Socialism -- unless you like it

I'm finding it rather disingenuous the way so many "conservatives" are screaming about how we don't want "socialized medicine," and yet try taking away social security or Medicare. As my son was fond of pointing out, we don's use the word socialism when we talk about our communal defense forces, our communal fire departments, our community schools. We aren't clamoring for the privatization of any of them. Can you imagine the mess if you had to find your own private police department, your own private fire department, and so on and on? Of course, there will always be those who can contract for extra high priced protection such as their own bodyguards, but we seem to agree as a society that we should provide "for the common defense." My son was also fond of pointing out that there aren't many things more directly connected with promoting "the general welfare," as the constitution says, than providing basic health care.

Today I was in a dentist's office. She was making negative comments about how the health care insurance problems will get worse if the government is involved. My comment was to tell that to the people who have no insurance now.

There are also ready forces campaigning to stop universal health care using the usual scare tactics, making it sound like there will be a sudden scarcity of both doctors and medical care. Why? Are all the doctors going to quit practicing? They make it sound as though you'll have no choice about what doctor you see. Why? You can always pay for your own care if you don't like what the insurance will offer. My son worked for the health care industry. His was passionately in favor of universal health care and said that what would develop is what has developed elsewhere . . . basic covered services for nearly all of us, and those with more resources will be able to get a higher tier of care on their own money, just as they do now.

Socialism? Not any more so than so many other things we do as a society (hmmm .. society -- socialism, sounds linked) and don't feel required to label as socialist. Building roads, bridges, harbors, for instance. But maybe you'd like them to be private, too.Medica