It seems like every time the word "socialism" comes out of someone's mouth, the entire population tenses up and screams, "Communists!" Well, believe it or not, while you're pulling a Ron Swanson and burying your large amounts of gold so the government doesn't hand it off to the poor, you're also missing the point. Guess what? Socialism and Communism aren't the same thing. Really. To help you get an idea of what these things are, I've included this uber-informational document, which will teach you about all the various economic systems of the world.
Maybe some of that is irrelevant, but you get the point.
Socialism is not fascism, nor is it communism. Socialism, in so many words, is basically the equal distribution of prosperity. This isn't the most in-depth explanation of socialism, but it proves the point. Our country has been implementing socialist programs since the start. Post offices, fire stations, police forces, public school -- all of these are social programs intended for the betterment of society. Honestly, it's laughable that anyone who has ever sent their child to public school (for free, I might add) would be advocating so hard against democratic socialism. I can understand where Trump may not like it since his tax breaks would stop, but for middle class families, socialism would make life a whole lot easier.
Believe it or not, the economic inequality in the United States is causing a whole mess of problems. Because our capitalist system fosters monopolization of the markets (big banks like J.P. Morgan Chase and Goldman Sachs), it's hard for the average working man to get ahead. Furthermore, this task is made even more difficult when the Fortune 500 companies fail and depend on the middle class to pay for their bailout (if you don't quite understand this, or would like to know more, there is an amazing documentary on this called "Inside Job." I suggest you check it out). This leads to a rise in crime, as many lower-middle class families can't make ends meet and turn to selling drugs or stealing to provide for their families.
Basically, implementing more democratic socialism in our country would alleviate many of these problems. It means holding these big companies accountable for wrecking our economy. It means taxing the top 20 percent at a rate proportional to their income. It means using the tax money we already pay to fund programs that will benefit us. Universal healthcare, tuition-free education, and better programs for the working class can turn our nation around. With wide-spread education, crime rates drop. With affordable healthcare, families can stay on their feet when a loved one is sick, as opposed to having to re-finance everything you own to pay for chemotherapy.
If you're still not quite sure that you understand the principles of democratic socialism, here's a great video that may help you to understand it as well:
There is a strong divide between socialism and communism or fascism. Don't be scared off by people who tell you that one equates the other, because they are very different systems. The widespread misunderstanding of these economic systems just further supports the idea that Americans need affordable education so they can make educated decisions at the polls. Even if I didn't sway your decision to support democratic socialism, I hope that you now know what the phrase means and can decide for yourself whether you support it or not.
