Socialism

Republican bogeyman

At least since the Truman administration, Socialism, or the more menacing Communism has been the go-to slander by Republicans for every major, left-leaning policy or legislation. Even Romneycare, crafted by a Republican governor in Democrat-dominated Massachusetts succumbed to this label when it was adopted into law as Obamacare. As candidate for President, creator Romney had to oppose his own signature creation, merely market competition for health insurance - not socialism, leading to a noted lack of coherence in his losing campaign.

Socialism in essence focuses on helping ordinary people, not enriching billionaire oligarchs. In this respect, Jesus was a Socialist, making enlightened, mainstream Christianity woke, a term of distinction. The late Pope Francis and new Pope Leo exemplify this tradition. So does Maryann Budde, Episcopal Bishop of Washington D.C., who spoke truth to power during the memorial service for President Carter.

In contrast, naked Capitalism focuses exclusively on making money. It’s academic underpinning by Adam Smith, Scottish economist and philospher, succeeds in describing its essence (Wealth of Nations, Book I) better than explaining how such a focus benefits society as a whole (“Invisible Hand,” Wealth of Nations, Book II).

Critics of Capitalism have noted the inherent invisibility of longterm benefits for all, substituting purposive policy-making by enlightened government as the proper way forward. A notable enlightened Republican, President Eisenhower, recognized the need for economic reform and largely kept the Roosevelt revisions in place. Our greatest-generation Michigan Governors, usually Republicans, were well aware of the need to deal with organized labor in our auto industry — and in other industries, too.

Those unhappy with the success of classic Liberalism, with its so-called socialist focus, became increasingly frustrated by left-leaning circumstances and trends, economic and social, leading to a rather weird allance of quite disparate parts of American society: uber-wealthy oligarchs, Christian Nationalists (usually fundamentalist Protestants), ultra-conservative Catholics, disaffected white men - both working and upper classes), and traditional, fundamentalist women.

Enter the bizarre candidate Donald Trump, who capitalized (pun intended) on the growing dissatisfaction and created a movement of chaos and confusion that scrambles and obfuscates labels like Capitalism, Socialism, Christianity, and even Truth (and Social), to consolidate unprecented Presidential power (“I, alone, can fix it!”).

Even though it has become even more obvious that he, alone, is bad at fixing anything, his cultish hold on desperate-for-help and/or gullible people prevails, but the inherent contradictions in his alliance surface more and more. For example, suddenly some Senate Republicans have realized that several parts of the “Big Beautiful Bill” do not help ordinary people, Sacre bleu! (euphemism for the decreed-profane Sacre Dieu!)

When you hear or read Socialism or Communism applied by Republicans to everyone and everything such as candidates for NYC mayor, Medicare, Obamacare, RHINOs, even left turns :), please consider the terms part of the right-wing chaos and confusion, purposive propaganda effort. “Words mean what I SAY they mean.” Take a hard look at what is touted as a castigated bogeyman and ask yourself, “Does it help ordinary people?” and “What would Jesus do?”, or some such, then create an enlightened opinion leading to appropriate action.