Dec 15 2008
The ‘S’ word strikes fear into Americans
This morning I had a huge realisation, and as usual it is the culmination of a great deal of thinking going on continually in the background, day and night.
I hope it adds to my live rather than shortening it, like when you were a kid you heard that every kiss takes a day off your life and you decide to stop kissing your mum coz she’s the only one you ever kiss. Those were the days.
If my time is shortened from all my ruminating on life, this is goodbye becoz my number must be up real soon, like maybe tomorrow!
If it adds to my life….hey I will be here for a while! In fact I may be immortal by now!
The BIG ‘S‘ word is S O C I A L I S M .
Mention ’socialism’ to the majority of Americans and it’s like the name of Christ in the presence of a demon. PANIC and PEDIGREE, crosses come out, heckles rise and it’s like a scene from the Exorcist. There is some kind of deep inability to mix here.
Of course the election has educated ‘everyone’ on what ’socialism’ is because of Joe The Plumber and Obama’s spread the wealth comment. It’s out now, the truth about socialism, giving hope to some and striking fear into the hearts of others.
Previous to that of course I think everyone was educated on socialism via the Cold War, ’socialism’ = ‘communism’, and fears and political propaganda. (Hoover etc)
One is tempted to find the actual definition. Which I will.
If anything is a ‘no no’ in America it’s spreading or sharing the wealth. (BUT someone told me the other day that America is the most generous nation on earth, I thought per head of capita kiwis were?)
I have come to the conclusion that the pre eminence of the ‘individual’ and the personal freedoms America is supposedly built on, are the basis of this fear of socialism. (intriguing that those rights to freedom don’t extend to the unborn however, but women get a fair share)
Paradox and dichotomy.
The right to freedom of speech, religion, and baring of arms have spawned a society where the individual is ‘king’, so any philosophy that smacks of any kind of self leveling playing field or helping the self determination of others is ‘anti’ American and a threat to the ‘wonderful’ and godly system called ‘democracy’. Unless of course it is politically expedient. Forgive my sarcasm.
In fact if America has been this wonderful social experiment, I would postulate that really what exists now is not as far removed from the lives of the settler over the hundreds of years as they have come here for new lives as proponets of the ‘brave new world’ would have us believe.
Has the experiment worked for most, or worked at all.
I tire of the claims re America being the greatest nation on earth.(Fox Host, Sean Hannity) I have never seen so many homeless people, smokers, beggars, people who are overtly mentally unstable, people with walking sticks, oxygen bottles …………etc
Interesting I have never seen as many fat people either!
In New Zealand I have never seen the pre dominance of such things, yet by popular definition New Zealand would be classed as ’socialist’.
My realisation today is simply this.
Where the ‘cult’ of the individual is idealised and reigns supreme, (not a very democratic pun), anything that threatens ‘individual’ power and opens up ‘ the power of numbers’, is labelled some kind of socialism.
Anything that threatens my individual rights or involves some kind of government intervention in business, it’s called socialism.
Were it that the ‘responsibilities’ of the individual as important as the ‘rights and freedoms’ of the individual, well meaning Americans might not struggle with the concept of helping others less fortunate for a variety of reasons.
The playing field is not equal, not everybody who is in an unfortunate situation is lazy or not exercised their energy and talents to make a go of it in ‘anything is possible land’.
Not everyone can have the perfect conditions to entertain singing with Frank, ‘I did it my way’.
That seems to be the gross assumption, that anything is possible for anyone. While it can be true, and determination and strength are needed, there is also a lot of fortune involved, regarding timing, context, who’s who etc.
I know its simplistic, but on my own I can effect a limited amount of change even with the ripple effect.
With a whole village involved I can make serious change. And the input is spread.
It’s not making me less indidvidual, that I have less of an identity, or that I am losing any self determination possiblities BUT I am putting my shoulder to the plough with others.
If every American or Kiwi put $1 per week into a fund, that could help pay mortgages, medical needs etc.
Imagine that.
Socialism in my simplistic model is the power of numbers and the willingness to help fellow citizens.
And if individual’s can’t opt into that, perhaps they need help.
If ‘capitailism’ is ‘GOD’ as a philosophy, (which I tend to think is a Darwin-istic survival of the fittest approach, and which isn’t always wrong), then maybe it needs to be balanced with responsibility,compassion, and giving.
Perhaps ‘the love of money’ is the real problem I am struggling with, and that’s behind Americas fear of socialism, and ugliness.
Note I am not espousing ’socialism’ as an answer……………..just intrigued by America’s fear of it.
Free enterprise/capitalism and elements of socialism like health care can work.
What do you think?
Oh and here’s a couple of definitions.
Socialism
Economic system which is based on cooperation rather than competition and which utilizes centralized planning and distribution.
This content can be found on the following page:
http://www.investorwords.com/4613/socialism.html
1. a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.
2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.
I can see the American aversion to socialism is it’s attachment to Marx and ‘communism’.
In Marxist theory, it went capitalism, socialism the communism, as a progression.
Vigotsky was a Marxist theorist, yet he has impacted education tremendously.
Is the baby in the bathwater?
Not all parts of every theory are wrong or not having some kernel of good or relevance.
Can capitalism and the best parts of socialistic theory or practice co-exist ?
One Response to “The ‘S’ word strikes fear into Americans”
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Hi Graham,
an excellent script the covers alot of ground. I agree with your perception and I can’t comment in detail as you have because I have not lived in America to give me a balanced perception. My perception is basically from the media, travel docos or what I have read.
The ideal world is always our desire but I do wonder why our ideal view is somewhere in the middle because many people are either to the left or to the right. I really believe our ideal is where we see the most peaceful and equal existance for all.
I always wonder what are the true desires of the left or right as they both have areas that are traditionally extreme which causes the conflict between the two.
Which leads me to your question;
Can capitalism and the best parts of socialistic theory or practice co-exist?
Unfortunately I don’t believe they can. It would be an absolute ideal if they could when taking as you say the best parts.
To co-exist; Firstly, confusion would enter into the equation as to interpretation of the ‘best parts’ and secondly; man is a ’selfish beast’ and there would always be a rivalry between the two as to who was in control the most as both groups do not have a good history of being able to share, and I can only imagine what sort of power play would take place in trying to have a marriage of ideals.
If God was the celebrant of such a marriage and was looked to as the sovereign leader of both groups, then I believe that then and only then would it be possible.