...when describing his core belief system.
And he does this for a very good reason, because the capitalist 1% in our society have made "socialism" a bad word, and more than a bad word, a TABOO word (as Richard Wolf points out) and when they've allowed any discussion of it at all, have tried to associate socialism with "the dictatorship of the proletariat"--i.e., communism, which, in the big countries that went that route, Russia and China--which had NO democratic traditions--turned into oligarchies anyway, with powerful elites and individuals dictating to everyone else on all aspects of the economy and society.
Our 1%ers have done this even though it's very clear that DEMOCRATIC societies like Germany, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, England, Canada, Israel, and a host of newly democratized South American countries are either socialist or have large socialist sectors, combined with markets and capital. Democratic socialism. Norway nationalized its oil (as have many countries including Mexico). That is socialist. It means the resource will be controlled by the people and for the people. Bolivia nationalized its gas resource. That is socialist. All of these countries also have private enterprise and private property. But they recognize the rights and dignity of every person in the country, and provide many "common good" programs for everyone's welfare, especially the poor.
The New Deal here was a democratic socialist movement. Social Security was one result. Separating ordinary banks from Wall Street speculators was another. Medicare, eventually, was another. And, as Wolf points out, many of our institutions are socialist, including the Post Office, our fire departments, our highway system, public lending libraries, our public school system, public parks, public harbors and airports, NASA, the USGS and more. SERVICE agencies, with services provided for "the common good." It used to be required (until Reagan) that those who are licensed to use our public airwaves for commercial purposes (CBS, NBC, et al) were required to give air time to public good programming. THAT was socialist (and a damn good idea!).
Socialism has lots of really good ideas if what you want to end up with is a good society. That is WHY the most advanced countries become socialist or create large socialist sectors. We are backwards, and have been held back by trickery, propaganda and other devious means, perpetrated upon us by those who are stealing all our wealth.
Once again Thom Hartmann identifies an issue about which the American people desperately need information and clarity, and then provides it.
Please remember: democratic socialist.
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