Socialism Will SAVE  America!

Socialism Will SAVE  America!

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]o this writer any time I dare mention that I am a Socialist brings smirks to many faces. The stigma is so great, mostly due to the successful propaganda of this empire, that a majority of my fellow Americans, regardless of the prism of demographics, will shake their heads in disagreement. The schools, the media and of course this Two Party/One Party con job have been indoctrinated to do the bidding of the Super Rich and its empire. Well, perhaps if my fellow citizens would at least listen to this writer and thinker's version of a socialist society:

• Public funding of all elections, with NO private money allowed... period!
• Local, state and federal ownership of energy ( gas and oil and natural gas) resources, all run NON PROFIT
• Ditto for Big Pharma, banking, weapons manufacturing, military equipment of all types
• Government run Healthcare and Dental Care for All, nonprofit hospitals and medical equipment manufacturing
• Local communities owning and running ( via eminent domain )  ALL rental properties, residential and commercial
• A 50% Flat Surtax on all income over one million dollars per year... with NO deductions
• A Payroll tax forgiveness on wages of up to $ 20k a year for both the employee AND the employer. For the employer, in order to aid small businesses, their ' forgiveness portion' is only for the employer's contribution for up to 100 employees. All workers anywhere get it regardless of where they work

Here is what would happen if these ideas become reality:

With public funding the Two Party/One Party system would lose its power over time. More and more ' regular folks ' could and would seek office running as either independents or with 3rd parties.

With the citizens owning  energy, Big Pharma, rental properties and banking  ( All NON PROFIT) this would translate into major savings for the consumer... major savings! As far as weapons and military hardware mfg., taking the profit out of it would stifle the War Economy... because there would be NO such entity! Phony wars and pre-emptive ones would be unnecessary when there are no longer private, corporate interests involved in foreign policy.

As far as small business, obviously when working stiffs and their employers become covered by a viable National Health ( and dental ) plan, NON PROFIT, with NO expense to the employer, the stress is lessened. Plus, with that Payroll Tax Forgiveness plan in effect, once again the small business owner and employee each get a break. The Flat 50% Surtax on income would more than jumpstart these plans.  Factor in the lower commercial rental rates for small businesses because the community owns the rental space, and Mom and Pop Main Street will prosper.

When it comes to residential housing, consider this: With NO profit on mortgages ( only overhead ) many who now rent would find that their monthly mortgage payments could be even LESS than the current rent they now pay to a private landlord ( a term right out of Feudalism by the way ). Also, if the local community actually owned and operated residential rental properties, perhaps this could occur: The renter pays rent at a reduced rate, and maybe 25% of it goes into an escrow account, held by the community bank. When the renter is ready to purchase that apartment ( or home ) the escrow is then used towards the needed down payment on the mortgage. Why not? Also, with a socialist system in place, consider how many more NEW homeowners there would be. Translated, that means more construction needed, more doors, windows, cabinets etc needed.. which means economic stimulus! Plus, more jobs needed to complete these tasks A ' Win- Win ' solution!

Socialism is NOT a totalitarian system. On the contrary, it is the best manner to achieve a more level and workable ' economic playing field' . You will still have very wealthy people, but they will be contributing more of their excess income for the common good. Isn't that what most religions preach?

Left Out
Op Ed Commentary

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or anyone out there who considers his or herself to be LEFT of the Democratic Party, including the new breed of Democratic Socialists, a forewarning. In the upcoming election cycle of 2020, supporting and voting for the Green Party (as this writer has done each cycle since 2004) will only cause permanent ostracizing. The very people, the tens, maybe hundreds of millions we true Socialists need to reach by being teachers and role models, will be lost to us for a long time. Why? Well, as terrible as the Bush/Cheney cabal had been, and boy were they ever, this new Neo Fascist right wing umbrella around Trump and Co. is even more threatening! They make the 'sell out' Democrats look like actual statesmen and stateswomen, which they surely are NOT! Of course, my Green Party and ' Left of Green' Socialists will (correctly) tell me that the Neo Con War machine runs both the Republicans and Democrats. Yet, the current gang running our government from the far right is dismantling any hope for we working stiffs... full speed ahead!

As stated after the 2016 election, the worst scenario for a resurgent true Socialist movement was to have Mrs. Clinton defeated. Look what we on the left got: A national Democratic Party calling itself the ridiculous moniker of ' The Resistance', while they do nothing as to pushing for working stiff's rights, National Health Care without any private insurers being involved, public funding of all national elections, a move for public banking... and of course the ' Big Banana ' of cutting the obscene military spending and militarism overseas... just to name but a few issues and needs. Folks, the ' Safety Net' was already being cut for at least 50 years. However, under this current cabal the cuts are massive!  So, if Hillary would have won, and continued to be the 'Good Democrat phony ' she and her party are, we on the real Left would have mobilized. Why? Well, after eight years of fake ' Hope and Change ' by another Democrat, maybe working stiffs would have finally stood together on the important issues affecting their lives.

So, the obvious connection is this: True left wing folks should, as Chomsky said on other occasions, ' Hold our noses ' and vote for the lesser of two evils in 2020. Don't support them in ANY way, just pull the lever and get ready to be back out on the street corners and town halls, and of course the offices of whomever (supposedly) represents us, and ' rattle their cages' .We know that both of these two phony parties will fail to save our republic, but it is the folks who ' blindly ' support them who we need to reach.

—PA Farruggio

Editor's Note: The views expressed in our opeds are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the position of this publication.  In the case of Lesser Evillism, we are opposed to it. We have said so on many occasions. However out of respect for an author we may still run such arguments for the sake of amplifying the debate on critical issues, and because doctrinal rigidity in a fluid and often surprising world is not generally advisable. See the following pieces that offer a different position on this controversial topic:

• A Less Long And Rambling Response To Lesser Evil Voting / Nick Pemberton

• Are Democrats Still the Lesser Evil?  / Andrew Levine

• The Moral Cowardice of Lesser Evilism / Simon Wood