With a presidential election looming on the horizon, a major primary candidate labeling himself a democratic socialist and anti-socialist/Obama rhetoric at its peak, it is time we acknowledge America’s complicated relationship with socialism.
For all our fear of turning into the Soviet Union or worse, France, we need socialism, and, in reality, some of our favorite parts of America are the socialist parts. I am not claiming that America is a socialist nation. However, it certainly has socialist programs (meaning programs whose production, execution, regulation and distribution are controlled by our democratic government).
One of America’s largest socialist programs is our military. Ironically, many who decry socialism are the biggest supporters of our military. Our military’s troops are organized, trained, paid and armed by the government and through taxes. And if we fear all the people who Donald Trump suggests we need to fear, we need our military.
With our socialist military keeping us safe, we are free to enjoy our other socialist amenities and services such as dams, food free of E. coli, mail, social security, fire departments, roads, public schools, Pell Grants, etc. Those who demand an end to socialism in America are asking for an end to all those things. Imagine your childhood without PBS, field trips to public zoos, and museums and vaccines to prevent you from catching the flu or polio. Imagine your spring break trips without interstates, bridges, street lights, Taco Bell and Mountain Dew safe to consume because of the FDA, and national parks and monuments to visit. And imagine how disgusting your life would be without public trash collection, flushing toilets, potable water and sewage treatment facilities.
And finally, our beloved university is a socialist institution. Although government funding only accounts for a portion of the university budget, we are a state school, established by the state, regulated by the state and supported by the state. Without socialism, we would have no USC and no Gamecock football.
If any of these programs seem inadequate or have issues, it is probably because they are underfunded or mishandled. Those issues stem from a broken tax system and bureaucracy, both of which could be solved by better government management. Sure, these services could, in theory, be provided by private entities. However, they would be far more expensive, difficult to regulate and far from ubiquitous. With democratic socialism, our lives are objectively safer, healthier and easier.
—Megan Taylor, second-year political science student