The word 'socialist' has been used quite a bit recently in our nation as an epithet. Socialism is roundly criticized and the word often appears as one 'ism' in a series of other undesirable 'isms': communism, feminism, fascism, liberalism, etc. Creeping is an adjective often paired with it.
After all, wasn't the official name of Russia the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR)?
Some time ago, perhaps a month, I mentioned in a post, in a response to Alan I believe, that I would be able to defend/believe in the notion of a socialism that was a uniquely American socialism. Uniquely American because I believe that America would be able to manipulate and administer basic principles of socialism better than most countries that had tried it or that are currently doing so. After all, the grand experiment of mankind governing mankind only continues...no country can yet claim perfection regardless of philosophy.
The thought of this promise has lingered with me. The notion of socialism in the recently modern world and in the current world is ill-defined. Others smarter than me have already written extensively on it, of course. But I have been thinking about it a lot. I have done some fascinating reading. I would like to toss my thoughts out there for two reasons. The first is that writing down my thoughts helps me think them through. The second is to learn from your thoughtful reactions.
I gave the title Towards an American Socialism to this post because I recognize that my thoughts on it will be evolve and because social programs in the US continue to evolve in a changing world.
Among my next posts will be some that will take on aspects of my thinking. Stay tuned and respond!
4 comments:
I sounds like an interesting discussion. I am mostly interested fiscal responsibility (i.e., no government debt to achieve the desired result).
"To take from one, because it is thought that his own industry and that of his fathers has acquired too much, in order to spare others, who, or whose fathers have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association, 'the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry, and the fruits acquired by it.'"
-- Thomas Jefferson
I fear that one cannot instigate socialism with out "violating the guarantee to everyone of a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it"....so I await your upcoming thoughts on that.
I must add a comment here although given this post is old, I don't know if anyone will read it. Odd it seems to me that Mr. Thomas Jefferson should think himself worthy to worry about the just fruit of one's labors remaining in one's own pocket.
He was a slave holder to the day he died...others of his generation willingly released their slaves. Not him.
No matter, the fact of his personal hypocrisy does not detract from Teresa's very good point.
Yes. Many of the founding fathers had faults by today's standards. Even George Washington had a slave who traveled with him as he prosecuted the War of Independence. For the times, this was not viewed as out of the ordinary. The customs and ways of one generation or culture are often viewed as abhorrent by another generation or culture. This is the nature of social change, which is ongoing even now.
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