Americans like a lot of things including hamburgers, beer, television, and money. They also like the idea of living in a country where no matter how tough you might have it today, you could win the lottery or invent something and be rich tomorrow. Americans relish their freedoms, whether they are good for them or not. Conversely, there is no word that is more contrary to the American way of life, than “socialism”, and no matter how you try and dress it up, people are repelled by it.
The truth is socialism already exists in our society in many forms. Social Security, Medicare, Food Stamps and Welfare all forms of socialism. Even our police and fire departments are social services. Democrats will correctly point out that bank bail outs and farm subsidies are also forms of socialism. The question is not whether we should or shouldn’t be a socialistic society; we already are. The question is to what degree. Should college and medical care be guaranteed for all Americans? How about food and housing? Where do you draw the line? What is not in question is whether the term socialism is a good one politically. It’s a terrible one politically, and a loser for Democrats. I love bold ideas whether they come from Republicans or Democrats. Right now, the progressives are putting ideas on the table that challenge the status quo more than any other political faction, but if they don’t sprint away from the term “socialism” they will lose big in 2020 and beyond. Americans hate socialism and they will never embrace the term. I doubt that will ever change.
Inflation has impacted all of us. The price of almost everything has spiked faster and harder than at any time since the 80s. Few things can obliterate a modern economy more than out-of-control inflation.
For most people, there is little upside to writing about the January 6th hearings, but as you probably know by now, I don’t worry about those things. We all must stand for something. The hearings have almost everyone taking sides before a single witness is called. Democrats believe that the events of January 6th were a calculated effort to undermine our democracy by demolishing two of the most sacred tenants of our nation, free elections, and the peaceful transition of power.
Most people consider themselves either a conservative or a liberal. I think if we forget political parties, which flip their positions on things all of the time, and instead focus on the actual definition of what it means to be a conservative and what it means to be a liberal, we might be able to temper the emotional reactions some of us have with political discourse.