Have you ever had to drive a rental car that was really nice looking, but as soon as you sat in the driver’s seat you found that it was basically piece of junk?
That’s basically how everyone with a brief recollection of history feels whenever they hear the phrase “democratic socialism” — a trendy label many progressives are using to describe their political views.
The fact that socialism requires any caveat at all should tell you everything you need to know. Socialism is so bad that modern progressives have to find some other adjective to differentiate it from the horror shows we saw throughout the Cold War. It isn’t socialism like the Soviet Union — they’ll say — rather, it’s a blend of socialism and democracy like Sweden or Norway.
As we’ve discussed a few times on this page — neither Norway nor Sweden describe themselves as democratic socialist states. Sure enough, both countries boast very generous welfare states that are paid for by steep taxes on the middle class. Since Scandinavia as a whole is propped up with vast natural resources, governments are able to weather the costs decently — although governments have become far more free market oriented over the past decade.
Socialism means one thing, and one thing only: total government control of your life. Sure, it may not always look like the top image in the beginning, but it gets closer to that as more people begin to realize how flawed the system is.
~ Facts Not Memes
