Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a “socialist”?












39















As a German I really don't get calling Bernie Sanders a socialist. In every country in Europe he would be a social democrat at best, but somehow in the USA he's a "socialist" and "communist" you should be afraid of.



Examples of the media referring to Sanders as a socialist: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5










share|improve this question









New contributor




SethFrkinRollins is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 12





    It would be nice to add a reference, especially for non-US users.

    – Alexei
    17 hours ago






  • 5





    It might be helpful not to force edit an American perspective ("democratic socialism" = "socialism") into OP's question, when the OP is asking from a German point of view, especially when OP makes a distinction between "social democrat" and "'socialist' and 'communist'."

    – BurnsBA
    9 hours ago











  • Related: politics.stackexchange.com/q/6318/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/26145/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/16297/1370.

    – Martin Schröder
    8 hours ago













  • This basically has to do with the sad history of political terminology in the US. At one time "socialist" was simply a descriptive term, describing a position on the political spectrum, but after WWII and the rise of the Soviet Union the term was invested with the meaning "closet Communist". Terms like "social democrat" never got off the ground, and "liberal" got painted with the same broad brush as "socialist".

    – Hot Licks
    1 hour ago
















39















As a German I really don't get calling Bernie Sanders a socialist. In every country in Europe he would be a social democrat at best, but somehow in the USA he's a "socialist" and "communist" you should be afraid of.



Examples of the media referring to Sanders as a socialist: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5










share|improve this question









New contributor




SethFrkinRollins is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 12





    It would be nice to add a reference, especially for non-US users.

    – Alexei
    17 hours ago






  • 5





    It might be helpful not to force edit an American perspective ("democratic socialism" = "socialism") into OP's question, when the OP is asking from a German point of view, especially when OP makes a distinction between "social democrat" and "'socialist' and 'communist'."

    – BurnsBA
    9 hours ago











  • Related: politics.stackexchange.com/q/6318/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/26145/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/16297/1370.

    – Martin Schröder
    8 hours ago













  • This basically has to do with the sad history of political terminology in the US. At one time "socialist" was simply a descriptive term, describing a position on the political spectrum, but after WWII and the rise of the Soviet Union the term was invested with the meaning "closet Communist". Terms like "social democrat" never got off the ground, and "liberal" got painted with the same broad brush as "socialist".

    – Hot Licks
    1 hour ago














39












39








39


3






As a German I really don't get calling Bernie Sanders a socialist. In every country in Europe he would be a social democrat at best, but somehow in the USA he's a "socialist" and "communist" you should be afraid of.



Examples of the media referring to Sanders as a socialist: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5










share|improve this question









New contributor




SethFrkinRollins is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












As a German I really don't get calling Bernie Sanders a socialist. In every country in Europe he would be a social democrat at best, but somehow in the USA he's a "socialist" and "communist" you should be afraid of.



Examples of the media referring to Sanders as a socialist: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5







united-states socialism bernie-sanders






share|improve this question









New contributor




SethFrkinRollins is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











share|improve this question









New contributor




SethFrkinRollins is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 8 hours ago









Martin Schröder

1,0371930




1,0371930






New contributor




SethFrkinRollins is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.









asked 18 hours ago









SethFrkinRollinsSethFrkinRollins

20223




20223




New contributor




SethFrkinRollins is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.





New contributor





SethFrkinRollins is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






SethFrkinRollins is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 12





    It would be nice to add a reference, especially for non-US users.

    – Alexei
    17 hours ago






  • 5





    It might be helpful not to force edit an American perspective ("democratic socialism" = "socialism") into OP's question, when the OP is asking from a German point of view, especially when OP makes a distinction between "social democrat" and "'socialist' and 'communist'."

    – BurnsBA
    9 hours ago











  • Related: politics.stackexchange.com/q/6318/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/26145/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/16297/1370.

    – Martin Schröder
    8 hours ago













  • This basically has to do with the sad history of political terminology in the US. At one time "socialist" was simply a descriptive term, describing a position on the political spectrum, but after WWII and the rise of the Soviet Union the term was invested with the meaning "closet Communist". Terms like "social democrat" never got off the ground, and "liberal" got painted with the same broad brush as "socialist".

    – Hot Licks
    1 hour ago














  • 12





    It would be nice to add a reference, especially for non-US users.

    – Alexei
    17 hours ago






  • 5





    It might be helpful not to force edit an American perspective ("democratic socialism" = "socialism") into OP's question, when the OP is asking from a German point of view, especially when OP makes a distinction between "social democrat" and "'socialist' and 'communist'."

    – BurnsBA
    9 hours ago











  • Related: politics.stackexchange.com/q/6318/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/26145/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/16297/1370.

    – Martin Schröder
    8 hours ago













  • This basically has to do with the sad history of political terminology in the US. At one time "socialist" was simply a descriptive term, describing a position on the political spectrum, but after WWII and the rise of the Soviet Union the term was invested with the meaning "closet Communist". Terms like "social democrat" never got off the ground, and "liberal" got painted with the same broad brush as "socialist".

    – Hot Licks
    1 hour ago








12




12





It would be nice to add a reference, especially for non-US users.

– Alexei
17 hours ago





It would be nice to add a reference, especially for non-US users.

– Alexei
17 hours ago




5




5





It might be helpful not to force edit an American perspective ("democratic socialism" = "socialism") into OP's question, when the OP is asking from a German point of view, especially when OP makes a distinction between "social democrat" and "'socialist' and 'communist'."

– BurnsBA
9 hours ago





It might be helpful not to force edit an American perspective ("democratic socialism" = "socialism") into OP's question, when the OP is asking from a German point of view, especially when OP makes a distinction between "social democrat" and "'socialist' and 'communist'."

– BurnsBA
9 hours ago













Related: politics.stackexchange.com/q/6318/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/26145/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/16297/1370.

– Martin Schröder
8 hours ago







Related: politics.stackexchange.com/q/6318/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/26145/1370 and politics.stackexchange.com/q/16297/1370.

– Martin Schröder
8 hours ago















This basically has to do with the sad history of political terminology in the US. At one time "socialist" was simply a descriptive term, describing a position on the political spectrum, but after WWII and the rise of the Soviet Union the term was invested with the meaning "closet Communist". Terms like "social democrat" never got off the ground, and "liberal" got painted with the same broad brush as "socialist".

– Hot Licks
1 hour ago





This basically has to do with the sad history of political terminology in the US. At one time "socialist" was simply a descriptive term, describing a position on the political spectrum, but after WWII and the rise of the Soviet Union the term was invested with the meaning "closet Communist". Terms like "social democrat" never got off the ground, and "liberal" got painted with the same broad brush as "socialist".

– Hot Licks
1 hour ago










6 Answers
6






active

oldest

votes


















42














Basically Bernie Sanders used the wrong term and it stuck. For some unfathomable reason, he refers to himself as a socialist while espousing policies that are clearly social Democrat in line with most European states. He has done himself no favors. If he had said social democrat, he wouldn't have received as much McCarthy-ist style attacks. He is definitely espousing a European style model rather than a Venezuelan style model. Because of his mistake, the term's meaning has changed, and now others like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are calling themselves socialists too even though they're not.
The DSA themselves also describe themselves in terms that sound a lot more like social democracy than democratic socialism.



Bernie's key policy positions are all Medicare For All, lowering prescription drug prices, a jobs program to shift America's energy production rapidly towards green energy, and tuition free public colleges. I could source this, but he says it in literally every speech or interview he's ever done, so that would be a bit redundant!



Bernie Sanders gave a great interview in 2006 with Democracy Now where he explained his version of socialism. You can compare that with the DSA position linked above.






share|improve this answer


























  • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

    – Sam I am
    13 hours ago






  • 3





    Did Saunders first use the term before any opponents called hm that? Sources for either would help.

    – Mark
    12 hours ago






  • 16





    I think calling his use strictly wrong is overstating the matter. Here's wikipedia's (supported by sources) definition of socialism: "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" [emphasis mine]. Expanded banking, environmental, & healthcare regulation, increased government spending and welfare, these are all things that could be construed to be at least partially "socialism" under this definition.

    – mbrig
    11 hours ago











  • @mbrig The current Wikipedia article does not have that definition, and I can't find it in the recent revision history either.

    – Jouni Sirén
    2 hours ago











  • +1 He's a social democrat, no doubt. Which has its partial roots in socialism and thus Marx, etc., but only remotely by now. When you consider most European states are social democracies, it's hardly "communism" as Americans see it. Of course, the US is significantly more right-wing than most European nations, so the perspective is always relative to which side of the Atlantic you're on.

    – Noldorin
    1 hour ago



















19















Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




I think getting a quick history lesson to get some context might help explain how "socialist" is used in US media.



First, I want to highlight the long history of anti-(anti-capitalism); second, show how anything anti-capitalism is generally conflated; and third, how this is the case in the present day.





Discussing communism might seem like a detour, but bear with me for a moment. I'll start with The (first) Red Scare (1917-1920):




Political scientist, and former member of the Communist Party Murray B. Levin wrote that the Red Scare was "a nationwide anti-radical hysteria provoked by a mounting fear and anxiety that a Bolshevik revolution in America was imminent—a revolution that would change Church, home, marriage, civility, and the American way of Life".




Around the time of the second world war McCarthyism (~ second red scare) took hold:




During the McCarthy era, hundreds of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers; they became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private industry panels, committees and agencies.




You might notice that the above two quotes only reference communism. I'll discuss this a bit more below, but I want to continue the walk through history with a quote from wiki page on the history of socialism in the United States:




COINTELPRO [(1956–1971)] was a series of covert and at times illegal[189] projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveying, infiltrating, discrediting and disrupting domestic political organizations[190] FBI records show that 85% of COINTELPRO resources targeted groups and individuals that the FBI deemed "subversive",[191] including communist and socialist organizations; ...




The point is, there's a long history in the US of government responses to anti-capitalist movements, as these are generally not viewed favorably. There's a lot more that could be said (labor movements; class; race & racism; gender, to name a few related issues), but that's a rough overview.





The second point I wanted to address was the conflation of anti-capitalist terms. I pointed out that two of the quotes only mentioned communism, but actually all of the above wiki pages can be found on the history of socialism in the US wiki page. I wanted to bring this up to point out that the government response conflates anti-capitalist movements. The same wiki page notes that




The widespread use of the word "socialism" as a political epithet against the Obama government by its opponents caused National Director Frank Llewellyn to declare that "over the past 12 months, the Democratic Socialists of America has received more media attention than it has over the past 12 years"




Even though the Obama administration and most leftists agreed that his administration was not socialist. The source for this claim is a Chicago Tribune article, which goes on to say:




To most, socialist policies are synonymous with any expansion in government spending (although many capitalist nations funnel more of their gross domestic product through the public sector than the U.S. does). source




Here's a foxnews article which defines socialism as communism, (though I think the author was trying to distinguish the two):




There was a time in American politics when the term "socialism" conjured up images of the Cold War, the U.S.S.R, Joseph Stalin and Karl Marx, nuclear threats, government domination of private industry and gulags. For most Americans who came of age during the height of the Cold War, who remember being taught to hide under their desks at school, socialism – like communism – has long been a dirty word. source




In summary, in the United States, pro-capitalism is the majority view (to varying degrees; this means different things to different people). That is, people endorsing communism, socialism, and democratic socialism are a small minority (i.e., as a ruling system of government). The distinction between communism, socialism, and democratic socialism is generally lost on anyone outside specific academic groups, and lost on the general a-politic public. It is only when you venture in to certain leftist groups that the distinction between these groups is recognized. (And maybe certain non-leftist groups too. The point is, a small minority.)





Third, to go back to the original question:




Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




You're right that Sanders is not a socialist. But he's aware of the US sentiment of the term, as I outlined above. For example, an article on a Sanders speech :




Throughout the decades, he [Sanders] argued, "socialist" has been a term conservatives deployed when Democrats do something popular:




Almost everything [Roosevelt] proposed was called "socialist." I thought I would mention that just in passing. Social Security, which transformed life for the elderly in this country, was defined by his opponents as "socialist." The concept of the "minimum wage"—that workers had to be paid at least a certain amount of money for their labor—was seen as a radical intrusion into the marketplace and was described as "socialist."





He has embraced this view of himself as someone that supports progressive social policies. Though he does tend to describe himself as "social democratic" when discussing the topic, and seems to be aware of the different in terms:




Sanders: Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, often criticizes President Obama, incorrectly, for trying to push "European-style socialism," and McConnell says the American people don’t want it. First of all, of course, Obama is not trying to push European-style socialism. Second of all, I happen to believe that, if the American people understood the significant accomplishments that have taken place under social-democratic governments, democratic-socialist governments, labor governments throughout Europe, they would be shocked to know about those accomplishments. One of the goals of this campaign is to advance that understanding… source






In summary, Sanders is called "socialist" because the US media in general describes policies that provide some kind of assistance (for example, food aid or health care) as socialist. This is just the current nature of the discussion at the national level. This is a rather US centric (i.e., isolated) understanding of the term "socialist" which is more properly understood in countries to the left of the United States.



Sanders doesn't seem to object to the term if it is applied to him, but when discussing his views will refer to himself as "democratic socialist" instead of "socialist." And just as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not democratic, neither is "democratic socialist" the same thing as "socialist." But as detailed above, this distinction is rarely made clear in US media.






share|improve this answer





















  • 7





    I downvoted for the simple reason that this is a needlessly longwinded answer that fails to point out Bernie Sanders is called a socialist because he calls himself a socialist. The fact that he isn't a socialist according to several previously well understood definitions doesn't negate the fact that this term is used to describe himself because he uses it.

    – Joe
    11 hours ago






  • 7





    @Joe, I think you are confusing 1) when he doesn't make a pedantic argument against the "socialist" label and 2) how he describes himself as "democrat socialist". For example, Sanders saying (1) "The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist" and (2) "what democratic socialism means to me" both in this MSNBC article. I tried to make this point in my answer, but perhaps you have a suggestion for how I can clarify. msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-democratic-socialism

    – BurnsBA
    11 hours ago






  • 2





    @jamesqf the question starts "As a German"

    – BurnsBA
    9 hours ago






  • 3





    @Joe, that's beyond pedantic, and demonstrably false. If you call yourself an anti-capitalist, it doesn't mean folk should conflate you as a capitalist because anti-capitalist has "capitalist" in the name. As an American, it really bums me out that we're generally so ignorant of semantics and actual meanings in things. Bernie could call himself anything and the right would decry him as a socialist due to his platform. And no, I'm not a leftist. I'm simply an American dude who's tired of ignorant rhetoric in my country's politics.

    – Jesse Williams
    8 hours ago






  • 4





    And the fact that you found this answer too "long winded" is exactly WHY it's so tiresome talking to most other Americans about politics. Nobody wants foundational information, just an echo chamber that tells them they are right all the time.

    – Jesse Williams
    8 hours ago



















8














Folks who support the view that Sanders is actually socialist frequently point to this quote from him way back in 1987:




Democracy means public ownership of the major means of production, it
means decentralization, it means involving people in their work.
Rather than having bosses and workers it means having democratic
control over the factories and shops to as great a degree as you can.




Sanders continues to demonstrate admiration for Eugene V. Debs, the most prominent Socialist candidate in the history of the United States.



But yes, if we focus on his major policy proposals and imagine Sanders in a multiparty parliamentary democracy, the label "Social Democrat" would be a better fit.






share|improve this answer

































    2














    I think there's an important distinction to be made in the examples you noted.



    The left-of-center news outlets actually make an effort to call him by his chosen name of "Democratic Socialist."





    • The Hill (left-center)


    • The Nation (left)


    It's the right-wing sources that conflate the terminology.





    • Daily Mail (right, questionable source)


    • Newsmax (right)


    • Fox News (right)


    (Of course, by European standard, all of these sources would probably be considered a little more to the right than the US ranks them.)



    The right-wing likes to use the word socialism as a pejorative, capitalizing on how little Americans know about socialism in the non-pejorative sense, and how much disinformation and conflations has been made about it in the past. If you live in the US, go ahead, try asking random people you know what socialism is. You'll probably get some really funny answers, like "Putin is a socialist" as I do when the topic comes up.






    share|improve this answer































      1














      It seems likely that people call him a socialist because he's self-identified as one on multiple occasions.



      Sander Socialist



      and




      When he first won election to the House in 1990, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) embraced his political identity. "I am a socialist and everyone knows that," Sanders said, responding to an ad that tried to link him to the regime of Fidel Castro.



      Washington Post: Bernie Sanders is an avowed socialist. 52 percent of Democrats are OK with that.




      etc.






      share|improve this answer































        -3














        The definition of socialism is




        Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.




        Bernie Sanders wants free healthcare and free college, which means it is run by the government. When the government is providing the services of health and education, that is socialism. In the above definition, I assume goods also means "goods and services".






        share|improve this answer



















        • 10





          Public goods can be provisioned without the government owning the means of production. "Free college" and "free healthcare" proposals typically consist of the government paying for things on behalf of the consumer, not the federal government owning every college and hospital in America.

          – Joe
          9 hours ago








        • 2





          I didn't know that most industrialized countries (which provide some form of free healthcare and free education) are socialist countries. Please call Theresa May and tell her that she leads a socialist government. :-)

          – Martin Schröder
          8 hours ago








        • 6





          Why is free college socialism and free K-12 school not? Hmm....

          – Geobits
          7 hours ago






        • 2





          In the US (or everywhere?) most of the "means of producing" military safety are owned by the government

          – Hagen von Eitzen
          6 hours ago






        • 1





          This answer is fallacious. Jazz is defined as music characterized by polyphony, syncopation, and improvization. Beethoven's music contains these elements, therefore Beethoven is a jazz composer. Silly.

          – barbecue
          4 hours ago










        protected by Philipp 10 hours ago



        Thank you for your interest in this question.
        Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).



        Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?














        6 Answers
        6






        active

        oldest

        votes








        6 Answers
        6






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        42














        Basically Bernie Sanders used the wrong term and it stuck. For some unfathomable reason, he refers to himself as a socialist while espousing policies that are clearly social Democrat in line with most European states. He has done himself no favors. If he had said social democrat, he wouldn't have received as much McCarthy-ist style attacks. He is definitely espousing a European style model rather than a Venezuelan style model. Because of his mistake, the term's meaning has changed, and now others like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are calling themselves socialists too even though they're not.
        The DSA themselves also describe themselves in terms that sound a lot more like social democracy than democratic socialism.



        Bernie's key policy positions are all Medicare For All, lowering prescription drug prices, a jobs program to shift America's energy production rapidly towards green energy, and tuition free public colleges. I could source this, but he says it in literally every speech or interview he's ever done, so that would be a bit redundant!



        Bernie Sanders gave a great interview in 2006 with Democracy Now where he explained his version of socialism. You can compare that with the DSA position linked above.






        share|improve this answer


























        • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

          – Sam I am
          13 hours ago






        • 3





          Did Saunders first use the term before any opponents called hm that? Sources for either would help.

          – Mark
          12 hours ago






        • 16





          I think calling his use strictly wrong is overstating the matter. Here's wikipedia's (supported by sources) definition of socialism: "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" [emphasis mine]. Expanded banking, environmental, & healthcare regulation, increased government spending and welfare, these are all things that could be construed to be at least partially "socialism" under this definition.

          – mbrig
          11 hours ago











        • @mbrig The current Wikipedia article does not have that definition, and I can't find it in the recent revision history either.

          – Jouni Sirén
          2 hours ago











        • +1 He's a social democrat, no doubt. Which has its partial roots in socialism and thus Marx, etc., but only remotely by now. When you consider most European states are social democracies, it's hardly "communism" as Americans see it. Of course, the US is significantly more right-wing than most European nations, so the perspective is always relative to which side of the Atlantic you're on.

          – Noldorin
          1 hour ago
















        42














        Basically Bernie Sanders used the wrong term and it stuck. For some unfathomable reason, he refers to himself as a socialist while espousing policies that are clearly social Democrat in line with most European states. He has done himself no favors. If he had said social democrat, he wouldn't have received as much McCarthy-ist style attacks. He is definitely espousing a European style model rather than a Venezuelan style model. Because of his mistake, the term's meaning has changed, and now others like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are calling themselves socialists too even though they're not.
        The DSA themselves also describe themselves in terms that sound a lot more like social democracy than democratic socialism.



        Bernie's key policy positions are all Medicare For All, lowering prescription drug prices, a jobs program to shift America's energy production rapidly towards green energy, and tuition free public colleges. I could source this, but he says it in literally every speech or interview he's ever done, so that would be a bit redundant!



        Bernie Sanders gave a great interview in 2006 with Democracy Now where he explained his version of socialism. You can compare that with the DSA position linked above.






        share|improve this answer


























        • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

          – Sam I am
          13 hours ago






        • 3





          Did Saunders first use the term before any opponents called hm that? Sources for either would help.

          – Mark
          12 hours ago






        • 16





          I think calling his use strictly wrong is overstating the matter. Here's wikipedia's (supported by sources) definition of socialism: "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" [emphasis mine]. Expanded banking, environmental, & healthcare regulation, increased government spending and welfare, these are all things that could be construed to be at least partially "socialism" under this definition.

          – mbrig
          11 hours ago











        • @mbrig The current Wikipedia article does not have that definition, and I can't find it in the recent revision history either.

          – Jouni Sirén
          2 hours ago











        • +1 He's a social democrat, no doubt. Which has its partial roots in socialism and thus Marx, etc., but only remotely by now. When you consider most European states are social democracies, it's hardly "communism" as Americans see it. Of course, the US is significantly more right-wing than most European nations, so the perspective is always relative to which side of the Atlantic you're on.

          – Noldorin
          1 hour ago














        42












        42








        42







        Basically Bernie Sanders used the wrong term and it stuck. For some unfathomable reason, he refers to himself as a socialist while espousing policies that are clearly social Democrat in line with most European states. He has done himself no favors. If he had said social democrat, he wouldn't have received as much McCarthy-ist style attacks. He is definitely espousing a European style model rather than a Venezuelan style model. Because of his mistake, the term's meaning has changed, and now others like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are calling themselves socialists too even though they're not.
        The DSA themselves also describe themselves in terms that sound a lot more like social democracy than democratic socialism.



        Bernie's key policy positions are all Medicare For All, lowering prescription drug prices, a jobs program to shift America's energy production rapidly towards green energy, and tuition free public colleges. I could source this, but he says it in literally every speech or interview he's ever done, so that would be a bit redundant!



        Bernie Sanders gave a great interview in 2006 with Democracy Now where he explained his version of socialism. You can compare that with the DSA position linked above.






        share|improve this answer















        Basically Bernie Sanders used the wrong term and it stuck. For some unfathomable reason, he refers to himself as a socialist while espousing policies that are clearly social Democrat in line with most European states. He has done himself no favors. If he had said social democrat, he wouldn't have received as much McCarthy-ist style attacks. He is definitely espousing a European style model rather than a Venezuelan style model. Because of his mistake, the term's meaning has changed, and now others like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are calling themselves socialists too even though they're not.
        The DSA themselves also describe themselves in terms that sound a lot more like social democracy than democratic socialism.



        Bernie's key policy positions are all Medicare For All, lowering prescription drug prices, a jobs program to shift America's energy production rapidly towards green energy, and tuition free public colleges. I could source this, but he says it in literally every speech or interview he's ever done, so that would be a bit redundant!



        Bernie Sanders gave a great interview in 2006 with Democracy Now where he explained his version of socialism. You can compare that with the DSA position linked above.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 10 hours ago









        Carson

        942621




        942621










        answered 17 hours ago









        IcarianIcarian

        2,1202617




        2,1202617













        • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

          – Sam I am
          13 hours ago






        • 3





          Did Saunders first use the term before any opponents called hm that? Sources for either would help.

          – Mark
          12 hours ago






        • 16





          I think calling his use strictly wrong is overstating the matter. Here's wikipedia's (supported by sources) definition of socialism: "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" [emphasis mine]. Expanded banking, environmental, & healthcare regulation, increased government spending and welfare, these are all things that could be construed to be at least partially "socialism" under this definition.

          – mbrig
          11 hours ago











        • @mbrig The current Wikipedia article does not have that definition, and I can't find it in the recent revision history either.

          – Jouni Sirén
          2 hours ago











        • +1 He's a social democrat, no doubt. Which has its partial roots in socialism and thus Marx, etc., but only remotely by now. When you consider most European states are social democracies, it's hardly "communism" as Americans see it. Of course, the US is significantly more right-wing than most European nations, so the perspective is always relative to which side of the Atlantic you're on.

          – Noldorin
          1 hour ago



















        • Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

          – Sam I am
          13 hours ago






        • 3





          Did Saunders first use the term before any opponents called hm that? Sources for either would help.

          – Mark
          12 hours ago






        • 16





          I think calling his use strictly wrong is overstating the matter. Here's wikipedia's (supported by sources) definition of socialism: "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" [emphasis mine]. Expanded banking, environmental, & healthcare regulation, increased government spending and welfare, these are all things that could be construed to be at least partially "socialism" under this definition.

          – mbrig
          11 hours ago











        • @mbrig The current Wikipedia article does not have that definition, and I can't find it in the recent revision history either.

          – Jouni Sirén
          2 hours ago











        • +1 He's a social democrat, no doubt. Which has its partial roots in socialism and thus Marx, etc., but only remotely by now. When you consider most European states are social democracies, it's hardly "communism" as Americans see it. Of course, the US is significantly more right-wing than most European nations, so the perspective is always relative to which side of the Atlantic you're on.

          – Noldorin
          1 hour ago

















        Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

        – Sam I am
        13 hours ago





        Comments are not for extended discussion; this conversation has been moved to chat.

        – Sam I am
        13 hours ago




        3




        3





        Did Saunders first use the term before any opponents called hm that? Sources for either would help.

        – Mark
        12 hours ago





        Did Saunders first use the term before any opponents called hm that? Sources for either would help.

        – Mark
        12 hours ago




        16




        16





        I think calling his use strictly wrong is overstating the matter. Here's wikipedia's (supported by sources) definition of socialism: "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" [emphasis mine]. Expanded banking, environmental, & healthcare regulation, increased government spending and welfare, these are all things that could be construed to be at least partially "socialism" under this definition.

        – mbrig
        11 hours ago





        I think calling his use strictly wrong is overstating the matter. Here's wikipedia's (supported by sources) definition of socialism: "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" [emphasis mine]. Expanded banking, environmental, & healthcare regulation, increased government spending and welfare, these are all things that could be construed to be at least partially "socialism" under this definition.

        – mbrig
        11 hours ago













        @mbrig The current Wikipedia article does not have that definition, and I can't find it in the recent revision history either.

        – Jouni Sirén
        2 hours ago





        @mbrig The current Wikipedia article does not have that definition, and I can't find it in the recent revision history either.

        – Jouni Sirén
        2 hours ago













        +1 He's a social democrat, no doubt. Which has its partial roots in socialism and thus Marx, etc., but only remotely by now. When you consider most European states are social democracies, it's hardly "communism" as Americans see it. Of course, the US is significantly more right-wing than most European nations, so the perspective is always relative to which side of the Atlantic you're on.

        – Noldorin
        1 hour ago





        +1 He's a social democrat, no doubt. Which has its partial roots in socialism and thus Marx, etc., but only remotely by now. When you consider most European states are social democracies, it's hardly "communism" as Americans see it. Of course, the US is significantly more right-wing than most European nations, so the perspective is always relative to which side of the Atlantic you're on.

        – Noldorin
        1 hour ago











        19















        Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




        I think getting a quick history lesson to get some context might help explain how "socialist" is used in US media.



        First, I want to highlight the long history of anti-(anti-capitalism); second, show how anything anti-capitalism is generally conflated; and third, how this is the case in the present day.





        Discussing communism might seem like a detour, but bear with me for a moment. I'll start with The (first) Red Scare (1917-1920):




        Political scientist, and former member of the Communist Party Murray B. Levin wrote that the Red Scare was "a nationwide anti-radical hysteria provoked by a mounting fear and anxiety that a Bolshevik revolution in America was imminent—a revolution that would change Church, home, marriage, civility, and the American way of Life".




        Around the time of the second world war McCarthyism (~ second red scare) took hold:




        During the McCarthy era, hundreds of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers; they became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private industry panels, committees and agencies.




        You might notice that the above two quotes only reference communism. I'll discuss this a bit more below, but I want to continue the walk through history with a quote from wiki page on the history of socialism in the United States:




        COINTELPRO [(1956–1971)] was a series of covert and at times illegal[189] projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveying, infiltrating, discrediting and disrupting domestic political organizations[190] FBI records show that 85% of COINTELPRO resources targeted groups and individuals that the FBI deemed "subversive",[191] including communist and socialist organizations; ...




        The point is, there's a long history in the US of government responses to anti-capitalist movements, as these are generally not viewed favorably. There's a lot more that could be said (labor movements; class; race & racism; gender, to name a few related issues), but that's a rough overview.





        The second point I wanted to address was the conflation of anti-capitalist terms. I pointed out that two of the quotes only mentioned communism, but actually all of the above wiki pages can be found on the history of socialism in the US wiki page. I wanted to bring this up to point out that the government response conflates anti-capitalist movements. The same wiki page notes that




        The widespread use of the word "socialism" as a political epithet against the Obama government by its opponents caused National Director Frank Llewellyn to declare that "over the past 12 months, the Democratic Socialists of America has received more media attention than it has over the past 12 years"




        Even though the Obama administration and most leftists agreed that his administration was not socialist. The source for this claim is a Chicago Tribune article, which goes on to say:




        To most, socialist policies are synonymous with any expansion in government spending (although many capitalist nations funnel more of their gross domestic product through the public sector than the U.S. does). source




        Here's a foxnews article which defines socialism as communism, (though I think the author was trying to distinguish the two):




        There was a time in American politics when the term "socialism" conjured up images of the Cold War, the U.S.S.R, Joseph Stalin and Karl Marx, nuclear threats, government domination of private industry and gulags. For most Americans who came of age during the height of the Cold War, who remember being taught to hide under their desks at school, socialism – like communism – has long been a dirty word. source




        In summary, in the United States, pro-capitalism is the majority view (to varying degrees; this means different things to different people). That is, people endorsing communism, socialism, and democratic socialism are a small minority (i.e., as a ruling system of government). The distinction between communism, socialism, and democratic socialism is generally lost on anyone outside specific academic groups, and lost on the general a-politic public. It is only when you venture in to certain leftist groups that the distinction between these groups is recognized. (And maybe certain non-leftist groups too. The point is, a small minority.)





        Third, to go back to the original question:




        Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




        You're right that Sanders is not a socialist. But he's aware of the US sentiment of the term, as I outlined above. For example, an article on a Sanders speech :




        Throughout the decades, he [Sanders] argued, "socialist" has been a term conservatives deployed when Democrats do something popular:




        Almost everything [Roosevelt] proposed was called "socialist." I thought I would mention that just in passing. Social Security, which transformed life for the elderly in this country, was defined by his opponents as "socialist." The concept of the "minimum wage"—that workers had to be paid at least a certain amount of money for their labor—was seen as a radical intrusion into the marketplace and was described as "socialist."





        He has embraced this view of himself as someone that supports progressive social policies. Though he does tend to describe himself as "social democratic" when discussing the topic, and seems to be aware of the different in terms:




        Sanders: Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, often criticizes President Obama, incorrectly, for trying to push "European-style socialism," and McConnell says the American people don’t want it. First of all, of course, Obama is not trying to push European-style socialism. Second of all, I happen to believe that, if the American people understood the significant accomplishments that have taken place under social-democratic governments, democratic-socialist governments, labor governments throughout Europe, they would be shocked to know about those accomplishments. One of the goals of this campaign is to advance that understanding… source






        In summary, Sanders is called "socialist" because the US media in general describes policies that provide some kind of assistance (for example, food aid or health care) as socialist. This is just the current nature of the discussion at the national level. This is a rather US centric (i.e., isolated) understanding of the term "socialist" which is more properly understood in countries to the left of the United States.



        Sanders doesn't seem to object to the term if it is applied to him, but when discussing his views will refer to himself as "democratic socialist" instead of "socialist." And just as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not democratic, neither is "democratic socialist" the same thing as "socialist." But as detailed above, this distinction is rarely made clear in US media.






        share|improve this answer





















        • 7





          I downvoted for the simple reason that this is a needlessly longwinded answer that fails to point out Bernie Sanders is called a socialist because he calls himself a socialist. The fact that he isn't a socialist according to several previously well understood definitions doesn't negate the fact that this term is used to describe himself because he uses it.

          – Joe
          11 hours ago






        • 7





          @Joe, I think you are confusing 1) when he doesn't make a pedantic argument against the "socialist" label and 2) how he describes himself as "democrat socialist". For example, Sanders saying (1) "The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist" and (2) "what democratic socialism means to me" both in this MSNBC article. I tried to make this point in my answer, but perhaps you have a suggestion for how I can clarify. msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-democratic-socialism

          – BurnsBA
          11 hours ago






        • 2





          @jamesqf the question starts "As a German"

          – BurnsBA
          9 hours ago






        • 3





          @Joe, that's beyond pedantic, and demonstrably false. If you call yourself an anti-capitalist, it doesn't mean folk should conflate you as a capitalist because anti-capitalist has "capitalist" in the name. As an American, it really bums me out that we're generally so ignorant of semantics and actual meanings in things. Bernie could call himself anything and the right would decry him as a socialist due to his platform. And no, I'm not a leftist. I'm simply an American dude who's tired of ignorant rhetoric in my country's politics.

          – Jesse Williams
          8 hours ago






        • 4





          And the fact that you found this answer too "long winded" is exactly WHY it's so tiresome talking to most other Americans about politics. Nobody wants foundational information, just an echo chamber that tells them they are right all the time.

          – Jesse Williams
          8 hours ago
















        19















        Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




        I think getting a quick history lesson to get some context might help explain how "socialist" is used in US media.



        First, I want to highlight the long history of anti-(anti-capitalism); second, show how anything anti-capitalism is generally conflated; and third, how this is the case in the present day.





        Discussing communism might seem like a detour, but bear with me for a moment. I'll start with The (first) Red Scare (1917-1920):




        Political scientist, and former member of the Communist Party Murray B. Levin wrote that the Red Scare was "a nationwide anti-radical hysteria provoked by a mounting fear and anxiety that a Bolshevik revolution in America was imminent—a revolution that would change Church, home, marriage, civility, and the American way of Life".




        Around the time of the second world war McCarthyism (~ second red scare) took hold:




        During the McCarthy era, hundreds of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers; they became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private industry panels, committees and agencies.




        You might notice that the above two quotes only reference communism. I'll discuss this a bit more below, but I want to continue the walk through history with a quote from wiki page on the history of socialism in the United States:




        COINTELPRO [(1956–1971)] was a series of covert and at times illegal[189] projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveying, infiltrating, discrediting and disrupting domestic political organizations[190] FBI records show that 85% of COINTELPRO resources targeted groups and individuals that the FBI deemed "subversive",[191] including communist and socialist organizations; ...




        The point is, there's a long history in the US of government responses to anti-capitalist movements, as these are generally not viewed favorably. There's a lot more that could be said (labor movements; class; race & racism; gender, to name a few related issues), but that's a rough overview.





        The second point I wanted to address was the conflation of anti-capitalist terms. I pointed out that two of the quotes only mentioned communism, but actually all of the above wiki pages can be found on the history of socialism in the US wiki page. I wanted to bring this up to point out that the government response conflates anti-capitalist movements. The same wiki page notes that




        The widespread use of the word "socialism" as a political epithet against the Obama government by its opponents caused National Director Frank Llewellyn to declare that "over the past 12 months, the Democratic Socialists of America has received more media attention than it has over the past 12 years"




        Even though the Obama administration and most leftists agreed that his administration was not socialist. The source for this claim is a Chicago Tribune article, which goes on to say:




        To most, socialist policies are synonymous with any expansion in government spending (although many capitalist nations funnel more of their gross domestic product through the public sector than the U.S. does). source




        Here's a foxnews article which defines socialism as communism, (though I think the author was trying to distinguish the two):




        There was a time in American politics when the term "socialism" conjured up images of the Cold War, the U.S.S.R, Joseph Stalin and Karl Marx, nuclear threats, government domination of private industry and gulags. For most Americans who came of age during the height of the Cold War, who remember being taught to hide under their desks at school, socialism – like communism – has long been a dirty word. source




        In summary, in the United States, pro-capitalism is the majority view (to varying degrees; this means different things to different people). That is, people endorsing communism, socialism, and democratic socialism are a small minority (i.e., as a ruling system of government). The distinction between communism, socialism, and democratic socialism is generally lost on anyone outside specific academic groups, and lost on the general a-politic public. It is only when you venture in to certain leftist groups that the distinction between these groups is recognized. (And maybe certain non-leftist groups too. The point is, a small minority.)





        Third, to go back to the original question:




        Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




        You're right that Sanders is not a socialist. But he's aware of the US sentiment of the term, as I outlined above. For example, an article on a Sanders speech :




        Throughout the decades, he [Sanders] argued, "socialist" has been a term conservatives deployed when Democrats do something popular:




        Almost everything [Roosevelt] proposed was called "socialist." I thought I would mention that just in passing. Social Security, which transformed life for the elderly in this country, was defined by his opponents as "socialist." The concept of the "minimum wage"—that workers had to be paid at least a certain amount of money for their labor—was seen as a radical intrusion into the marketplace and was described as "socialist."





        He has embraced this view of himself as someone that supports progressive social policies. Though he does tend to describe himself as "social democratic" when discussing the topic, and seems to be aware of the different in terms:




        Sanders: Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, often criticizes President Obama, incorrectly, for trying to push "European-style socialism," and McConnell says the American people don’t want it. First of all, of course, Obama is not trying to push European-style socialism. Second of all, I happen to believe that, if the American people understood the significant accomplishments that have taken place under social-democratic governments, democratic-socialist governments, labor governments throughout Europe, they would be shocked to know about those accomplishments. One of the goals of this campaign is to advance that understanding… source






        In summary, Sanders is called "socialist" because the US media in general describes policies that provide some kind of assistance (for example, food aid or health care) as socialist. This is just the current nature of the discussion at the national level. This is a rather US centric (i.e., isolated) understanding of the term "socialist" which is more properly understood in countries to the left of the United States.



        Sanders doesn't seem to object to the term if it is applied to him, but when discussing his views will refer to himself as "democratic socialist" instead of "socialist." And just as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not democratic, neither is "democratic socialist" the same thing as "socialist." But as detailed above, this distinction is rarely made clear in US media.






        share|improve this answer





















        • 7





          I downvoted for the simple reason that this is a needlessly longwinded answer that fails to point out Bernie Sanders is called a socialist because he calls himself a socialist. The fact that he isn't a socialist according to several previously well understood definitions doesn't negate the fact that this term is used to describe himself because he uses it.

          – Joe
          11 hours ago






        • 7





          @Joe, I think you are confusing 1) when he doesn't make a pedantic argument against the "socialist" label and 2) how he describes himself as "democrat socialist". For example, Sanders saying (1) "The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist" and (2) "what democratic socialism means to me" both in this MSNBC article. I tried to make this point in my answer, but perhaps you have a suggestion for how I can clarify. msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-democratic-socialism

          – BurnsBA
          11 hours ago






        • 2





          @jamesqf the question starts "As a German"

          – BurnsBA
          9 hours ago






        • 3





          @Joe, that's beyond pedantic, and demonstrably false. If you call yourself an anti-capitalist, it doesn't mean folk should conflate you as a capitalist because anti-capitalist has "capitalist" in the name. As an American, it really bums me out that we're generally so ignorant of semantics and actual meanings in things. Bernie could call himself anything and the right would decry him as a socialist due to his platform. And no, I'm not a leftist. I'm simply an American dude who's tired of ignorant rhetoric in my country's politics.

          – Jesse Williams
          8 hours ago






        • 4





          And the fact that you found this answer too "long winded" is exactly WHY it's so tiresome talking to most other Americans about politics. Nobody wants foundational information, just an echo chamber that tells them they are right all the time.

          – Jesse Williams
          8 hours ago














        19












        19








        19








        Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




        I think getting a quick history lesson to get some context might help explain how "socialist" is used in US media.



        First, I want to highlight the long history of anti-(anti-capitalism); second, show how anything anti-capitalism is generally conflated; and third, how this is the case in the present day.





        Discussing communism might seem like a detour, but bear with me for a moment. I'll start with The (first) Red Scare (1917-1920):




        Political scientist, and former member of the Communist Party Murray B. Levin wrote that the Red Scare was "a nationwide anti-radical hysteria provoked by a mounting fear and anxiety that a Bolshevik revolution in America was imminent—a revolution that would change Church, home, marriage, civility, and the American way of Life".




        Around the time of the second world war McCarthyism (~ second red scare) took hold:




        During the McCarthy era, hundreds of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers; they became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private industry panels, committees and agencies.




        You might notice that the above two quotes only reference communism. I'll discuss this a bit more below, but I want to continue the walk through history with a quote from wiki page on the history of socialism in the United States:




        COINTELPRO [(1956–1971)] was a series of covert and at times illegal[189] projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveying, infiltrating, discrediting and disrupting domestic political organizations[190] FBI records show that 85% of COINTELPRO resources targeted groups and individuals that the FBI deemed "subversive",[191] including communist and socialist organizations; ...




        The point is, there's a long history in the US of government responses to anti-capitalist movements, as these are generally not viewed favorably. There's a lot more that could be said (labor movements; class; race & racism; gender, to name a few related issues), but that's a rough overview.





        The second point I wanted to address was the conflation of anti-capitalist terms. I pointed out that two of the quotes only mentioned communism, but actually all of the above wiki pages can be found on the history of socialism in the US wiki page. I wanted to bring this up to point out that the government response conflates anti-capitalist movements. The same wiki page notes that




        The widespread use of the word "socialism" as a political epithet against the Obama government by its opponents caused National Director Frank Llewellyn to declare that "over the past 12 months, the Democratic Socialists of America has received more media attention than it has over the past 12 years"




        Even though the Obama administration and most leftists agreed that his administration was not socialist. The source for this claim is a Chicago Tribune article, which goes on to say:




        To most, socialist policies are synonymous with any expansion in government spending (although many capitalist nations funnel more of their gross domestic product through the public sector than the U.S. does). source




        Here's a foxnews article which defines socialism as communism, (though I think the author was trying to distinguish the two):




        There was a time in American politics when the term "socialism" conjured up images of the Cold War, the U.S.S.R, Joseph Stalin and Karl Marx, nuclear threats, government domination of private industry and gulags. For most Americans who came of age during the height of the Cold War, who remember being taught to hide under their desks at school, socialism – like communism – has long been a dirty word. source




        In summary, in the United States, pro-capitalism is the majority view (to varying degrees; this means different things to different people). That is, people endorsing communism, socialism, and democratic socialism are a small minority (i.e., as a ruling system of government). The distinction between communism, socialism, and democratic socialism is generally lost on anyone outside specific academic groups, and lost on the general a-politic public. It is only when you venture in to certain leftist groups that the distinction between these groups is recognized. (And maybe certain non-leftist groups too. The point is, a small minority.)





        Third, to go back to the original question:




        Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




        You're right that Sanders is not a socialist. But he's aware of the US sentiment of the term, as I outlined above. For example, an article on a Sanders speech :




        Throughout the decades, he [Sanders] argued, "socialist" has been a term conservatives deployed when Democrats do something popular:




        Almost everything [Roosevelt] proposed was called "socialist." I thought I would mention that just in passing. Social Security, which transformed life for the elderly in this country, was defined by his opponents as "socialist." The concept of the "minimum wage"—that workers had to be paid at least a certain amount of money for their labor—was seen as a radical intrusion into the marketplace and was described as "socialist."





        He has embraced this view of himself as someone that supports progressive social policies. Though he does tend to describe himself as "social democratic" when discussing the topic, and seems to be aware of the different in terms:




        Sanders: Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, often criticizes President Obama, incorrectly, for trying to push "European-style socialism," and McConnell says the American people don’t want it. First of all, of course, Obama is not trying to push European-style socialism. Second of all, I happen to believe that, if the American people understood the significant accomplishments that have taken place under social-democratic governments, democratic-socialist governments, labor governments throughout Europe, they would be shocked to know about those accomplishments. One of the goals of this campaign is to advance that understanding… source






        In summary, Sanders is called "socialist" because the US media in general describes policies that provide some kind of assistance (for example, food aid or health care) as socialist. This is just the current nature of the discussion at the national level. This is a rather US centric (i.e., isolated) understanding of the term "socialist" which is more properly understood in countries to the left of the United States.



        Sanders doesn't seem to object to the term if it is applied to him, but when discussing his views will refer to himself as "democratic socialist" instead of "socialist." And just as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not democratic, neither is "democratic socialist" the same thing as "socialist." But as detailed above, this distinction is rarely made clear in US media.






        share|improve this answer
















        Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




        I think getting a quick history lesson to get some context might help explain how "socialist" is used in US media.



        First, I want to highlight the long history of anti-(anti-capitalism); second, show how anything anti-capitalism is generally conflated; and third, how this is the case in the present day.





        Discussing communism might seem like a detour, but bear with me for a moment. I'll start with The (first) Red Scare (1917-1920):




        Political scientist, and former member of the Communist Party Murray B. Levin wrote that the Red Scare was "a nationwide anti-radical hysteria provoked by a mounting fear and anxiety that a Bolshevik revolution in America was imminent—a revolution that would change Church, home, marriage, civility, and the American way of Life".




        Around the time of the second world war McCarthyism (~ second red scare) took hold:




        During the McCarthy era, hundreds of Americans were accused of being communists or communist sympathizers; they became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private industry panels, committees and agencies.




        You might notice that the above two quotes only reference communism. I'll discuss this a bit more below, but I want to continue the walk through history with a quote from wiki page on the history of socialism in the United States:




        COINTELPRO [(1956–1971)] was a series of covert and at times illegal[189] projects conducted by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) aimed at surveying, infiltrating, discrediting and disrupting domestic political organizations[190] FBI records show that 85% of COINTELPRO resources targeted groups and individuals that the FBI deemed "subversive",[191] including communist and socialist organizations; ...




        The point is, there's a long history in the US of government responses to anti-capitalist movements, as these are generally not viewed favorably. There's a lot more that could be said (labor movements; class; race & racism; gender, to name a few related issues), but that's a rough overview.





        The second point I wanted to address was the conflation of anti-capitalist terms. I pointed out that two of the quotes only mentioned communism, but actually all of the above wiki pages can be found on the history of socialism in the US wiki page. I wanted to bring this up to point out that the government response conflates anti-capitalist movements. The same wiki page notes that




        The widespread use of the word "socialism" as a political epithet against the Obama government by its opponents caused National Director Frank Llewellyn to declare that "over the past 12 months, the Democratic Socialists of America has received more media attention than it has over the past 12 years"




        Even though the Obama administration and most leftists agreed that his administration was not socialist. The source for this claim is a Chicago Tribune article, which goes on to say:




        To most, socialist policies are synonymous with any expansion in government spending (although many capitalist nations funnel more of their gross domestic product through the public sector than the U.S. does). source




        Here's a foxnews article which defines socialism as communism, (though I think the author was trying to distinguish the two):




        There was a time in American politics when the term "socialism" conjured up images of the Cold War, the U.S.S.R, Joseph Stalin and Karl Marx, nuclear threats, government domination of private industry and gulags. For most Americans who came of age during the height of the Cold War, who remember being taught to hide under their desks at school, socialism – like communism – has long been a dirty word. source




        In summary, in the United States, pro-capitalism is the majority view (to varying degrees; this means different things to different people). That is, people endorsing communism, socialism, and democratic socialism are a small minority (i.e., as a ruling system of government). The distinction between communism, socialism, and democratic socialism is generally lost on anyone outside specific academic groups, and lost on the general a-politic public. It is only when you venture in to certain leftist groups that the distinction between these groups is recognized. (And maybe certain non-leftist groups too. The point is, a small minority.)





        Third, to go back to the original question:




        Why is it that Bernie Sanders always called a "socialist"?




        You're right that Sanders is not a socialist. But he's aware of the US sentiment of the term, as I outlined above. For example, an article on a Sanders speech :




        Throughout the decades, he [Sanders] argued, "socialist" has been a term conservatives deployed when Democrats do something popular:




        Almost everything [Roosevelt] proposed was called "socialist." I thought I would mention that just in passing. Social Security, which transformed life for the elderly in this country, was defined by his opponents as "socialist." The concept of the "minimum wage"—that workers had to be paid at least a certain amount of money for their labor—was seen as a radical intrusion into the marketplace and was described as "socialist."





        He has embraced this view of himself as someone that supports progressive social policies. Though he does tend to describe himself as "social democratic" when discussing the topic, and seems to be aware of the different in terms:




        Sanders: Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader in the Senate, often criticizes President Obama, incorrectly, for trying to push "European-style socialism," and McConnell says the American people don’t want it. First of all, of course, Obama is not trying to push European-style socialism. Second of all, I happen to believe that, if the American people understood the significant accomplishments that have taken place under social-democratic governments, democratic-socialist governments, labor governments throughout Europe, they would be shocked to know about those accomplishments. One of the goals of this campaign is to advance that understanding… source






        In summary, Sanders is called "socialist" because the US media in general describes policies that provide some kind of assistance (for example, food aid or health care) as socialist. This is just the current nature of the discussion at the national level. This is a rather US centric (i.e., isolated) understanding of the term "socialist" which is more properly understood in countries to the left of the United States.



        Sanders doesn't seem to object to the term if it is applied to him, but when discussing his views will refer to himself as "democratic socialist" instead of "socialist." And just as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is not democratic, neither is "democratic socialist" the same thing as "socialist." But as detailed above, this distinction is rarely made clear in US media.







        share|improve this answer














        share|improve this answer



        share|improve this answer








        edited 9 hours ago

























        answered 12 hours ago









        BurnsBABurnsBA

        582210




        582210








        • 7





          I downvoted for the simple reason that this is a needlessly longwinded answer that fails to point out Bernie Sanders is called a socialist because he calls himself a socialist. The fact that he isn't a socialist according to several previously well understood definitions doesn't negate the fact that this term is used to describe himself because he uses it.

          – Joe
          11 hours ago






        • 7





          @Joe, I think you are confusing 1) when he doesn't make a pedantic argument against the "socialist" label and 2) how he describes himself as "democrat socialist". For example, Sanders saying (1) "The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist" and (2) "what democratic socialism means to me" both in this MSNBC article. I tried to make this point in my answer, but perhaps you have a suggestion for how I can clarify. msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-democratic-socialism

          – BurnsBA
          11 hours ago






        • 2





          @jamesqf the question starts "As a German"

          – BurnsBA
          9 hours ago






        • 3





          @Joe, that's beyond pedantic, and demonstrably false. If you call yourself an anti-capitalist, it doesn't mean folk should conflate you as a capitalist because anti-capitalist has "capitalist" in the name. As an American, it really bums me out that we're generally so ignorant of semantics and actual meanings in things. Bernie could call himself anything and the right would decry him as a socialist due to his platform. And no, I'm not a leftist. I'm simply an American dude who's tired of ignorant rhetoric in my country's politics.

          – Jesse Williams
          8 hours ago






        • 4





          And the fact that you found this answer too "long winded" is exactly WHY it's so tiresome talking to most other Americans about politics. Nobody wants foundational information, just an echo chamber that tells them they are right all the time.

          – Jesse Williams
          8 hours ago














        • 7





          I downvoted for the simple reason that this is a needlessly longwinded answer that fails to point out Bernie Sanders is called a socialist because he calls himself a socialist. The fact that he isn't a socialist according to several previously well understood definitions doesn't negate the fact that this term is used to describe himself because he uses it.

          – Joe
          11 hours ago






        • 7





          @Joe, I think you are confusing 1) when he doesn't make a pedantic argument against the "socialist" label and 2) how he describes himself as "democrat socialist". For example, Sanders saying (1) "The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist" and (2) "what democratic socialism means to me" both in this MSNBC article. I tried to make this point in my answer, but perhaps you have a suggestion for how I can clarify. msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-democratic-socialism

          – BurnsBA
          11 hours ago






        • 2





          @jamesqf the question starts "As a German"

          – BurnsBA
          9 hours ago






        • 3





          @Joe, that's beyond pedantic, and demonstrably false. If you call yourself an anti-capitalist, it doesn't mean folk should conflate you as a capitalist because anti-capitalist has "capitalist" in the name. As an American, it really bums me out that we're generally so ignorant of semantics and actual meanings in things. Bernie could call himself anything and the right would decry him as a socialist due to his platform. And no, I'm not a leftist. I'm simply an American dude who's tired of ignorant rhetoric in my country's politics.

          – Jesse Williams
          8 hours ago






        • 4





          And the fact that you found this answer too "long winded" is exactly WHY it's so tiresome talking to most other Americans about politics. Nobody wants foundational information, just an echo chamber that tells them they are right all the time.

          – Jesse Williams
          8 hours ago








        7




        7





        I downvoted for the simple reason that this is a needlessly longwinded answer that fails to point out Bernie Sanders is called a socialist because he calls himself a socialist. The fact that he isn't a socialist according to several previously well understood definitions doesn't negate the fact that this term is used to describe himself because he uses it.

        – Joe
        11 hours ago





        I downvoted for the simple reason that this is a needlessly longwinded answer that fails to point out Bernie Sanders is called a socialist because he calls himself a socialist. The fact that he isn't a socialist according to several previously well understood definitions doesn't negate the fact that this term is used to describe himself because he uses it.

        – Joe
        11 hours ago




        7




        7





        @Joe, I think you are confusing 1) when he doesn't make a pedantic argument against the "socialist" label and 2) how he describes himself as "democrat socialist". For example, Sanders saying (1) "The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist" and (2) "what democratic socialism means to me" both in this MSNBC article. I tried to make this point in my answer, but perhaps you have a suggestion for how I can clarify. msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-democratic-socialism

        – BurnsBA
        11 hours ago





        @Joe, I think you are confusing 1) when he doesn't make a pedantic argument against the "socialist" label and 2) how he describes himself as "democrat socialist". For example, Sanders saying (1) "The next time you hear me attacked as a socialist" and (2) "what democratic socialism means to me" both in this MSNBC article. I tried to make this point in my answer, but perhaps you have a suggestion for how I can clarify. msnbc.com/msnbc/bernie-sanders-democratic-socialism

        – BurnsBA
        11 hours ago




        2




        2





        @jamesqf the question starts "As a German"

        – BurnsBA
        9 hours ago





        @jamesqf the question starts "As a German"

        – BurnsBA
        9 hours ago




        3




        3





        @Joe, that's beyond pedantic, and demonstrably false. If you call yourself an anti-capitalist, it doesn't mean folk should conflate you as a capitalist because anti-capitalist has "capitalist" in the name. As an American, it really bums me out that we're generally so ignorant of semantics and actual meanings in things. Bernie could call himself anything and the right would decry him as a socialist due to his platform. And no, I'm not a leftist. I'm simply an American dude who's tired of ignorant rhetoric in my country's politics.

        – Jesse Williams
        8 hours ago





        @Joe, that's beyond pedantic, and demonstrably false. If you call yourself an anti-capitalist, it doesn't mean folk should conflate you as a capitalist because anti-capitalist has "capitalist" in the name. As an American, it really bums me out that we're generally so ignorant of semantics and actual meanings in things. Bernie could call himself anything and the right would decry him as a socialist due to his platform. And no, I'm not a leftist. I'm simply an American dude who's tired of ignorant rhetoric in my country's politics.

        – Jesse Williams
        8 hours ago




        4




        4





        And the fact that you found this answer too "long winded" is exactly WHY it's so tiresome talking to most other Americans about politics. Nobody wants foundational information, just an echo chamber that tells them they are right all the time.

        – Jesse Williams
        8 hours ago





        And the fact that you found this answer too "long winded" is exactly WHY it's so tiresome talking to most other Americans about politics. Nobody wants foundational information, just an echo chamber that tells them they are right all the time.

        – Jesse Williams
        8 hours ago











        8














        Folks who support the view that Sanders is actually socialist frequently point to this quote from him way back in 1987:




        Democracy means public ownership of the major means of production, it
        means decentralization, it means involving people in their work.
        Rather than having bosses and workers it means having democratic
        control over the factories and shops to as great a degree as you can.




        Sanders continues to demonstrate admiration for Eugene V. Debs, the most prominent Socialist candidate in the history of the United States.



        But yes, if we focus on his major policy proposals and imagine Sanders in a multiparty parliamentary democracy, the label "Social Democrat" would be a better fit.






        share|improve this answer






























          8














          Folks who support the view that Sanders is actually socialist frequently point to this quote from him way back in 1987:




          Democracy means public ownership of the major means of production, it
          means decentralization, it means involving people in their work.
          Rather than having bosses and workers it means having democratic
          control over the factories and shops to as great a degree as you can.




          Sanders continues to demonstrate admiration for Eugene V. Debs, the most prominent Socialist candidate in the history of the United States.



          But yes, if we focus on his major policy proposals and imagine Sanders in a multiparty parliamentary democracy, the label "Social Democrat" would be a better fit.






          share|improve this answer




























            8












            8








            8







            Folks who support the view that Sanders is actually socialist frequently point to this quote from him way back in 1987:




            Democracy means public ownership of the major means of production, it
            means decentralization, it means involving people in their work.
            Rather than having bosses and workers it means having democratic
            control over the factories and shops to as great a degree as you can.




            Sanders continues to demonstrate admiration for Eugene V. Debs, the most prominent Socialist candidate in the history of the United States.



            But yes, if we focus on his major policy proposals and imagine Sanders in a multiparty parliamentary democracy, the label "Social Democrat" would be a better fit.






            share|improve this answer















            Folks who support the view that Sanders is actually socialist frequently point to this quote from him way back in 1987:




            Democracy means public ownership of the major means of production, it
            means decentralization, it means involving people in their work.
            Rather than having bosses and workers it means having democratic
            control over the factories and shops to as great a degree as you can.




            Sanders continues to demonstrate admiration for Eugene V. Debs, the most prominent Socialist candidate in the history of the United States.



            But yes, if we focus on his major policy proposals and imagine Sanders in a multiparty parliamentary democracy, the label "Social Democrat" would be a better fit.







            share|improve this answer














            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer








            edited 9 hours ago

























            answered 9 hours ago









            Brian ZBrian Z

            2,253613




            2,253613























                2














                I think there's an important distinction to be made in the examples you noted.



                The left-of-center news outlets actually make an effort to call him by his chosen name of "Democratic Socialist."





                • The Hill (left-center)


                • The Nation (left)


                It's the right-wing sources that conflate the terminology.





                • Daily Mail (right, questionable source)


                • Newsmax (right)


                • Fox News (right)


                (Of course, by European standard, all of these sources would probably be considered a little more to the right than the US ranks them.)



                The right-wing likes to use the word socialism as a pejorative, capitalizing on how little Americans know about socialism in the non-pejorative sense, and how much disinformation and conflations has been made about it in the past. If you live in the US, go ahead, try asking random people you know what socialism is. You'll probably get some really funny answers, like "Putin is a socialist" as I do when the topic comes up.






                share|improve this answer




























                  2














                  I think there's an important distinction to be made in the examples you noted.



                  The left-of-center news outlets actually make an effort to call him by his chosen name of "Democratic Socialist."





                  • The Hill (left-center)


                  • The Nation (left)


                  It's the right-wing sources that conflate the terminology.





                  • Daily Mail (right, questionable source)


                  • Newsmax (right)


                  • Fox News (right)


                  (Of course, by European standard, all of these sources would probably be considered a little more to the right than the US ranks them.)



                  The right-wing likes to use the word socialism as a pejorative, capitalizing on how little Americans know about socialism in the non-pejorative sense, and how much disinformation and conflations has been made about it in the past. If you live in the US, go ahead, try asking random people you know what socialism is. You'll probably get some really funny answers, like "Putin is a socialist" as I do when the topic comes up.






                  share|improve this answer


























                    2












                    2








                    2







                    I think there's an important distinction to be made in the examples you noted.



                    The left-of-center news outlets actually make an effort to call him by his chosen name of "Democratic Socialist."





                    • The Hill (left-center)


                    • The Nation (left)


                    It's the right-wing sources that conflate the terminology.





                    • Daily Mail (right, questionable source)


                    • Newsmax (right)


                    • Fox News (right)


                    (Of course, by European standard, all of these sources would probably be considered a little more to the right than the US ranks them.)



                    The right-wing likes to use the word socialism as a pejorative, capitalizing on how little Americans know about socialism in the non-pejorative sense, and how much disinformation and conflations has been made about it in the past. If you live in the US, go ahead, try asking random people you know what socialism is. You'll probably get some really funny answers, like "Putin is a socialist" as I do when the topic comes up.






                    share|improve this answer













                    I think there's an important distinction to be made in the examples you noted.



                    The left-of-center news outlets actually make an effort to call him by his chosen name of "Democratic Socialist."





                    • The Hill (left-center)


                    • The Nation (left)


                    It's the right-wing sources that conflate the terminology.





                    • Daily Mail (right, questionable source)


                    • Newsmax (right)


                    • Fox News (right)


                    (Of course, by European standard, all of these sources would probably be considered a little more to the right than the US ranks them.)



                    The right-wing likes to use the word socialism as a pejorative, capitalizing on how little Americans know about socialism in the non-pejorative sense, and how much disinformation and conflations has been made about it in the past. If you live in the US, go ahead, try asking random people you know what socialism is. You'll probably get some really funny answers, like "Putin is a socialist" as I do when the topic comes up.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 7 hours ago









                    CrackpotCrocodileCrackpotCrocodile

                    1,990421




                    1,990421























                        1














                        It seems likely that people call him a socialist because he's self-identified as one on multiple occasions.



                        Sander Socialist



                        and




                        When he first won election to the House in 1990, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) embraced his political identity. "I am a socialist and everyone knows that," Sanders said, responding to an ad that tried to link him to the regime of Fidel Castro.



                        Washington Post: Bernie Sanders is an avowed socialist. 52 percent of Democrats are OK with that.




                        etc.






                        share|improve this answer




























                          1














                          It seems likely that people call him a socialist because he's self-identified as one on multiple occasions.



                          Sander Socialist



                          and




                          When he first won election to the House in 1990, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) embraced his political identity. "I am a socialist and everyone knows that," Sanders said, responding to an ad that tried to link him to the regime of Fidel Castro.



                          Washington Post: Bernie Sanders is an avowed socialist. 52 percent of Democrats are OK with that.




                          etc.






                          share|improve this answer


























                            1












                            1








                            1







                            It seems likely that people call him a socialist because he's self-identified as one on multiple occasions.



                            Sander Socialist



                            and




                            When he first won election to the House in 1990, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) embraced his political identity. "I am a socialist and everyone knows that," Sanders said, responding to an ad that tried to link him to the regime of Fidel Castro.



                            Washington Post: Bernie Sanders is an avowed socialist. 52 percent of Democrats are OK with that.




                            etc.






                            share|improve this answer













                            It seems likely that people call him a socialist because he's self-identified as one on multiple occasions.



                            Sander Socialist



                            and




                            When he first won election to the House in 1990, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) embraced his political identity. "I am a socialist and everyone knows that," Sanders said, responding to an ad that tried to link him to the regime of Fidel Castro.



                            Washington Post: Bernie Sanders is an avowed socialist. 52 percent of Democrats are OK with that.




                            etc.







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered 3 hours ago









                            ValorumValorum

                            1,516815




                            1,516815























                                -3














                                The definition of socialism is




                                Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.




                                Bernie Sanders wants free healthcare and free college, which means it is run by the government. When the government is providing the services of health and education, that is socialism. In the above definition, I assume goods also means "goods and services".






                                share|improve this answer



















                                • 10





                                  Public goods can be provisioned without the government owning the means of production. "Free college" and "free healthcare" proposals typically consist of the government paying for things on behalf of the consumer, not the federal government owning every college and hospital in America.

                                  – Joe
                                  9 hours ago








                                • 2





                                  I didn't know that most industrialized countries (which provide some form of free healthcare and free education) are socialist countries. Please call Theresa May and tell her that she leads a socialist government. :-)

                                  – Martin Schröder
                                  8 hours ago








                                • 6





                                  Why is free college socialism and free K-12 school not? Hmm....

                                  – Geobits
                                  7 hours ago






                                • 2





                                  In the US (or everywhere?) most of the "means of producing" military safety are owned by the government

                                  – Hagen von Eitzen
                                  6 hours ago






                                • 1





                                  This answer is fallacious. Jazz is defined as music characterized by polyphony, syncopation, and improvization. Beethoven's music contains these elements, therefore Beethoven is a jazz composer. Silly.

                                  – barbecue
                                  4 hours ago
















                                -3














                                The definition of socialism is




                                Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.




                                Bernie Sanders wants free healthcare and free college, which means it is run by the government. When the government is providing the services of health and education, that is socialism. In the above definition, I assume goods also means "goods and services".






                                share|improve this answer



















                                • 10





                                  Public goods can be provisioned without the government owning the means of production. "Free college" and "free healthcare" proposals typically consist of the government paying for things on behalf of the consumer, not the federal government owning every college and hospital in America.

                                  – Joe
                                  9 hours ago








                                • 2





                                  I didn't know that most industrialized countries (which provide some form of free healthcare and free education) are socialist countries. Please call Theresa May and tell her that she leads a socialist government. :-)

                                  – Martin Schröder
                                  8 hours ago








                                • 6





                                  Why is free college socialism and free K-12 school not? Hmm....

                                  – Geobits
                                  7 hours ago






                                • 2





                                  In the US (or everywhere?) most of the "means of producing" military safety are owned by the government

                                  – Hagen von Eitzen
                                  6 hours ago






                                • 1





                                  This answer is fallacious. Jazz is defined as music characterized by polyphony, syncopation, and improvization. Beethoven's music contains these elements, therefore Beethoven is a jazz composer. Silly.

                                  – barbecue
                                  4 hours ago














                                -3












                                -3








                                -3







                                The definition of socialism is




                                Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.




                                Bernie Sanders wants free healthcare and free college, which means it is run by the government. When the government is providing the services of health and education, that is socialism. In the above definition, I assume goods also means "goods and services".






                                share|improve this answer













                                The definition of socialism is




                                Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy.




                                Bernie Sanders wants free healthcare and free college, which means it is run by the government. When the government is providing the services of health and education, that is socialism. In the above definition, I assume goods also means "goods and services".







                                share|improve this answer












                                share|improve this answer



                                share|improve this answer










                                answered 10 hours ago









                                ChloeChloe

                                3,66521640




                                3,66521640








                                • 10





                                  Public goods can be provisioned without the government owning the means of production. "Free college" and "free healthcare" proposals typically consist of the government paying for things on behalf of the consumer, not the federal government owning every college and hospital in America.

                                  – Joe
                                  9 hours ago








                                • 2





                                  I didn't know that most industrialized countries (which provide some form of free healthcare and free education) are socialist countries. Please call Theresa May and tell her that she leads a socialist government. :-)

                                  – Martin Schröder
                                  8 hours ago








                                • 6





                                  Why is free college socialism and free K-12 school not? Hmm....

                                  – Geobits
                                  7 hours ago






                                • 2





                                  In the US (or everywhere?) most of the "means of producing" military safety are owned by the government

                                  – Hagen von Eitzen
                                  6 hours ago






                                • 1





                                  This answer is fallacious. Jazz is defined as music characterized by polyphony, syncopation, and improvization. Beethoven's music contains these elements, therefore Beethoven is a jazz composer. Silly.

                                  – barbecue
                                  4 hours ago














                                • 10





                                  Public goods can be provisioned without the government owning the means of production. "Free college" and "free healthcare" proposals typically consist of the government paying for things on behalf of the consumer, not the federal government owning every college and hospital in America.

                                  – Joe
                                  9 hours ago








                                • 2





                                  I didn't know that most industrialized countries (which provide some form of free healthcare and free education) are socialist countries. Please call Theresa May and tell her that she leads a socialist government. :-)

                                  – Martin Schröder
                                  8 hours ago








                                • 6





                                  Why is free college socialism and free K-12 school not? Hmm....

                                  – Geobits
                                  7 hours ago






                                • 2





                                  In the US (or everywhere?) most of the "means of producing" military safety are owned by the government

                                  – Hagen von Eitzen
                                  6 hours ago






                                • 1





                                  This answer is fallacious. Jazz is defined as music characterized by polyphony, syncopation, and improvization. Beethoven's music contains these elements, therefore Beethoven is a jazz composer. Silly.

                                  – barbecue
                                  4 hours ago








                                10




                                10





                                Public goods can be provisioned without the government owning the means of production. "Free college" and "free healthcare" proposals typically consist of the government paying for things on behalf of the consumer, not the federal government owning every college and hospital in America.

                                – Joe
                                9 hours ago







                                Public goods can be provisioned without the government owning the means of production. "Free college" and "free healthcare" proposals typically consist of the government paying for things on behalf of the consumer, not the federal government owning every college and hospital in America.

                                – Joe
                                9 hours ago






                                2




                                2





                                I didn't know that most industrialized countries (which provide some form of free healthcare and free education) are socialist countries. Please call Theresa May and tell her that she leads a socialist government. :-)

                                – Martin Schröder
                                8 hours ago







                                I didn't know that most industrialized countries (which provide some form of free healthcare and free education) are socialist countries. Please call Theresa May and tell her that she leads a socialist government. :-)

                                – Martin Schröder
                                8 hours ago






                                6




                                6





                                Why is free college socialism and free K-12 school not? Hmm....

                                – Geobits
                                7 hours ago





                                Why is free college socialism and free K-12 school not? Hmm....

                                – Geobits
                                7 hours ago




                                2




                                2





                                In the US (or everywhere?) most of the "means of producing" military safety are owned by the government

                                – Hagen von Eitzen
                                6 hours ago





                                In the US (or everywhere?) most of the "means of producing" military safety are owned by the government

                                – Hagen von Eitzen
                                6 hours ago




                                1




                                1





                                This answer is fallacious. Jazz is defined as music characterized by polyphony, syncopation, and improvization. Beethoven's music contains these elements, therefore Beethoven is a jazz composer. Silly.

                                – barbecue
                                4 hours ago





                                This answer is fallacious. Jazz is defined as music characterized by polyphony, syncopation, and improvization. Beethoven's music contains these elements, therefore Beethoven is a jazz composer. Silly.

                                – barbecue
                                4 hours ago





                                protected by Philipp 10 hours ago



                                Thank you for your interest in this question.
                                Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).



                                Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?



                                Popular posts from this blog

                                How to label and detect the document text images

                                Vallis Paradisi

                                Tabula Rosettana