Every nation throughout all of history, has had it's poor. Do we help these people or let them starve?
What we should be doing is eliminating the Defense Dept (really War Dept), then use that money to HELP all Americans.
War on poverty cost
The War on Poverty has cost
$22 trillion -- three times more than what the government has spent on all wars in American history. Federal and state governments spend $1 trillion in taxpayer dollars on America's 80 means-tested welfare programs annually.
The War on Poverty Has Cost $22 Trillion
ncpa.org/sub/dpd/index.php?article_id=25288
Maybe if we got rid of the welfare program and put the money into the military, more people would get off their lazy ass and join, or work in an area that supports the defense of this country. Without our defense we wouldn't have a country, but liberals would love it as then Socialism wouldn't have an enemy to stop them.. Are you a Socialist?
I seem to remember another country that treated the military as an employment program. It started in 1933 and ended in 1945. The concept destroyed Europe in that time. But hey maybe this time it'll be different.
Only when the gun grabbers of 1933 took the weapons away from its citizens did that country go full on Socialist. Are you saying that the Socialist of this country can do it better?
And you of course can prove your assertion that Germany disarmed it's citizens when the Nazis came to power? In fact they loosened the gun laws for it's citizens when they rose to power. But then again this would require you to know history. As to your question. America has very few actual socialists. Neither can they be found in Europe in any large numbers. Having certain social safety nets doesn't make a person socialist. At least not how you would define it.
forkup,
I am actually going to disagree with you (sorry about this)... I think that America has loads of Social Programs already, example Roads, Police, Military, Firemen, Medicare, NASA, Weather Service....
Actually when the government collects taxes and spends them on things for all society, that is socialist... The RW will ***** all day but that is what it is....
Most of Europe clearly state they are Democratic Socialist who believe in a regulated market based economy... Sorry to break it to the RWers but that is what the US believes too, but there are differences...
Like everything in life there needs to be a balance. No Government is Anarchy, total control and ownership is communism... Very few really believe they should be at one end or the other.. So we are nearly all some where in the middle...
So lets just take roads... We have found that roads built and maintained by the Government is fair, economical and benefit nearly all in society. Would it be reasonable, practical or economical to have multiple roads from one town to another, you can wake every morning and pick which route you will take and who you will pay... Sounds daft, because it is... This is where the government works...
The exact opposite is true for farming... If you want to starve put the government in charge of food production... Might not starve but there would be tears...
So lets now talk a grey area one... Broadband... In cities the lines are short and the number of subscribers are high, plenty of profit for multiple companies... Cities are rich pickings for broadband suppliers...
But consider Rural areas. This is not as economical and takes much more risk for the providers. But if a small town doesn't get broadband the economy suffers, people move away and the town starts to die... So how do we want to address broadband in rural areas... this is the two extremes:
- Conservative; Let market decide, if town dies it dies
- Liberal: All houses should get broadband to there door if they want it as a right.
But like everything it needs compromise but who should pay for it, own it and operate it is up for discussion.
Note: In Europe they are mainly buying back these networks in rural areas, charing the city operators to help with the cost of rural... the farming out the installation and maintenance to private companies, ideally small local ones with a major company running the NOC (Network Operations Center)...
So what I am really saying life is about balance...