Why do Americans hate Socialism/Communism?

Why do Americans have such a great hatred of Socialism and Communism? Where did it spring from and when did it arise? I don't mean the insanity of communism in Russia/China/North Korea etc., but the more liberal approach taken by the UK, Sweden, and a host of other countries.

Why is Liberal such a dirty word in America?

What exactly is wrong with universal health care? Surely the aim of major industrialized nations should be to ensure that all it's citizens are healthy, educated, and there is a safety net for when things go wrong for people.

I don't understand from where the vehemence of the American argument stems. I am not saying all Americans, but it does seem to be the prevailing opinion from the European perspective.

Because capitalism and advancing one's lot in life is part of America. We don't have capitalism in America presently, we have corporatism. Communism and socialism have failed historically, and is not in conjunction with the liberties America was founded on. China, the biggest communist country is a blend of both, more communo-capitalism. I'm not saying that our present society hasn't drifted away from these historical liberties, just that the nature and history of America is on the opposite end of the spectrum. This is why bringing up socialism to combat Obama is so effective with the American people--they are scared it will happen, but not proactive enough to look at recent history and see the similarities.

It came out of WWII. Along with basically all the problems we live with today.

Actually social health care is not socialism.

Socialism is the workers ownership of the means of production. In other words instead of the private ownership of the means of production (capitalism) the economy would be owned by those who do the work, and the massive profits made would be more fairly distributed.

It really has nothing to do with social health care. Social just means it pertains to a social group.

Many countries have social health care and they are far from socialist. I'm English and spent many years protesting our capitalist economy. As long as the means of production are privately owned then it is capitalism. A few government ran institutions is not socialism. Socialism requires no government, it is an economic system not political.

This is why Anarchism is traditionally socialist.

We are convinced that freedom without Socialism is privilege and injustice, and that Socialism without freedom is slavery and brutality. Mikhail Bakunin, known as the farther of Anarchism

So to conclude, Americans hate socialism/communism because they don't know what they really are due to their MSM education. The capitalist system certainly doesn't want the people to have any socialist ideas, we may just attempt another workers revolution like in Spain in the 30's. Too risky to allow the people the real freedom of understanding.

I believe that we are not taught much about socialism/communism. I'm in my 30s and don't remember anything I learned about communism except that it is scary and bad. I don't believe that today because I have an open mind but I can't say the same for the rest of my family. And honestly, the people in my generation hardly pay any attention to politics and such. They go to work and come home, watch sitcoms and party on the weekends. It's hard for me to have an intelligent conversation with many of them.

Good point OP! I can't stand it when Americans repeat themselves as a whole.

And what is it with all these 'ism' words. I swear its just the Americans who over use it .

Originally posted by MGriff
Because capitalism and advancing one's lot in life is part of America. We don't have capitalism in America presently, we have corporatism.

Corporatism is just an inevitable result of capitalism. It is socialism for the capitalists. It is capitalism protected by government.

Communism and socialism have failed historically, and is not in conjunction with the liberties America was founded on.

Failed because it has never been given a chance. The capitalists have the power, always have. Read about the Spanish revolution. The fascists were supported by capitalist all over the world, including the US, in their attempt to stop the power the workers were gaining all over Europe.

If you're talking about the USSR they were never socialist or communist to start with.

dbzer0.com...

That was all just propaganda by the US after the end of WWII.

China is also NOT communist, only by name. You can't be both communist and capitalist. Capitalism is the private ownership of the means of production, communism does away with capital. China is a capitalist dictatorship, the people have no power.

Socialism and communism are not dictatorships, both system put the power in the hands of the people, not governments. All governments are a form of dictatorship, just because we change the figurehead every 4, or so, years it doesn't mean our government is any different, or better. We still have the same system where the workers are exploited to make capitalists wealthy.

There's a simple reason.
60+ years of nonstop propaganda convincing people that apples are orange.

Because it steals the fruits of peoples labor against thier will to fund thier social programs. I am not against social programs if they are voluntarily funded. Communism and even UK style socialism force people to pay for it against thier will. It has lead to global economic collapse. If its so great why do you have to force everyone to participate by stealing thier money?

Health care would have been universal by now and affordable to everyone had government stayed out of it and not forced managed care.

We are social creatures and society has always done certain things collectively. But the minute it becomes forced it becomes evil. People do not learn to be charitable by having thier money and substance stolen from them in the name of charity. They become resentful and will seek to hide thier fruits from the thieves calling themselves government good guys. They do not become industrious by being told they are owed a living whether they work or not etc.

Leaving charity to society and not force it it eliminates people taking advantage of it who don;t deserve it. Now the system is so gloated from abuse it is collapsing under its own weight. Look around you forced socialism is failing even in Europe which is why they are having riots.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

It's because at some point in the not-too-distant past, our government was actually capable of managing the nation, and Socialism/Communism, being a mirror reflection of our Cold War way of life at the time, was never seen as an option.

So now we have a government that is no longer capable of managing the nation, but we still have the echo of this Cold War mistrust of all things Socialist.

The people who have the fervent disgust for Socialism are the people who actually believe that our government knows what's best. Not that Socialism is the answer, but the current solution obviously isn't working.

TPTB hate the prospect of the massive social upheavel and civil war that revolution would bring. If things get worse then the stark choice wull be communism or fascism. Many still live in the shadow of senator Joe McCarthy.

Originally posted by hawkiye
Because it steals the fruits of peoples labor against thier will to fund thier social programs. I am not against social programs if they are voluntarily funded. Communism and even UK style socialism force people to pay for it against thier will. It has lead to global economic collapse. If its so great why do you have to force everyone to participate by stealing thier money?

Leaving charity to society and not force it it eliminates people taking advantage of it who don;t deserve it. Now the system is so gloated from abuse it is collapsing under its own weight. Look around you forced socialism is failing even in Europe which is why they are having riots.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

edit on 1-12-2010 by hawkiye because: (no reason given)

hawkiye:
I think you make a great point here.

Look where I live...California...probably the most liberal, socialicized state in the USA right now...and the state is bankrupt because of years of this forced, needless spending on social programs. I get bashed by American friends from other states on Facebook and even by some here on ATS. Guilty by association...Because I live in California, then *I* am part of the cause!

Yet, I am the one who is paying over 50% of my income in various local, state, and federal taxes!

So Americans hate these principles of socialism/communism because some individuals have been forced to pay into social programs while others have learned how to benefit from these programs so well that they are multi-generational, and know how the system works better than the government workers do! /sorry, rant over

Originally posted by Rob37n
Why do Americans have such a great hatred of Socialism and Communism?

Not all Americans do.

Why is Liberal such a dirty word in America?

It's only a dirty word to some. Some of us are proud to be progressive, even!

What exactly is wrong with universal health care?

Nothing.

Let me tell you this real simply. If you read the Constitution and the Declaration of Indepndence, read the Federlaist Papers, then you will see that the United States was founded with the idea of limited and self-checking government. The idea originally was to keep the government small and keep the states strong. That's why the senators were to be appointed by the states. THAT'S who they were to represent and that's what the tenth amendment was all about. The idea was that the individual was in charge of his own life, but also had responsibilities.

Has it turned out that way? Of course not. We can all write books about the evils of America, the evils of corporations, slavery, oh, the poor indians, blah blah blah. I don't really care. To the point.

Socialism is all government all the time. Communism is just socialism on the fast track or "liberalism in a hurry.". Both are the exact opposite of the original idea of limited government. Now you have to ask yourself how a country goes communist. the basic idea here is hold a revolution and kill millions of your own citizens. You 'collectivize the farms" by killing the farmers. This happened in the Soviet Union. It happened in China. It happened in Cuba. After you do all this yiou install an authoritarian government. Ever heard of a Communist democracy? Pretty rare bird. All government all the time means authoritarian rule, and that's what we are seeing today. We're seeing a government intentionally making a greaster percentage of citizens dependent on the Federal Government.

It's a recipe for disaster. Half the people don't pay any income tax at all. Good example is BIA, founded to :help" the American Indian. Hundreds of years of 'help' created a dependent society racked with alcoholism, poverty, grief, and hoplessness. Now that the tribes are managing to start up casinos and corporations thay are beginning to break the shackles of the crippling governmental socialist agenda and are freeing themselves like never before. It's been an amazing transformation to watch,

Now I know the socialists will rush in here and waste a lot of ink trying to skewer this. I also know that it is a long shot for America to survive the onslaught of "progressive" thinking that is destroying this country and making it a shadow of its former self. I fear that my children abd grandchildren will be living in an oppressive and totalitarian society brought on by mindless liberals who substute slogans for thinking. I absolutely hate you for it and I am only glad that I won't be here much longer.

Last post, of course.

It is said that a picture is worth one thousand words so I will merely post an image of a T-shirt I own that indicates why I hate socialism.

reply to post by Onegovernment


Edit; Oh well the post was deleted whilst I wrote this..

It's a dirty word in america,because most people here have no idea what it is.

Because they believe everything they are told by those who are supposed to be in the know.

When most americans don't know # about anything at all!.

Nice, Now that everyone has said their piece.
How about we look at the very real history of Eastern Europe, Soviet Union/Russia under full blown Socialism/Communism and red China under Mao?

How many were murdered under their watch in the name of Communism?

Stalin - 20,000,000 to 61,911,000 murdered by the Soviet Union 1917-1987

Mao -Red China 49-78,000,000 China, 1958-61 and 1966-69, Tibet 1949-50)

reply to post by schuyler
True Socialism is minimal government.

True Socialism is what all of those indigenous people of the world were doing,and what got them exterminated.

They are still being wiped out,cuz they KNOW they don't need this crap any more than you or I do.

They will not comply,so they die.

Socialism is about the people,not the government.