Socialism vs Communism vs More socialist policies

(Full disclaimer: I am not an expert on politics or government. Just an average citizen, trying to stay informed)

Please read through this post, but I'd love to pose some different thoughts and get some perspectives and responses in return. This might provoke political back and forth, although it is not intended to do so. The idea to write this came about because I noticed that several developments have given the appearance of a potentially different life in America in our futures.

Specifically, I see more control, more surveillance, more authoritarianism currently happening and becoming too normal relative to what was once life as an American. This is giving off the impression that it is ok, undermining democracy. This all stems from the shocks of the 2007-2008 financial crisis, and the cracks in the system that were exposed, leading to more politics on the fringes. I posted an unpopular and ignored post about a kid who became homeless after acquiring a degree and compiling a skilled resume. That is one example of the broken parts of this country that, once again, are often ignored, but I want to raise.

The Problem:

:

He earned a bachelor’s in management information systems from Texas A&M University, landed a good web developer job at General Motors in Austin, but then cashed out his 401(k) and drove to Silicon Valley to pursue the dream of his own tech startup — only to run out of cash in June.

Someone who is willing to work hard and put in an honest effort to be successful, with this kid in the above example having completed a degree and in a science intensive field, then getting strong experience in a good and quality job, should ultimately be able to remain on an upward trajectory as long as nothing in his personal choices changes, within reason. He's not the most well-adapted kid to the modern hostile environment that is competitive high paying jobs, by quitting his job without one lined up. But I respect his tenacity for going after what he wanted.

The point is, it's incredibly difficult to accomplish any real upward mobility in life or achieve dreams even after attaining an education. It took a naïve kid to get lucky with an offer before displaying real, visible proof of barriers for average people without the web of connections that most people in their high-paying jobs have. Not everyone seems to notice this happening, but I guarantee there are millions in this country angry at their own circumstances and want to see drastic change in Washington.
The Grassroots:
Gallop recently did a poll showing that young people generally lack a positive view of capitalism, dropping drastically since 2010. The same, in a less pronounced drop, occurred for democratic voters. The view is a general since of well-being is gone for Americans, although the answer on what should be done is not clear.
Socialism defined:

• The youth is falling into the idea that socialism is a simple society where everyone gets free stuff, but it is not nearly that simple.
• They tend to see someone like Bernie Sanders, and view him as a harmless older gentleman, with a genuine interest in helping people.
• Bernie, to true socialists, who is comfortable with likening the DMV or public libraries to socialism, is merely just like some of your nice, dear old grandfather who says something about Asians or blacks he doesn’t know is now considered to be a racist statement and inconsistent with modern values.
• The ideas behind socialism, if it were to start with someone like Bernie, would inevitably end up in a police state where all freedom of expression is suppressed.
• Socialists want a full on clash with owners of capital, to fully restructure the basic goals or principles of all national institutions, and completely wipe out any reliance on market forces.

But what’s the difference if the US already has high public spending?

• Socialism is slowly creeping up on us in America, but not by the slow expansion of government through increasingly higher public spending.
• In fact, that would not be true socialism, because the basic idea behind socialism is to suppress all capitalistic behavior by eliminating the ownership of private capital and private markets.
• Any ownership of private property is by definition at the root of the issue and also the most poisoned aspect of our current social structure, according to true socialists.
  • Obamacare only expanded Medicaid, which has incentives to the private healthcare system, and uses the mandate to increase market participation, which isn’t socialism
  • Any Government stimulus is used to mostly relieve business owners, which does not rely on helping workers

  The Status Quo:

  What exactly is the swamp, the lack of action, the status quo that is Washington, DC politics? I pose a familiar analogy:

  • Consider that DC operates like an investment vehicle:
    • lobbyists want rulemaking and regulation to align with their interests, which is the only reason they increase investment or write checks, which spurs government revenue through higher tax receipts and fund campaigns (investors seeking returns);
    • government positions are held by people trained in the same school of thought, because they go to the same schools or exit plush private sector roles to join the government, which promotes a stickiness to change as traditionalists hold onto themes that may have long since past (pedigree);
    • Things don’t continue to improve without new analysts being brought on.

  Most wall street types belong to this class of professionals, and thus hold strong left-of-center or right-of-center views that simply and often miss this important lesson. This basic system also creates a stranglehold against the socialist progressive initiative, so obviously this is a class inconsistent with their core ideology and would most likely be suppressed in true socialism (which is where communism starts, as it rids social class).
  Does socialism work?

  • The answer is no, we have not seen it work
  • Denmark is a bad example, as it is a free market society with very high government spending and a very strong safety net, which as I explained is not true socialism
  • Denmark was able to squash strong leftists because of its pragmatic political approach, on its way to establishing the beginning of the socialist party
  • The US traditionally has held a similar sense of pragmatism, but I’m weary

  Socialism vs Communism:
  One question I had during thinking about all of this, is if socialism is distinguished from communism as a less extreme form, mainly because it does not require the elimination of a class system, why can’t the US adopt a mixed free market and high public spending, democratic socialist system like Denmark?
  My thinking is that socialists want full-blown communism. While they are riding the youthful wave of democratic enthusiasts for more socialistic policies, I see it being only the start of that initiative to ultimately destroying all rights to private commercial property, which would include clashes with the capitalistic citizenship, and ultimately their removal from society.
  Why? Because, while the US has a tradition of pragmatic thinking, we have moved much more to the extremes. We are currently so divided in what we think politically, I think people are more concerned about short-termism than the effects of actions today on the future. Will we let our inhibitions get the best of us, it’s hard to tell.
  One thing important to note using the Denmark comparison, when the early Danish Social Democratic leadership defined their movement, they did it while expressing a desire to merely evolve out of capitalism, similar to the way capitalism evolved out of feudalism. They aspired to gain popular support (that of all people from different classes and backgrounds), whereas the current socialists in America only care about focusing on workers, which ultimately pits the capitalist class against the working class.
  Other thoughts on communism:

  • The Communist International, led by Lenin, was an advocate for world communism during the time of the first strong formation of socialism in Denmark but had a much larger impact on other parts of the world.
  • It doesn’t seem to exist today and my not have any current active descendants.
  • But there remains a cult like presence with respect to the ideas of people like Trotsky and Lenin, one that continues to gather steam, as evidenced by the surprise victory of Ocasio-Cortez, as she and Bernie continue their National tour to push for more and similar upsets. This is also the grassroots activity true socialism needs to spur up and uproot current institutions.

  There is more related to this topic, specifically on how our modern tech in America can be used to create the true socialist tranquility real socialists seek, which is a suppressed upper class, a single controlling socialist party, removal of all political dissidents, complete elimination of private capital, and a police-state under extreme surveillance. China is an excellent model of this truth.
  But I’d be happy to hear thoughts if there are any on this topic. Just wanted to share this, as this is something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately, and I’m sure there are others out there with similar observations or thoughts.