One of the better statements you have made around here Larry. I'm sure that you are well aware that there are many different levels of Socialism, and it would be exhaustive to try to list them all.
But, one critical point: Socialism is not Communism. The two terms are not interchangeable as some of the less erudite seem to think. Communism is indeed Socialism taken to an extreme, but Communism has come to mean a totalitarian dictatorship in modern terms.
Socialism refers to social programs either run by or overseen by the State. You would be hard pressed to find any nation that does not have some types of socialist programs in place. A few have been mentioned. Stating that those don't count (and I know it wasn't you who said it) is really an inane argument that barely deserves acknowledgment, except to hold it up for ridicule.
Quite frankly, many programs are better run by the government than profit motivated corporations. Like police departments, fire departments, penitentiaries, military.
What about Government oversight? Let's see; it would appear that the stock markets are holding out quite well with SEC oversight as opposed to say...the mortgage business with minimal interference. Yep, and those deregulated Airlines are going great guns, aren't they .
I linked in a previous post in this thread to an incident here in Las Vegas in which a highly profitable medical practice has potentially infected over 40,000 patients with hepatitis and/or HIV by disregarding patient safety to save, quite literally, a few pennies.
With 47 million Americans without health coverage, there will be change. Because they can vote. And a lot of us who have excellent coverage will vote with them.
I think it was Thomas Jefferson who said something like "a little revolution is sometimes a good thing". Well, our Constitution has built into it a provision for revolution. It's called elections. And while some of the poor can be distracted for a time with fundamentalist rhetoric, when they see their child sick and their hearts are breaking, they stop caring what others do with their genitals, or what kind of guns they can have. They want to have access to the best medical care there is.
Like I said, it will happen. Get used to it.
Contra todo mal, mezcal; contra todo bien, también
.
