Socialism a Dirty Word?

Dear editor:

Socialism, a word being bandied about by the President and his GOP minions in accusations against the Democrats in Congress, is an absolute misuse and misnomer of the word.  Does anyone using that word know the meaning of it (certainly not the President), and has it ever existed successfully in the United States?  Are  parts of it good or bad?

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word socialism means: “any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration.”  Once again, has it ever existed successfully in the United States?  Do any of our laws and actions fit this classic definition?  YES!

To name a few, there’s Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, FHA loans, the FTA, FAA, our airports, VA loans, our highways and bridges, the building and administration of Hoover Dam, the building and administration of the Tennessee Valley Authority, the WPA (which put millions to work during the depression), FICA, Unemployment Insurance, and a progressive tax system.  Have they all been perfect in their execution?  Of course not.  But they all have one thing in common, as they fit the classic definition of socialism and they represent efforts to improve the financial life of our country and its citizens.

Also, let’s not forget the quasi-governmental corporations that our federal/state/local governments either own, administer or control, such as the U.S. Postal System, Conrail, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, utilities, transportation systems such as MARTA (Atlanta), BART (San Francisco) and the New York Subway System.  Under a pure capitalistic society these would not exist.  All of these entities effect our daily lives and are

socialistic in nature.

We have a system that mixes many models of economy with an effort to find the middle ground that in one way or the other fits our financial needs, whether they be socialistic or capitalistic.  Have we been 100% successful yet?  Of course not.  We have to find small solutions and adjust what exists already.  Accusing people of being Socialists, especially when we don’t know what it means, when our government is successful using many forms of it, is not the answer.  The President and the GOP must stop scaring the public by misusing the word.  They have to find a better, more honest way to try and win elections.  Only immature children use name calling to win an argument.