![James Kennedy asks whether there's room for an economic hybrid in America: mashup of "Bald Eagle," photo by Saffron Blaze [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons](https://www.greylockglass.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/bald_bison.jpg)
In this upcoming election cycle we are already hearing a lot about Democratic Socialism. Now don’t get me wrong. I love capitalism, but the fact of the matter is that here in America we have reaped the benefits of socialism for generations.
The strength of any society lies upon its foundation of services that maintain that society’s well being.
When many Americans hear the word “socialism” they think of the Cold War, long bread lines and government run commerce. The reality is that many of the aspects that have contributed to the success of our country are firmly rooted in socialism. Our police departments, our fire departments, our Army, our Navy, our Air Force, our Marines, our Coast Guard, our postal service and our roads and bridges are all socialized and paid for with our tax dollars. The strength of any society lies upon its foundation of services that maintain that society’s well being. Many argue, as do I, that universal healthcare should be one of the bedrocks of our society. Universal healthcare has been proven to be successful all over the world in other progressive nations and it astounds me to see so many Americans fight against something that they would benefit from.
We only need to look to American history to realize that when America was at its greatest was when people that gained the most from the great economic system of capitalism also paid back into the system that gave them the opportunity for their wealth. We built the Interstate Highway System, the Hoover Dam and we even went to the moon. There was a time when American prosperity reinvested in itself and those dividends were returned ten fold both socially and economically. So when a candidate proposes that the wealthy needs to pay their fair share please realize that their fair share has been whittled down to almost nothing in past decades by means of them buying your congressman’s vote to sway policy and benefit themselves.
You will continue to hear more and more about Democratic Socialism as our country awakens to the notion that our society could be even greater than it is, and the rewards will extend to all Americans and not just the wealthy.
Keep an open mind and listen. Try to objectively discern who is lying to you and who has your back. We are all citizens with a voice that matters and an informed decision will make our country greater and, most likely, you and your family’s life a little better.
