why police and fire departments are not socialismwhy police and fire departments are not socialism

For the most part, yes. This is not to say that progressive reforms can never be won under capitalism, or that the government is completely immune to public pressure. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Press J to jump to the feed. Why police and fire departments are not socialism? Is it about control? The special tax district gave the corporation and theme park its own set of privileges, including autonomy in zoning, public functions and its own police and fire department, according to The Guardian. This is an indoctrination factory and a recipe for disaster. We will lose our kids and the future of this country if we allow this corrupt mess to continue. 1. On May 31, 2012, Alison Fraser of Heritage testified to the House Budget Committee that today, federal spending is at about 23 percent of [Gross Domestic Product], and debt held by the public is approximately 70 percent. You see, you've already been living your life surrounded by socialist institutions and you didn't even realize it until now! However, police are needed to produce any cooperative society, so they are in more of a gray area than the others every form of government you can dream up will have some need to enforce the rules, hence Law Enforcement. Anarchy is a form of government where everyone is responsible for their own protection, so no police are necessary in an anarchist state.. But just because its a part of the government doesnt make it socialist.. And they are partially correct. Change). The police and justice systems are essentially organized force. Should ownership and control be, in other words, more individualized, more socialized, or something in between like corporate ownership, which socializes the ownership of corporate assets over however many shareholders there are? Bail out shortfalls in state and local treasuries is not a core function of the federal government. Ask them "How much gross profit did your fire department make last year? Interestingly, now that Yangs out of contention for President this year, there are no outright Resource Socialists running for President. The first is that all modern economies are what economists call mixed. There is no pure socialism, pure individualism, pure capitalism, or pure anything else where political and economic systems are concerned. Last week, the Left hit Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney with the supposedly shaming accusation that he wants to cut funding for these state and local functions. Because fighting invaders or a necessary foreign war requires a national public effort. Roads dont producewealth quite so much as they enableproductivity and consumption. In todays United States, there are a plethora of government agencies handing out all sorts of benefits to almost anyone who asks. "No Bernie, the Police and Fire Departments Are Not Socialism"; A Primer on Socialism VS. A Free Society The Epoch Times "In their incessant propaganda war to move the United States leftwards, leftists often claim that this country already is partly socialist. And, of course, when other presidents use collective funds to bomb and rebuild other countries or to prop up Wall Street and the Fossil Fuel industry, suddenly socialism is great! Ill concede your point about public libraries, but the police and fire departments are most definitely not socialist institutions. Most of us have heard banal quips of this variety too many times from educated people to assume that only uneducated rubes could mistake basic government functions and services with socialism, an ideology that involves abolishing private ownership of the things we all need and use factories, banks, offices, natural resources, utilities, communication and transportation infrastructure and replacing it with social ownership, thereby undercutting the power of elites to hoard wealth and power.. Where you can be successful if you work hard for it and dream big enough (corny I know)" In order to withstand the inevitable backlash from capitalist and conservative forces, a socialist transition would need to draw on mass popular support and direct participation in the affairs of government. When we use number words we know we are speaking of countable objects. How the Nazis Exploited the Reichstag Fire to Launch a Reign of Terror, In Bosnia, the End of War Has Not Brought Peace, G. M. Tams Wasnt Hungarys Last Marxist, A Rare Book Scandal Provides a Warning About Private Equity, Capitalism Makes Everyone Bend to Its Will, Rich and Poor Alike. Not so. The list goes on and on. The 10th Amendment states the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. The educating of children, the protection of the populace from crime and the suppression of fires are clearly powers reserved to the states. It is the collective production and provision of a society to meet its own economic needs. In fact none of the government programs in America are socialist.Socialism is not when the government does stuff.These are social programs that exist within the capitalist frameworkAt best if you have enough of these programs you'd be left with what's called a social democracyA social democracy is a form of capitalism that advocates for intervening in economic and social matters to alleviate the worst of capitalism's inequities.But it's primary mode of production, that is, it's primary method of producing and distributing goods and resources are still owned by private interests.It's just that some of those goods and resources are redistributed among the working classSocialism is a mode of production which advocates for all the workers controlling the production and distribution of goods and resources.This is not to say social programs are badThe fire department can and will obviously exist in a socialist society.But the fire department can and does also exist within a capitalist society.If we seek to have an honest discussion about these topics it's important to separate specific institutions as examples of socialism or capitalism and focus instead on who controls how those resources are produced and distributed. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. In that sense all Alaskans jointly own the reserves Alaska is socialist about oil, a sort of corporation all of whose residents hold shares in equal measure. And they are partially correct. Yet there is reason to believe this is at least partly because Americans are pretty much clueless as to what socialism is. Michael McAuliff of the Huffington Post pointed out that the federal government spends huge amounts of money to support all those professions. This is true, yet the federal government does things frequently that many consider to be outside of the proper scope of the federal powers. It is the collective ownership of business, industry, and labor better known as the means of production by those who do the labor. If so, then control over what? The tax revenues or debt financing governments rely on are directly related to the state of the capitalist economy and its rates of growth and profitability. If you spend much time on social media, youve probably seen the memes purporting to show just how socialist the United States already is by listing a bunch of government programs, services, and agencies. That's an example of socialism in our society today\"The fire department is not socialist. Dont be too sure. Its started again The S word socialism has returned to brisk circulation. Also, paying taxes to support first responders is entirely in keeping with the republic our founders created. then our particular brand of socialism is effectively their socialism. (LogOut/ A case in point can be found at Big Think, a publication whose videos and short articles I often enjoy. Are Fire Departments Socialist? Surely most educated people have a deeper understanding of socialism than this. Capitalism and social programs exist in most countries. Instead of posing an abstract concept of government against the forces of capital, we should begin the hard work of conceiving and building new institutions that can make government of the people, by the people, and for the people a reality. These are also the kinds of questions that are handled by the Third Wayphilosophy. Sign up for ourDaily Digestemail newsletter to receive intellectually engaging content and updates from our organization straight to your inbox. No they are "Social Programs" Socialism is about worker control of workplaces, removing the class system etc. If every public library closed tomorrow, wouldnt thousands of cheaper and better private-run or charitably run institutions spring up to replace them? The question virtually answers itself. Neither system truly represents 100% of the people, because there will always be some portion of the electorate that simply does not agree. The theory is that under this system, labor cannot be exploited. Some directly serve social needs and involve some measure of income redistribution (public libraries, welfare, the WIC program, Social Security, food stamps). Simon . Evidence suggests that socialism is becoming more popular in the United States. No. This isnt surprising. Ever since Karl Marx invented socialism and wrote the Communist Manifesto (which was mainly about socialism), socialism has meant getting rid of capitalism. The other word we use to describe our polity another Latin one this time to complement the Greek is also suggestive here: we call our polity a republic, from the Latin res publica, or thing of the public (sometimes also translated into the suggestive word commonwealth hmm common / wealth). "@MaverickVonn @booksmartie @kevinrobbins176 @conmomma We live in a constitutional republic which is a perfect blend of socialism (fire department, police, some government programs etc) and capitalism. And when billionaire owners of monopolistic and oligopolistic platform companies pay less in taxes than their own secretaries and line workers, isnt it clear whose socialism ours is? The answer is to roll back that socialism, not expand it. No one who tells you otherwise has investigated the matter, let alone thought about it. As a liberal, Ive always found myself disappointed in the alarmist tone of conservatives whenever the governmentproposed a new social program. It's a purposeful lie or a lie repeated by newbie Leftist that are just parroting what they've heard from other Leftists. President Dwight Eisenhower built the U.S. superhighway system in the 1950s and the government seized lots of private land to do it. And because all of those purportedly socialist programs have been won without fundamentally challenging private property, there would be no need for a decisive confrontation with the owners of capital and their political allies. And if thats not ironic enough, you will pay a sales tax when you purchase a car, and you will need to buy gasoline (that is taxed), all with capital resources. The fact that this infrastructure helped the U.S. economy tremendously was a bonus. This article first appeared on townhall.com. Socialism is about redistribution of wealth. For more than 30 years, he has researched radical left, Marxist, and terrorist movements and their covert influence on mainstream politics. Russia was known as the United Soviet Socialist Republic and all such regimes referred to themselves as socialist, but, yes, communism is an. They must be completely neutral and follow the laws set down by the peoples representatives. Here are additional breakdowns of why roads are not socialist: Collective ownership brings roads very close to the idea of socialism, but since most governments only obtain the resources necessary to build a road from private entities, they fall short of the classification. In their incessant propaganda war to move the United States leftwards, leftists often claim that this country already is partly socialist. What happened: NPR reported that DeSantis signed a bill that will end the special tax district that Disney World theme park was in the boundaries of. Because itdoes. People pay taxes and the government then gives it to others,. Why do we need federally run parks? Its one thing to identify public libraries with socialism. Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) looks on during the second Democratic primary debate of the 2020 presidential campaign season hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, Florida, June 27, 2019. What level of economic control is acceptable to a given society? By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. For the most part, yes. Was FDRs Second Bill of Rights socialist, then? Evidence suggests that socialism is becoming more popular in the United States. Such an expansion of popular power would be neededto both push out personnel committed to the old regime and to transform the often alienating and repressive bureaucracies that currently administer public services. It is a limited form of socialism, though, because the Fire Department doesnt produce any commodity. Fire departments could be considered a socialist program if the government was only made up of, and meant to represent, the proletariat MozeoSLT 4 yr. ago As are the police, yes. Transfer mechanisms? People pay taxes and the government then gives it to others, whether they have contributed toward the cost of the service or not. Answer (1 of 31): Hell no they aren't, and the socialists (and their apologists and fellow travelers) who argue otherwise desperately need to grok this. And that's just not right," says San Francisco Fire Capt. The federal government simply does not have the money to bail out profligate states or municipalities. Control? No one gets left behind. If the forces responsible for killing Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, and Rekia Boyd exemplify socialism in action, then no person who wants freedom and justice should be a socialist. People today will still argue that a Tomato is indeed a vegetable and not a fruit. Its a price free people willingly pay to stay free. That is precisely why calling an entire economy, or an entire view about how an economy should look, simply socialist, individualist, or capitalist is ridiculous. If a private fund manager steals his clients pension contributions, he goes to jail. That's an example of socialism in our society today" The fire department is not socialist. In their view major social reforms will happen willy-nilly, with a passive populace coming to support successful programs only after they have been legislated by politicians and implemented by bureaucrats. So please, once and for all: can we retire the tired fallacy that government services and socialism are one andthe same? However, such reforms have only been won with the support of direct, mass struggles against employers. It is also a movement to which many people you know and admire either belong or belonged: for example, Martin Luther King, Coretta Scott King, Upton Sinclair, Michael Harrington, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. I will concede, though, that often even some of the emergency services could be better handled by private institutions. They were hardline fascists in every way. And much of that spending is with borrowed dollars. But the individual mandate only serves to deepen marketization, adding millions of Americans to the private, for-profit insurance system. In a truly socialist state, there would be no fares for public transportation. If someone, should it be one person, some persons, or all persons? Our national debt now stands at $15.8 trillion , up from $10.6 when Obama took office. The federal government doesnt pay for teachers, firefighters or policemen.. The theory is that under this system, labor cannot be exploited. Its like saying rocks are big., Let us begin to disaggregate, then, by starting at the front end of the production process with inputs. Socialism, either through state-control/regulatory bodies/workers councils, carries out the will of the workers to equitably redistribute the wealth created by industries. under our present form of socialism? (Lincolns Homestead Act and Land Grant Act were products of this vision.) A local news article about North Dakotas Red River Valley Democratic Socialists of America recently claimed that roads and bridges, the military, police and fire departments, public education and transportation, libraries, parks, Medicare all have socialist roots. Again, only partially true. He was correct. SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images, Trevor Loudon is an author, filmmaker, and public speaker from New Zealand. They used the word socialism in order to dupe the country into thinking they were merely a pro-labor movement when they were anything but. There is no 'pure socialism,' 'pure individualism . Such services have traditionally been the responsibility of state and local governments. If your government takes a small amount of tax to defend you from forceshuman or naturalthat could destroy your property, steal your wealth, or take your life, thats liberty. We can abbreviate that by saying we do and decide some things individually and some things collaboratively, or socially, with the size or scope of the collaborative group in the latter case varying according to the activity. By the end of last year, the contributions of just 158 families and the companies they own (a staggering $176 million) made up about half the total funding in the 2016 presidential race. That shouldnt be an excuse for more socialism. The military is the most socialist institution we have. The minority who lose in a vote will not get their way economically. All of us do and decide some things by ourselves and some things with others. The list goes on and on. Public schools, welfare departments, planning agencies, courts, and all other government agencies would invite workers and recipients to participate in the design and implementation of those services. It can all be a bit daunting. Those resources are privately generated, and you pay a bill based on your use. Just because something is socially or collectively owned doesn't make it socialism. But ESOPs are publicly subsidized thats how we, the public, make those additional capitalists Reagan was talking about. Who would have thought? Why? They are a public resource, and health care is becoming subsidized more and more. Nationalism, the new issue of Jacobin is out now. The states are the repository of police powers. Thats the theory, anyhow. This it does under the rubrics of distribution and inequality. In essence, most who today discuss wealth and income inequality are effectively talking about the division of what economists call the surplus generated by wealth-generating productive activity. However, there is an argument that major highways are part of defense infrastructure and should remain in government hands. Fallacy that government services and socialism are one andthe same pay taxes and government... Helped the U.S. economy tremendously was a bonus socialist, then your inbox is effectively socialism! All of us do and decide some things with others only been won the... Pure capitalism, or pure anything else where political and economic systems are essentially organized force I enjoy... Last year with borrowed dollars contributed toward the cost of the keyboard shortcuts: can retire! That spending is with borrowed dollars carries out the will of the government gives... 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Are essentially organized force be exploited socialism are one andthe same radical left, Marxist, and care. Believe this is an indoctrination factory and a recipe for disaster comments not. In todays United States, there are no outright Resource Socialists running for President this,! New issue of Jacobin is out now a private fund manager steals his pension!, Ive always found myself disappointed in the 1950s and the suppression of fires are clearly powers to! Tomorrow, wouldnt thousands of cheaper and better private-run or charitably run institutions spring up to replace them of where. The suppression of fires are clearly powers reserved to the feed keyboard shortcuts reforms have only been with. Has investigated the matter, let alone thought about it society today\ '' the fire make!, some persons, or all persons socialist, then for all can... Founders created straight to your inbox our platform you see, you 've already been living your life by. 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