Double shared lie
Linked via NakedCapitalism, more totally wrong dysdefinitions of socialism.

“The 2018 PRRI American Values Survey offered respondents two definitions of socialism. One described it as ‘a system of government that provides citizens with health insurance, retirement support and access to free higher education,” essentially a description of social democracy. The other was the full Soviet dose: “a system where the government controls key parts of the economy, such as utilities, transportation and communications industries.’

Neither of these conditions has ANYTHING AT ALL to do with socialism.

"Health insurance, retirement support and free college" was the US standard from 1940 to 1980. The first two are still there. We still supply single-payer Medicare for 70% of all medical COSTS, because 70% of all medical COSTS are in old age. Retirement support = SS, standard equipment since 1936. College ranged from free to affordable. Two-year community colleges, which are the ONLY post-secondary education needed by 98% of the population, were usually free.

"Government controls utilities, transportation and communication": Again standard in 1950 USA. Utilities were mainly municipal, sometimes state. Privatization of utilities started in 1980, expanded with the Enron laws in 1999. Transportation was railroads and bus systems. Railroads were a strictly regulated utility. Bus systems were municipal. Communication was the post office and Ma Bell. The post office was purely federal, and Ma Bell was a strictly controlled utility, not owned by government but serving government.

We don't want these good things because they're socialist. We want these good things because we FORMERLY HAD THEM and we remember that LIFE WAS BETTER when we had them.

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Tiresomely repeating:

Socialism means that the SUPPLY of capital for business is CONTROLLED by government, not by Jamie Dimon. That's all.

In the Soviet system, businesses were expected to make a profit by creating real value. Government shared in the profit via VAT. Government used some of its tax income to invest in new or improved businesses, aiming to maximize the use of human skills.

In the modern US system, businesses are FORBIDDEN to make a profit and FORBIDDEN to allow customers or employees to survive. All employees and customers must die. Government gets nothing because tax is also forbidden. Everything, including government, runs on debt supplied by NYC banks. No value is generated. All value is destroyed. The Dow exponentially rises toward infinity as the population declines toward zero.

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Why is PRRI distorting the definition so grossly? Who is PRRI? Quick answer by looking at their connections: PRRI is a branch of Deepstate.

So: Deepstate has figured out that "socialism" is popular. Deepstate must associate "socialism" with free stuff from government, to accelerate the push toward zero real value and infinite debt.

Using this definition also discredits Bernie, who is trying to restore the CORRECT definition of the word. Come to think of it, maybe discrediting Bernie is the MAIN purpose?

The big problem again: This definition of "socialism" misses the crucial role of PROFIT in both the old US setup designed by FDR and the Soviet setup. None of the services and products in those actual systems were free. Everything had a cost, and both government and business tried to operate on the profit side of the ledger. Medicare and SS brought in more tax revenue than they paid out. Municipal utilities and Bell Tel were profitable. Colleges were affordable and profitable.

Labels: Natural law = Soviet law, Shared Lie

  ¶ 11:19 PM