at best and if they are whining about their loss of privacy now, just wait. Double our tax burden and homes will lost, people will be renters, the economy will tank. You show me a successful economy where socialism is the practice. There aren't any.