Society

I have to smile wanly at McCain standing up and saying something about Obama wanting to share the wealth.."And that means you!!" he screams...then adds embarrassingly...'YOUR wealth!'...

I heard some rednecks being interviewed from a southern state ( Christ aren't they embarrassed???)...saying in their uneducated twange...
"That Obama fellow is a terrorist. He is a Muslim, he is NOT American".....
I cringe on behalf of my intelligent and marvellously well read and well hearted American friends when I hear such tripe!

And so to the big bogey man of "Socialism"...
Listening intently to those who are professed died-in-the-wool-gun- loving, vilifying ( gays, non religious, black, freedom of choice, anti woman), Republicans showing their palpable FEAR of socialism and sprouting like it meant, FACISM, or TOTALITARIANISM, or DICTATORSHIP, or COMMUNISM....makes me nod my head in despair of the American education system.

Society is the oil of life. It denotes those who live in agreement with each other to hold certain principles and ideas that benefit the majority.
There is "Social Capital" which accepts the importance of people, their skills, their involvement with the local community.
There is "Social Norms" where the law revolves itself around what is considered 'acceptable' in the society in which we live, work and are concerned about.
There are "Socials" where people gather together to enjoy themselves, for the good of the community and themselves...showing support and a cohesiveness that binds the group.
There is "Social Security" ( something Americans are NOT good at)..whereby we agree as a society that we will put so much of what we earn toward Government who can then create a safety net for those who 'fall through the cracks' and require support and help.
There is "Social Health" where an agreement is reached that all people should have the right to medicine and hospitals no matter their financial circumstances.

All the above are parts of a good 'socialist' system that lies within a democracy.
It is fair, reasonable, inclusive, compassionate and enduring. It does not depend upon the luck of the draw of where, when and who you were born to, or of the opportunities that may or may not come you way.

When we invest in the 'group' we are vaccinating OURSELVES against hardship.
Hardship that may include break and enters, crime, unwanted children, hatred, ignorance and despair.
If we think about education, health, infrastructure, ( roads etc)..we can see that by 'investing' in these through agreement, through our governments, through respect for the needs of others ( eg childcare even though 'we' may not have children), then we build upon our society and our social capital to make a caring, compassionate and more productive society that knows the needy, poor, sick, hungry and dispossessed will be given the basics to human life and dignity.

Encyclopaedia Brittanica
Socialism is; social and economic

doctrine that calls for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources. According to the socialist view, individuals do not live or work in isolation but live in cooperation with one another. Furthermore, everything that people produce is in some sense a social product, and everyone who contributes to the production of a good is entitled to a share in it. Society as a whole, therefore, should own or at least control property for the benefit of all its members.

Socialists complain that capitalism necessarily leads to unfair and exploitative concentrations of wealth and power in the hands of the relative few who emerge victorious from free-market competition—people who then use their wealth and power to reinforce their dominance in society. Because such people are rich, they may choose where and how to live, and their choices in turn limit the options of the poor. As a result, terms such as individual freedom and equality of opportunity may be meaningful for capitalists but can only ring hollow for working people, who must do the capitalists’ bidding if they are to survive.


So when those poor of the USA are afraid of the way McCain sprouts his nonsense about 'sharing the wealth' he does NOT MEAN THEM...he is talking to the rich, the wealthy, the middle classes...so the southern poor should understand this..

AND
Why is it that in this election those who are labelled 'Republican State' or whatever go along with it...why aren't they pissed off and want NOT to be taken for granted by ANY Presidential race!!

SO
Don't be afraid of Socialism, my American friends...
You should be far far far more afraid of the inherant joining of church and state...believe me.

Oh Good luck ...and I pity you if you chose to go down the path of the status quo....

THE WORLD IS WATCHING WITH HELD BREATH...DO GOOD!