We e hearing the word socialism misused routinely by politicians today. What is the definition of socialism?
The exact definition depends on which dictionary you favour. The Oxford Dictionary defines it as ‘A political and economic theory of social organization which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole’. Mirriam Webster defines it as ‘1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods 2 a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state 3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done’. This doesn’t include the alternative owned OR regulated, which probably goes a long way towards understanding why Americans as a whole are so against socialis
Using socialism to explain a policy or program is not misused if it is socialism. I don’t blame one party for implementing socialism in this country. I blame the people that expect more then what our government was meant to provide. Even Bush passed a socialist program when he passed the prescription drug plan.
