An Interesting exchange

We received this e-mail the other day which resulted in the following exchange:

I've seen your new street sign (“Medicare is socialism, dunce”). I was disappointed in the tone (referring to others as a dunce is unnecessary and not helpful in making better communication). Beyond that, I'm not sure you're right. Medicare seems more like corporatism (dividing the means of production between government and private enterprise based on the market) which was one of the hallmarks of Italian fascism. In short, I think the certainty and arrogance of the sign was unwarranted.

Regards,

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I agree the tone was poor. However everybody that works here can put messages on our reader board. I hope the author was intending to point out our government does have some positive examples of social services: schools, fire departments, police, Medicare, all of which could technically be called "socialism." A silly semantics argument on both sides in my opinion. Also a poor choice of the author to call names.
"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power." -- Benito Mussolini (lots of reference but verbatim quote is up for debate)
Historically Fascism has has been interested in authoritarian control over everything. I think Black Water or Haliburton are good examples in current times (note merging state and corporate power verses dividing). Some obvious historical examples of Fascism and their approach to medicine could be banning birth control, eugenics, and death camps. Fascism by definition is not Democratic.
We do have many current examples of "socialized medicine" Most of which are much cheaper, more effective and produce longer healthier lives then the corporate private system we have here. I'm not one that wants government telling me what to read, taking away my condoms, or building bombs, but I do know social medicine has a far better track record than corporate medicine. Like schools, the fire department and police, health care is a situation where service must come before profit. We tried putting profit first and it failed. The majority of Americans agree, unfortunately the strangle hold of corporate interest has made democracy non-functional bring us back to Corporatism, Fascism, Mussolini and merger of state and corporate power.

-Last Word Books

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Thanks for your prompt, thoughtful and thorough reply. For what little it
is worth, I agree with you completely...both about the many positive
examples of government social services and about your examples of fascism
(and its dangers). Personally, I fully support (whatever that means)
socialized medicine. I also agree that far too many Americans have bought
into the message given by corporate power. I wish the advertising for my
business could be that effective. :-)

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