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7/29/2019 Stop Calling Everything “Socialism.

” - Daniel Aguilar - Medium

Stop Calling Everything “Socialism.”


Actually, not every government action is the rst step toward turning
America into a Maoist hellscape.
Daniel Aguilar Follow
Jul 21 · 4 min read

Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash

For every new government initiative, you’ll inevitably hear a heroic patriot thoughtfully
informing us all that we’re being tricked. “Sorry to bust you out of your safe space,
Snowflake, but that program is actually ‘SOCIALISM!!!’ and it’s about to Turn This
Country Into Venezuela™!!!”

Sadly, this conversation almost always occurs in place of actually examining even the
most basic pros and cons of the policy. (Trust me. If we were on the brink of slipping into

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7/29/2019 Stop Calling Everything “Socialism.” - Daniel Aguilar - Medium

a government-dominated Communist hellscape, the James Bond movies would be


exponentially better, trillion-dollar companies wouldn’t be paying $0.00 in federal taxes,
and Rand Paul wouldn’t be able to single-handedly block federal dollars to benefit 9/11
First Responders, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.)

Just so there’s no confusion, I’m not trying to defend Big Government v. Small
Government, here — but can we at the very least stop slapping a “SOCIALISM!” sticker
on every new government policy? It just smacks of … I can’t think of how to say this
nicely… total ignorance of how modern governments work and have worked for the last
200 years.

If you think I’m not talking to you, ask yourself, “Is the United States a socialist country?”

Please take note, when I say the “United States,” I mean the country where the
government provides these massive public benefit programs:

Medicare (Subsidized to free health care for senior citizens)

Medicaid (Subsidized to free health care for low-income families and certain
individuals)

Social Security (Financial stipend from the government after reaching retirement
age)

VA Benefits (Subsidized to free healthcare for veterans)

G.I. Bill (free college for qualifying veterans)

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, the food stamps program)

Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP — food assistance program)

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC —
food assistance program)

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF — government financial assistance


to the impoverished).

HUD Public Housing assistance program (housing subsidies from the government).

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7/29/2019 Stop Calling Everything “Socialism.” - Daniel Aguilar - Medium

Farm subsidies (Government payments to farmers who farm, (or don’t farm) certain
crops in certain areas).

Public schools (and before you skip past this one, these are state-run, state-funded
institutions with state-selected curriculum, with mandatory attendance
requirements.)

Public libraries

Public parks

Public television

Public radio

Pell Grants (free federal funding for college)

Unemployment benefits

Disability benefits (Supplemental Security Income — SSI)

This list omits the federal and state governments’ jaw-droppingly massive defense and
police expenses, but you get the picture.

So… is a country with trillions of dollars in public-benefit spending like the United States
a socialist country?

. . .

It should be obvious by now that I’m trying to trick you.

If you say, “No the United States isn’t a socialist country. Those are just normal
government programs,” the natural response is this: “If these massive government
programs aren’t socialism, then on what basis is it logical to demonize any tax increase or
any expansion of these benefits as the first steps toward the fabled Obama-Marxist
Apocalypse?” (Side note: Did you know Obama was a Secret Muslim™ who founded
ISIS? I know! Crazy!) If giving out trillions of dollars in health, food, retirement,
disability, and education aid isn’t socialism, I’m a little confused as to what you think
socialism is.
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7/29/2019 Stop Calling Everything “Socialism.” - Daniel Aguilar - Medium

If you say, “Yes, these are socialist programs,” then (1) do you support the continued
existence of socialism in the United States? If so, Привет, Comrade. We’ve been waiting
for you; or (2) do you (increases speed to 88 mph) support building a time machine and
transporting our country back to the the Pre-Depression Era before we had pesky
programs like Social Security and Medicare — arguably the most successful legislative
programs in the history of the United States, which substantially contributed to
cementing the modern-day life expectancy of individuals in our country, and countries
with similar benefit programs. (Relatedly, if you’re gung ho to shut down a pinko-
commie program like Social Security, can I have your contributions? Patriot Alphas like
you don’t need to debase yourself with dirty money like that anymore. Let me relieve you
of that burden.)

Or maybe………just maybe…….… it’s not so black and white. Maybe the United States
is just like virtually every country on the face of the earth: a hybrid of public and private
programs and services, with capitalist businesses operating amidst a government
regulatory framework.

If this doesn’t strike you as obviously correct, I have some questions for you:

At what magical point does the marginal tax rate switch from “normal” to
“socialism”? Is it 39%? 51%? 1%? Is every tax socialism? Just the ones you don’t
like? Seriously, what?

Is any government program the first slide down the slippery slope to communism? If
not, where does the dreaded “socialism” line hit? Does Medicare at age 65 not
qualify but Medicare at age 55 does? How are you drawing these lines?

Is it not socialism if you merely support Medicare existing, as is, but it is socialism if
you think Medicare should be expanded to cover more people?

I’m asking because I honestly don’t have the slightest clue what you’re talking about
when you say, the word “socialism.” And after the thousandth time, I guess I finally
snapped.

At a bare minimum, stop labeling every person who supports expanding a government
program (like Medicare) a socialist. Stop calling every tax and subsidy a socialist
program. That’s not the reality we live in. #MAGA
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7/29/2019 Stop Calling Everything “Socialism.” - Daniel Aguilar - Medium

Politics

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