Scary words during the “Silly Season”

Ah, the silly season is in full swing. This is a phrase a former colleague used to describe an election year. A city employee, he used it to describe the mayoral and other local elections. I like to use it to describe any major election, and it seems more than appropriate for this year’s election. As with most silly seasons, the 2016 Presidential candidates are using their full arsenal of scary words and phrases (*cue ominous organ music*) intending to scare the voters into believing some political sleight of hand and hopefully garner some votes they might have missed otherwise.

Take the word “Socialism,” which has seen more than its fair share of use during the primaries and will likely keep cropping up during the general election. Let’s define this term for the record:

Socialism (n): a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole. (www.dictionary.com)

Socialism (n):  economic and political system, aiming at government or public ownership of means of production. (Webster’s Encyclopedia of Dictionaries 1978)

There are alternate definitions as well:

Socialism (n):  (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles. (www.dictionary.com)

Socialism (n):  to make social. To transfer industry from private to public or government ownership. (Webster’s Encyclopedia of Dictionaries 1978)

These are obviously two somewhat different definitions, and depending on the source of its use, it can mean anything from more government oversight to government confiscation. Bernie Sanders used this term to describe his programs to help the poor and middle classes. However, ever since the 1980 election, when then Republican candidate Ronald Reagan said, “Government is not the solution to our problems, government is the problem,” many on the right have expressed their disdain for all things governmental.

So the big question is, are government programs, government oversight, and actual governmental activities always a bad thing? Here is a list of things to consider, and to lighten the mood, I will try to emulate Jeff Foxworthy.

“You might be a Socialist if…”:

• You have ever used a computer or smart phone.
• Much of our computer and smart phone technology is based on research from the U.S. military, NASA, and other public sector sources. Steve Jobs did not sit on the toilet one morning and shout “Eureka! I have a great idea!”
• You have ever driven on the interstate highway system.
• Thank the Eisenhower administration.
• You have ever landed safely at a commercial airport within the United States.
• Thank the Federal Aviation Administration.
• You have ever driven on a public road.
• Thank your State and local governments.
• You enjoy fire and police protection.
• Thank your local government.
• You support the U.S. military and believe that the Veterans Administration needs to do a better job caring for our vets.
• You ever had loved ones, or you yourself have ever benefitted from Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, or other social safety nets.
• You have ever lived in a community with a neighborhood covenant/homeowners’ association that limits how you can treat your own property.
• Neighborhood associations ARE a form of government, governing your abilities to use your own property (no weird paint colors, no 8’ fences, no livestock…) for the betterment of all homeowners (the public).
• You enjoy comparatively low prices for gasoline and other energy (when compared to other nations).
• In part you can thank the Federal government subsidies and tax abatements to the energy sector that exceeds $50-$70 billion annually (source: OMB and NPR).

This list is just a sample of how our government spends our tax dollars. Our Federal government spends between a quarter to a half of a trillion dollars (yes, that is spelled correctly) subsidizing profitable corporations in this country. That number does not include the billions of dollars for food stamps and other Federal subsidies that go to the employees of Wal-Mart and other companies who refuse to pay their employees a living wage. If you want to eliminate socialism from our government, how about we cut these corporate giveaways and raise the minimum wage?

A poorly timed survey I received in the mail has many other examples of the gross misuse of our language during a highly contentious election cycle. This survey was erroneously sent to me by the National Rifle Association (NRA) and was received on Friday, June 10th—a mere two days before the Orlando tragedy at the Pulse nightclub. The survey is titled 2016 National Gun Owner’s Action Survey (I am not a gun owner). Some of the questions (which can only be answered YES, NO, or NO OPINION) are great examples of how a survey can manipulate the audience’s responses. Here are a few choice examples, with my personal reaction to the questions:

• Do you support laws that protect your fundamental right to use a firearm to defend yourself and your loved ones from a violent criminal attacker?
• Would such laws increase the number of gun related deaths similar to George Zimmerman’s killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin (who was unarmed)?
• Do you oppose any United Nations treaty that strips the U.S. of its sovereignty and gives the U.N. diplomats the power to regulate every rifle, pistol, and shotgun you own?
• In what imaginary reality is this even possible? This is a scare tactic similar to the “Obama wants your guns” tactic from the past. Well, if he wants them, he had better hurry.
• The U.N. holding sovereign authority over the U.S. is an unrealistic situation for the following reasons:
• No U.S. President, no matter which party they represent, would consider giving up U.S. Sovereignty to the U.N.
• The U.S. Senate would never approve such a treaty.
• The U.S. has veto power in the U.N., so this measure would NEVER make it to the General Assembly.
• Would you vote to reelect a member of the U.S. House or Senate who supports the gun-ban agenda?
• Where is this so-called agenda? I have occasionally been called a bleeding-heart liberal, and yet I have no desire to ban all firearms. I have heard of registering guns and banning assault/military style semi-automatic rifles, but only an extremist left-wing organization would ever attempt to ban all guns. Besides, such a ban would never be supported by even the most left member of the current U.S. House or Senate.  

To be fair, I am certain that there is equally manipulative propaganda

from the left, like today's headline from the New York Daily News. My sincere advice is to always consider the source and do a little reading of some objective material, if any can be found. Research the issues that matter to you before you cast your vote this November.

Food for Thought