Democracy needs socialism, capitalism to work properly
America gets the government it elects that is the truth. The question is do we as Americans want fascism or a democracy?
Most Americans know little about democracy, socialism, capitalism, or fascism.
If you are a veteran and use the VA healthcare system or you rely on social security or on Medicare or you earn minimum wage or you receive a black lung pension. You are bene?ting from socialism. Fascism gives you none of these programs. As an American, you can choose to opt out of these socialist programs.
But you won’t. Fascists use the word entitlements and call these programs socialism and un-American, The Affordable Care Act saved our government tens of millions of dollars, Americans enrolled in the ACA saw their premiums go down their coverage go up. The ACA lowered pro?ts for the greedy insurance industry.
Right-wing Republican/fascists call the ACA a socialist medical program. Prior to the ACA over 70% of all bankruptcy in America was attributed to medical costs. Today even with the ACA medical costs still account for over 50% of bankruptcy. How long would your money support you if you became ill?
The top 1% were just handed a $1.5 trillion tax break/gift, what did you get? It was not the new improved low cost medical coverage Trump promised you. It was probably $6 more a week in your pay. How much Trump Care can you buy with that?
To your face fascists pretending to be Republican lawmakers speak glowingly about how their grandma or grandpa had a good life, because of social security, Medicare or Medicaid, while behind your back they push legislation to get rid of the very programs their grandparents bene?ted from.
The top 1% and their fascist stooges in Congress and state houses would have you believe social security, Medicare, and Medicaid are, un-American. Every year they write legislation to take these programs away from Americans, and every year Democrats stop them. Last year they nearly succeeded in taking away the bene?ts of retired coal miners. Thanks to Democrats, the Republican effort to throw thousands of retired coal miners under the bus was stopped. In America, over 50% of all child birth is funded by Medicaid. With out medical coverage more than half of those relying on Medicaid would instead rely on pills like Misoprostol or Mifeproistone, abortion pills, that can be bought on line or on the street corner.
Fascist oligarchs like Trump rail at old school republicans like John McCain because John McCain did not vote to repeal the ACA. Repeal and replace is a straight up Republican lie. There is no such thing as repeal and replace, there is only repeal. There never was a plan to replace. There never was and never will be.
Now they say they will come up with a plan in 2020. Ha!You know as well as I there will be no plan from Republicans to replace the ACA.
For a democracy to work two things are needed: capitalism and socialism. The 1% wants neither capitalism or socialism. In a democracy, capitalism provides an opportunity for each individual to create for themselves a prosperous future encourages innovation, competition and entrepreneurship. When workers are unable to work due to an illness old age or physical or mental disability, the safety net of socialism kicks in to raise up and help Americans that cannot help themselves. Oligarchs and their fascist stooges in the Republican Party don’t want democracy. They want fascism, a one party dictatorship favoring private ownership with no public oversight or regulation. We live in a democracy. We need both socialism and capitalism to keep America great. We do not need the fascism that has taken over and corrupted the Republican Party.
James Sloan is a resident of Hopwood.