Want the GOP to stop using the word 'socialist' to scare off Democrats? Make 'capitalism' a bad word

I believe in having an economic system that works for everyone. It must be Democratic. The best one is a hybrid featuring free enterprise and a robust safety net, a system unable to hoard capital, which is a detriment to the economy as a whole.

Everyone should have the ability to create their own company if they so desire, using their intellect and labor to get compensation commensurate with their efforts. Many who read some of my anti-corporate/anti-capitalist rants likely believe that I am a blowhard who wants a socialist state, where the takers abuse the makers. That is not so. What is clear is that the food stamp con artists share much in common with most of the unfettered capitalists: They are takers by design. They both profit from the labor and intellect of others (e.g., taxpayers and employees).

Too many are resistant to change because they believe that our economic system is divine and untouchable. It is not. It is "man-made," and it is imbued with features to ensure only the chosen can succeed. The plutocrats, via the tenets of the Powell Manifesto, brainwashed many into believing that those who work the least, as long as they wear a suit and are in an "acceptable" economic space, are worthy of their income, wealth, and riches. That indoctrination has caused us to disparage the ever-growing discards of a failing system, blaming them unfairly for the failures of our economic model.

Progressives are scared to call out capitalism by name, just like they turn into deer in headlights when the GOP calls them socialists.

I looked up definitions of socialism, communism, and capitalism, just for amusement. Of course, the dictionary definitions tried to make communism and socialism similar. They are not. But what grabbed my eyes was the following, from Investopedia:

"Both are the opposite of capitalism, where limitations don’t exist and reward comes to those who go beyond the minimum. In capitalist societies, owners are allowed to keep the excess production they earn. And competition occurs naturally, which fosters advancement. Capitalism tends to create a sharp divide between the wealthiest citizens and the poorest, however, with the wealthiest owning the majority of the nation's resources."

How difficult is it to turn "owners are allowed to keep the excess production they earn" into the phrases "stealing from," "moocher," "taker," or similar pejoratives? After all, the plutocrats or capitalists are enriching themselves via the intellect and labor of others.

from Daily Kos https://ift.tt/2HcsV1I