I know the socialists are a fringe party who have no real hope of winning an election in this country, but considering how close to socialism the Democrats have become, I thought I'd take a look at the Socialist Party platform more closely. Anyone who reads my blog knows I am no socialist. History has shown real full fledged socialism to be a bad idea. However, that doesn't stop people from choosing that direction, especially when times are hard like they are now. So, point by point:
End the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan. Bring all the troops home now.
Okay, a lot of people agree with this, but bringing the troops home now rather than finishing the job or at the very least cleaning up the mess we made would be irresponsible and akin to defeatism.
Stop U.S. blockades & sanctions against Cuba, Iran, Venezuela, Korea, Sudan and everywhere.
I can't help but notice that the five countries singled out here are five of the most outspoken adversaries of the U.S. in the world today, next to radical fundamentalism perhaps. Not to mention, these five countries are also some of the worst offenders when it comes to Human Rights. Really? These are the people we should stop being against?
End U.S. aid to Israel—Support the Palestinian people’s right of self-determination.
While I think that the Palestinian people might should have their own country, ending U.S. aid to Israel would serve only to undermine Middle East security, not secure it.
Free Puerto Rico.
Oops, sorry, I hadn't realized that Puerto Rico wasn't free. They are citizens of the U.S., are they not? Perhaps the socialists are ignoring history again since Puerto Rico has had multiple referendums on their status (an act of self-determination) and they have ALWAYS chosen to maintain the status quo. Why you ask? Because they don't want to be a state since they get all the benefits of citizenship without having to pay taxes and they don't want to be independent because they'd lose all those same benefits. Their status is their choice, although I do agree with the concept that we cut them loose and let them be independent if they are unwilling to be a state. Current policy is no longer acceptable.
International friendship and solidarity, not imperialist domination.
Oh sorry, I didn't realize we had to play nice. Let's see, ignoring history again I guess because if the U.S. had played nice, Eastern Europe would still be ruled by despots, Israel would have been defeated years ago, China would rule over Taiwan, India and Pakistan probably would have blown each other up. I can go on. That's not to say the U.S. hasn't made foreign policy mistakes. I'm just saying the statement here is naive.
Full employment—decent jobs for all. Job training for youth & the unemployed.
This sounds great. The only way to achieve full employment is to somehow require people be employed even if they aren't motivated or qualified. This doesn't breed efficient productivity, but instead breeds apathy so I'd have to disagree with full employment. As for job training for the youth and the unemployed, I think that someone isn't paying attention to what's going on around them. These opportunities already exist and maybe could be expanded, but you can't make an unmotivated person do anything. Without hardship, there would be no good times, we'd all live in a state of mediocrity.
Raise the minimum wage to $15/hour now.
Ouch! This would pretty much end the U.S. economy, so that'd be a NO!
Free, quality healthcare for all.
Yeah, I want to trust the government to handle my health care. How would you ensure quality anyway? After all, if health care were free, nobody would want to go into the business in order to make money (because after all, people choose their lifestyles and profession largely on that concept, like it or not) so you'd pretty much kill the employment pool, especially in hard times. So, how ya gonna make something free and of quality? The answer is that nothing of quality is ever free.
Expand and guarantee social security for all retired workers, disabled and unemployed people.
Okay, so you'd expand a system that is guaranteed to be bankrupt before I'm old enough to draw from it to include even more benefits for even more people. That's really a smart and wise thing to do. It would also bankrupt the country and destroy our economy.
Stop union-busting, expand the right to organize, including card-check recognition.
While unions serve their purpose, I doubt many people would agree that giving them even MORE power would be the way to go.
Free, high quality education from pre-school through college.
Thanks, but no thanks. Again, "high quality" doesn't happen with free. In addition, making it free means that all those student loans become student grants. Just where you planning on getting the money for that since you've already killed the economy with the ideas stated above?
Housing is a right—End foreclosures and evictions.
Sure, I have a right to property, I'd agree with that wholeheartedly. It is even in the Constitution, a document you don't seem to recognize. However, Housing is not a right. My right to property ends where my ability to pay for it does. If you say I can't be evicted or foreclosed upon, then no bank will lend to me, so the only way I'd be able to buy a home would be to pay cash (of which there would be none because of the dead economy due to all of the stated things above). Oh, I guess everyone just gets to move into a government provided house? Oops, tried that already, didn't turn out so good. Would you live in the projects created by the government?
Stop environmental destruction—Make the polluters pay.
I'm with you on this. If there is someone breaking the law and polluting, they should have to clean up their mess, even providing compensation to people hurt by their polluting. This isn't socialism though, it is common sense.
Rebuild New Orleans—Right of return for all survivors.
Rebuild it how? If you put houses and buildings right back on top of what was there before, you are just asking for it to happen again. Of course, I believe that's exactly what'll happen, so if I were a survivor, I wouldn't want to return to that. I do think it should be rebuilt and survivors should be allowed to return. But we HAVE to raise the ground level at least 20 feet since we've already destroyed the natural boundaries that used to protect the city.
Fight racism and the racist criminal “justice” system.
Agreed, but not through racial preferences because that is itself racist.
Defend women’s reproductive rights, including the right to choose.
How about the rights of the unborn, or are they just cells to you? Not saying I'm against abortion, just saying you have a stated belief in equal rights for all, so you all only includes the living?
Full rights for all immigrants.
Last time I checked, LEGAL immigrants do have full rights. So, you must be referring to illegal immigrants. Therefore, I'll have to respectfully disagree that people who blatantly violate our laws should be allowed the protections of our constitution. We don't even do that with our own citizens when they violate our laws.
Reparations now for the African American community.
Uh, that'd be a no since you'd be asking me, over 100 years after the fact, to pay for the sins of my ancestors.
Eliminate anti-LGBT laws—Equal marriage rights for all.
Hmm... have you considered the constitutional guarantee of separation of church and state? After all, by requiring equal marriage rights, you'd be impressing onto the churches the beliefs of the state. That doesn't mesh with you statement of equal rights for all, in fact, it seems more in line with oppression of religion and speech to me.
Equality for disabled people.
I didn't realize they weren't. Hmm... I guess I'll have to research this one.
Stop police brutality and mass incarceration.
What mass incarceration? As for police brutality, it is a crime and should be a crime, so we'd agree.
Free Mumia Abu-Jamal, Leonard Peltier, the Cuban 5, Angola 3, S.F. 8 and all political prisoners.
Yeah right.
End the rule of the billionaires, bankers and militarists—fight for workers’ democracy.
Sure, the billionaires, bankers and militarists have a lot of power, as do the unions, the lobbyists and the courts. So, I think you need to have a lesson in reality. Power corrupts. Therefore, anyone with power becomes corrupted. Therefore, giving the government more and more control over people's lives makes the government more and more corrupt. Oh, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Therefore, making the U.S. a socialists country would ensure, not freedom, but tyranny.
We need a sustainable economy based on meeting people’s needs, not making the rich richer.
Under your ideas, our economy would be perfectly sustainable as it would impoverish the entire country.
We need socialism!
Really?! I don't think so.
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