By Edwin Cooney
My guess is that readers viewing the above title of this musing will have one of three reactions. The first might be: oh, no! Socialism is the gateway to Communism! Cooney is obviously in denial as to the threat of both. Second, some people might expect to be bored by political analysis, however brief. Third, others are likely to cheer: Ah! He finally gets it!
I'm convinced that half the people who insist they hate socialism neither understand it nor are even curious about it! The origin of it is foreign and therein lies the major block to its consideration and acceptance by the majority of Americans. The thumbnail definition of socialism is that the government owns the means of the production and distribution of goods and regulates the rules of commerce. From here on, as my guide through what I have to say, I'm going to follow one of my very favorite observations which was made by President John Kennedy before the 1962 Yale University graduating class. As some of you know, I've used this statement to make a political point several times before.
One of the major issue solutions being made by Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders and, to some extent, Elizabeth Warren is what is called "single payer healthcare.” That is payment of everyone's healthcare by the government. The fact that it is "socialism" is the main argument against it. Hence the question, what is "socialism?" In order to begin answering the question, I now call on President Kennedy.
“As every past generation has had to disenthrall itself from an inheritance of truisms and stereotypes, so in our own time we must move on from the reassuring repetition of stale phrases to a new, difficult, but essential confrontation with reality. For the great enemy of the truth is—very often—not the lie: deliberate; contrived; and dishonest; but the myth: persistent; persuasive; and unrealistic.”
The first step we must take to “disenthrall" ourselves from preconceived beliefs about socialism is to recognize that socialism is a foreign rather than an American political concept. One of the most constant threads running through American history is "nativism" which inevitably poisons our attitudes to most foreign born ideas. Note that industrialism also preceded full-fledged capitalism in this country by about sixty years, but money, which even more than religion inspires Americans, legitimized and thus Americanized industrialism. Capitalism is a commodity recognized because people can see its enrichment and value grow to meet their demands for increased purchasing power which benefits them personally.
JFK: ”Too often we hold fast to the cliches of our forebears. We subject all facts to a prefabricated set of interpretations.”
The "prefabricated myth” here which is persistent, persuasive and unrealistic, is that socialism is designed to destroy capitalism. However, there is another “ism” which originated in Europe that was designed to destroy everyone's liberty. That is fascism, a combination of government and corporatism. Back in 1962, Richard Nixon complained about the attempt to marry socialism and liberty, which he said would fail because true liberty cannot be compromised. However, Mr. Nixon never condemned fascism with the same enthusiasm as he did socialism.
Adopting single payer healthcare would mark the end of capitalism insist the Limbaugh's, Hannity's, Ingraham’s, as well as President Trump. Yet they see only liberty emanating from the combination of corporatism and, yes, big government. Government must be big enough and strong enough to nurture and ensure the structure and benefits of ever-growing and expanding capitalism. Government that nurtures society is bad, but government that ensures capitalism is good, say the Conservatives!
Of course, there are risks in adopting single payer healthcare. To begin with, a lot of good, hardworking people rely on the health insurance business to make a living. Single payer may well destroy that healthcare insurance business. However, there are many other commodities available to those whose living depend on insuring against the misfortunes of their fellow citizens.
Perhaps the most valuable aspect of prepaid healthcare is its political value. In recent days, both President Trump and Senator Sanders have been warned that the Russians are out to help Senator Sanders because he's the perfect opponent of President Trump's re-election. I haven't heard Senator Sanders' response, but President Trump is already hot about the issue. To President Trump, the "deep state" (his pet contrivance) is at it again.
JFK concludes that we enjoy the comfort of opinion rather than the discomfort of thought. Mythology distracts us everywhere.
I like the open debate over socialism. It's good for the Democratic Party as well as for the Republican Party and we citizens are the ultimate beneficiaries of this debate. My quarrel with political conservatism is that it is naturally anti-social. Conservatism, as I see it, is about the conservation of capital. Its attempts at superior morality is absolutely nonsense. As for socialism, imperfect and not always applicable as it is, socialism is more about you and me than is conservatism and therein lies its value.
President Kennedy was right! Opinion is far more comfortable and far more easy than thought. Sadly, mythology distracts us everywhere.
Insofar as I'm concerned, most scary of all, mythology too often makes lies out of clearly unsubstantiated conclusions to our national detriment, thus almost invariably stultifying creative thinking!
RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED,
EDWIN COONEY
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