Why Are Americans and Conservatives So Afraid of Socialism?

[HappyJoy]

This “wealth gap” you beggars always speak of….I’ve never once gave two shits about my wealthier neighbor and his earnings….why would you care about what others earn in relation to what you earn?

Beggar? I'm almost positive I'm more well off than you.

 

[2aguy]

Some do. Some inherited and simply invest. What they all have in common is they can't do it without the consumer or the worker. The fact that you ignored my entire point that the middle class is falling further and further behind and your response appears to be to bend over and take it.



Actually he kind of did. Netflix, speeches and books.

Elon Musk is more dependent on labor than Obama is. Musk also relies on our infrastructure in order to make the massive amount of money he does (the portion that isn't purely speculative gambling) so he should be expected to pay more in taxes and some of those taxes should be redistributed to others in our society to include the middle class. Elon Musk doesn't give a fuck about you.

Also, Tesla has benefited from government programs to make his product more affordable.

The only reason obama had those deals is his government positions....he didn't create anything until he was elected.......

Tesla is one of 10s of thousands of businesses.......

You guys, just can't wait to back the economic system that fills mass graves....pathetic.

 

[Nostra]

What an interesting blog article on American ideas about civil responsibility and the knee jerk reaction of Americans generally, and Conservatives specifically, to fear community welfare and immediately associate it with socialism or communism. It led to her asking “What are you so afraid of?”, and she received 5 specific groups of fears:

1. I’m scared of having to pay for other people’s laziness
2. I’m scared because I don’t trust my government or other people generally
3. I’m scared because socialism leads to authoritarianism
4. I’m scared because socialists and communists kill a lot of people
5. I’m not scared, socialism always fails

She has some good responses to these fears that I can’t do just to for a short attention span. Read the link if you want. I think these fears keep America from being a great and caring nation.

Why Are Americans and Conservatives So Afraid of Socialism?
I went a little bit viral on TikTok recently for voicing the unthinkable: I said that I like paying taxes. As you might imagine, the Americans and Conservatives in my comment section were shocked and appalled. The words communist and socialist were thrown around like insults, images of gulags and famine were invoked to prove some kind of vague and poorly-articulated point about freedom.

In contrast, the (predominantly western/northern) Europeans seemed to find my explanation pretty fair and even stopped to correct me on some of the finer points of Scottish, Scandinavian and German socialist democracy.

What shocked me, however, was not that so many Americans and Conservatives seemed to misunderstand fundamental aspects of civil life — like taxation — but that so many seemed so vehemently opposed to any suggestion that we should all contribute to the collective welfare of our countrymen.

Curiosity piqued, yesterday I made the mistake of asking Americans and Conservatives: “What is it about communism/socialism that scares you?” Here’s what they said.

Why do anti-American liberals push socialism?

 

[surada]

The only reason obama had those deals is his government positions....he didn't create anything until he was elected.......

Tesla is one of 10s of thousands of businesses.......

You guys, just can't wait to back the economic system that fills mass graves....pathetic.

Have you ever owned or started a business?

 

[BrokeLoser]

Beggar? I'm almost positive I'm more well off than you.

Hahaha…right
NOBODY “well off” cares about wealth gaps

 

[HappyJoy]

The only reason obama had those deals is his government positions....he didn't create anything until he was elected.......

So what? He had a product and others bought it. Do you have a problem with making money?

Tesla is one of 10s of thousands of businesses.......

And? You think I'm saying Tesla should pay for everything? No.

You guys, just can't wait to back the economic system that fills mass graves....pathetic.

You didn't read the link in the OP, did you?

 

[HappyJoy]

Hahaha…right
NOBODY “well off” cares about wealth gaps

If you want to keep a country thriving you do.

What I see you doing is whining about unskilled workers from the south competing for your job. Like every fucking day.

 

[Pellinore]

Wrong........socialism controls wealth generation.....those other things are services.....the socialists couldn't run a lemonade stand let alone an economy.....they can spend money, they just destroy the people who actually create the money.

Yes, we call them services because our government runs them. They are industries, that create a product, and socialism is about who runs the industries.

Capitalism says, "Let one person or group own the industry, let them run it themselves, and they can sell the product on the free market."
Socialism says, "Let everyone own the industry, let the government run it, and give its product to the people who need it the most."

We are a capitalist society, meaning some industries that could go either way—health care, for example—are privately owned, and sell their product.
A democratic socialist society would generally consider health care a service, where the public owns it, the government runs it, and the sick get cared for.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

They don't see blacks as Americans.

They had serfs in Russia, Britain, Germany, but they always saw the serfs as part of their people, their tribe, if you will.

Many Americans don't see blacks as the tribe.

They don't want to give money to outsiders, and they think of black Americans as outsiders.

Many blacks see themselves that way. They have separated THEMSELVES and think AMERICANS owe them something beyond a fair OPPORTUNITY

 

[surada]

Why do anti-American liberals push socialism?

Democratic socialism is extremely successful in Scandinavia.. Their countries are clean and prosperous.. Their citizens are healthy and well educated. Countries with a healthy, highly skilled labor force have a high GDP and standard of living.. Look at Switzerland.

Have you ever traveled or lived in Norway, Swedent or Denmark ? They are Capitalist countries and very successful.

 

[2aguy]

Have you ever owned or started a business?

Nope....but I know people who have.....family members and others.....

They create the jobs by taking risk and making things and providing services........and then assholes like you want to take everything they have.

 

[2aguy]

So what? He had a product and others bought it. Do you have a problem with making money?


And? You think I'm saying Tesla should pay for everything? No.


You didn't read the link in the OP, did you?

No...you idiot.....

obama is more than happy to make money when he can exploit his government service, a service he used to take money from people who actually did create things on their own.....he is the hypocrite, not me.

 

[surada]

Yes, we call them services because our government runs them. They are industries, that create a product, and socialism is about who runs the industries.

Capitalism says, "Let one person or group own the industry, let them run it themselves, and they can sell the product on the free market."
Socialism says, "Let everyone own the industry, let the government run it, and give its product to the people who need it the most."

We are a capitalist society, meaning some industries that could go either way—health care, for example—are privately owned, and sell their product.
A democratic socialist society would generally consider health care a service, where the public owns it, the government runs it, and the sick get cared for.

In the US we already have single payer/private delivery.. it works well.

Only the VA employs the doctors and nurses or owns the facilities.

It eliminates cost shifting which drives private insurance costs thru the roof.

 

[2aguy]

Yes, we call them services because our government runs them. They are industries, that create a product, and socialism is about who runs the industries.

Capitalism says, "Let one person or group own the industry, let them run it themselves, and they can sell the product on the free market."
Socialism says, "Let everyone own the industry, let the government run it, and give its product to the people who need it the most."

We are a capitalist society, meaning some industries that could go either way—health care, for example—are privately owned, and sell their product.
A democratic socialist society would generally consider health care a service, where the public owns it, the government runs it, and the sick get cared for.

No...moron....the police, fire and other government services are not industries....they do not generate money, they cost money....money created by people who start businesses and create jobs.

No...Capitalism is says, you may freely exchange goods and services.....then people like you come along and say, and then we want the money you create so we can spend it the way we want, not the way you want.

 

[Rogue AI]

Democratic socialism is extremely successful in Scandinavia.. Their countries are clean and prosperous.. Their citizens are healthy and well educated. Countries with a healthy, highly skilled labor force have a high GDP and standard of living.. Look at Switzerland.

Have you ever traveled or lived in Norway, Swedent or Denmark ? They are Capitalist countries and very successful.

What about their demographics? You want to emulate that too? If not, just cherry picking a few items is disingenuous and dishonest.

 

[2aguy]

In the US we already have single payer/private delivery.. it works well.

Only the VA employs the doctors and nurses or owns the facilities.

It eliminates cost shifting which drives private insurance costs thru the roof.

Thanks for the VA example.........the government runs it for a tiny number of Americans and it sucks......completely sucks......

 

[surada]

Nope....but I know people who have.....family members and others.....

They create the jobs by taking risk and making things and providing services........and then assholes like you want to take everything they have.

My husband and I started, operated and sold 5 businesses over the years. Trust me.. We didn't do it alone.. We used existing services like roads and the US post office.

You're either a kid or real stupid.

 

[BrokeLoser]

If you want to keep a country thriving you do.

What I see you doing is whining about unskilled workers from the south competing for your job. Like every fucking day.

Explain that….brain surgeon Larry earns $400k annually and is worth $6M….Hole digging Humberto earns $30k annually and is worth $6k.
How does this dynamic impact the life of Humberto?

 

[HappyJoy]

No...you idiot.....

obama is more than happy to make money when he can exploit his government service, a service he used to take money from people who actually did create things on their own.....he is the hypocrite, not me.

Exploit his government service? You loon.

 

[HappyJoy]

Explain that….brain surgeon Larry earns $400k annually and is worth $6M….Hole digging Humberto earns $30k annually and is worth $6k.
How does this dynamic impact the life of Humberto?

Not sure what this has to do with your fear of foreign born cheap labor. You obviously are afraid of what you think that means to you and your future.