When Republics say anything at all about "socialism"

[randr]

the immediate response is to point out that they really mean to take away Social Security and Medicare.

[grumpyduck]

1. I am so fed up with all these labels.

I would really -- really -- love to know how many people who refer to others as (take your pick) socialists, Marxists, Communists, Neo-Nazis, and so on and on, really know what those ideologies mean. 10%? 25%? 50%? more?

From what I've seen, it's mostly jumping on the bandwagon after a commentator says so-and-so is a [whatever]. If he/she says it on TV or online or in print, well, then, gosh darn it all, it must be true.

I would be happy to go on TV or the media and make millions a year by reading BS that my writers come up with, just to tell my viewers what they want to hear so they keep coming back and watching the commercials. But I would also want my staff to explain to me, in simple terms, just why it is correct that someone is a [whatever] they want me to call him or her.

Of course, that takes a little more self-respect than many of these so-called pundits will ever have.

[WillowTree]

2. Poor analogy. Neither of those is an example of socialism since.......

…….a person can only collect these if they paid into the specific systems while working.

[JHB]

3. The immediate response is one or several variations on...

..."Blow it out your ass. You call everything you don't like 'socialism'."