About Government provided stuff. you know..."socialism"

[EdwardBernays]

2. Pedant here

And I think it's probably a better tact to school people on what Democratic Socialism is, rather than try and redefine socialism in a way that is honestly not really mainstream. Because we on the left have been saying for years that Obama isn't a communist, and Healthcare Reform isn't a communist plot. If we decide that providing water - which has we PAY for - is "socialiat" then where do we stop? Forcing someone to pay taxes isn't socialist and we shouldn't say it is.

Socialism, in nearly all instances, means worker/community owned/controlled means of production ie social ownership.

And that's NOT the same thing as paying taxes for roads. In fact the weird - and incorrect - American understanding of this issue even has its own Facebook entry.

"Particularly in the United States, the term "socialization" has been mistakenly used to refer to any state or government-operated industry or service (the proper term for such being either nationalization or municipalization). It has also been incorrectly used to mean any tax-funded programs, whether privately run or government run."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_ownership#Social_ownership_of_equity

I do understand WHY people want to reclaim or redefine the term socialism, but if you use it casually and people then Google it, they will get a completely unflattering idea of what you - and Sanders - stands for. Which is bad.

Instead point people to the wonderful idea of the Nordic Model.

"The Nordic model (also called Nordic capitalism[1] or Nordic social democracy)[2][3] refers to the economic and social policies common to the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Sweden). This includes a combination of free market capitalism with a comprehensive welfare state and collective bargaining at the national level.

Although there are significant differences among the Nordic countries, they all share some common traits. These include support for a "universalist" welfare state aimed specifically at enhancing individual autonomy and promoting social mobility; a corporatist system involving a tripartite arrangement where representatives of labor and employers negotiate wages and labor market policy mediated by the government;[6] and a commitment to widespread private ownership, free markets and free trade.[7]

Each of the Nordic countries has its own economic and social models, sometimes with large differences from its neighbours.[8] According to sociologist Lane Kenworthy, in the context of the Nordic model, "social democracy" refers to a set of policies for promoting economic security and opportunity within the framework of capitalism rather than a system to replace capitalism.[9]"

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_model

That's what Sanders believes in and what is firing up people across the country.