Are You a Socialist or an American?

Labels can be easily weaponized to mislead and deceive, especially during election season. Labels like “Socialist” have been thrown around endlessly in the mass media without defining what it is. But labels like these are mobilizing deep emotions and influencing how people vote. Here is a map to help you better understand this word and how it can impact you.

Labels like “Socialist” and “Capitalist” are shorthand to denote economic organization. Let’s zoom in and look at our economic organization more closely.

First, let’s list all that is at stake here:
1. Means of production, ie. capital, labor, knowledge, materials, etc.
2. The public good, ie. national and local governance, national defense, public health, national transportation system, etc.
3. Essential service, ie. retirement, housing, healthcare, education, courts, policing, etc.
4. Natural resources, ie. clean air, clean water, oil, minerals, land, etc.
5. Individual economic decisions, ie. where to live, work, eat, recreate, etc.
6. Individual thoughts ie. what is right/wrong, moral/immoral, etc.

The most extreme left is state ownership and control of ALL the above. It is called Communist Totalitarianism. For example…