What Is Socialism... It Ain't Progressivism.

 

Socialism:   social and economic doctrine calling for public rather than private ownership or control of property and natural resources. According to the socialist view, individuals do not live or work in isolation but live in cooperation with one another. Furthermore, everything that people produce is in some sense a social product, and everyone who contributes to the production of a good is entitled to a share in it.
Society as a whole, therefore, should own or at least control property for the benefit of all its members.

Socialists argue capitalism leads to unfair and exploitative concentrations of wealth and power in the hands of the relative few who emerge victorious from free-market competition—people who then use their wealth and power to reinforce their dominance in society.  (the 1/10th of 1% we have in America today)

Because such people are rich, they may choose where and how to live, and their choices in turn limit the options of the poor. As a result, terms such as individual freedom and equality of opportunity may be meaningful for capitalists but can only ring hollow for working people, who must do the capitalists’ bidding if they are to survive.
As socialists see it, true freedom and true equality require social control of the resources that provide the basis for prosperity in any society.

Socialists may diverge-disagree among themselves with regard to two key points: 

• First: concerns extent and kind of property society should own or control. Some socialists have thought almost everything except personal items such as clothing should be public property. Other socialists have been willing to accept or even welcome private ownership of farms, shops, and other small or medium-sized businesses.

• Second: disagreement concerns the way in which society is to exercise control of property and other resources. In this case, main camps consist of loosely defined groups of centralists and decentralists.
  
  On the centralist side are socialists who want to invest public control of property in some central authority, such as the state—or the state under the guidance of a political party, as was the case in the Soviet Union (USSR-Communism).
  
  Decentralists believe decisions about the use of public property and resources should be made at the local, or lowest-possible, level by the people who will be most directly affected by those decisions.
  

This conflict has persisted throughout the history of socialism as a political movement.


... Republicans are very quick calling Progressivism - Socialism (many calling Progressivism new-Communism), but there are MAJOR differences:


Socialism versus Progressivism:

Socialism is an economic system where government runs and controls production resources collectively owned by society to achieve its common good.

Progressivism is a political philosophy seeking to raise the standard of living of the average member of society in order to achieve a positive social change.


While socialism and progressivism both seek economic and political equality of all members of society, they differ in their views and approaches:

Socialists want to abolish capitalism as they believe it exploits the working class. They want the working class to play an overpowering role in shifting society from capitalism to socialism either through a popular vote or going on a general strike or even going to the extreme of uprising or revolution.

Progressives believe capitalism is the most expeditious way to grow wealth of society under a "regulated business environment." They want to attain social change gradually. They do not expect the working class to play a major role in the social change they want. They also object to any form of violence to achieve social change.

Progressives believe the approach of the socialists in achieving social change is too drastic and could cause social unrest. Instead, progressives work to convince the less-privileged-poor in society to be questioning-critical of capitalist-plutocracy in order to influence the working class to vote progressives into office and perform the government obligation[s] of improving life for the entire-overall-community of citizens.

Socialism promotes a planned economy - wherein the blueprint for the production and distribution of goods and services is determined ahead of time. Socialists also believe in the equitable distribution of productivity gains. They believe that those who worked more, deserve to be given more.

Progressivism goes for a mixed economy - where basic features of capitalism and socialism are present. Progressives support economic egalitarianism and treat members of society as co-equals in terms of their right to use the economic resources and wealth and their contribution to such wealth and resources.

... they're different - very different ... unregulated-capitalism is profit at-any-all-cost[s], to society & environment ... and that's just way-too-expensive

 

**********************

Why do immigration numbers go dramatically up? Not understanding-addressing real causes of refugee-flight will have it go on indefinitely.

 

Encounters with migrants at U.S.-Mexico border remain near record highs.

Some of the biggest increases in recent-border-encounters have involved people from Colombia, Cuba, Nicaragua, Peru & Venezuela.

People just pick up and leave their home countries just to arrive at America's borders seeking access to government handouts. That's an extreme simplistic view of these countries problems, actually causing increased flight from their homelands.

• Nicaragua: democracy is crumbling. It’s been a long time coming.  Nicaragua’s already fragile democracy is quickly backsliding into a dictatorship. President Daniel Ortega has been spending-using his control of the undisputed-abusive-power of the country’s police and courts to crack down on his political opposition with brutal efficiency. This is the product of fear and terror that Daniel Ortega has engaged in the face of transparent, competitive free-elections, Nicaragua's people are desperate and afraid, seeking refuge-shelter in their neighboring-country-America.

• Colombia:  has been torn apart by conflict for over 40 years. The war that has raged between the Colombian government, guerilla groups such as the FARC and ELN, paramilitaries, and narco-traffickers has cost the lives of an estimated 50,000 – 200,000 people and has displaced millions of others. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently 3.5 million internally displaced persons inside Colombia, while another 500,000 – 750,000 are seeking refuge in neighboring countries. It is the largest displacement crisis in the Western Hemisphere, and constitutes the 7th largest refugee population in the world. 

• Peru: political instability is prompting migrants to flock to the U.S. southern border. Peru is dealing with political instability, widespread corruption, the highest inflation since 1998, and protests driving illegal immigration to the U.S.. There’s a high level of distrust with the government, and parents and young people alike see an uncertainty about what their future holds in Peru.
  “You can be assaulted and robbed on the street, including lose your life over a cell phone someone wants to steal from you. Crime is on the rise and police don’t have control over it. Sicarios and organized crime are more and more common. Criminals can buy their freedom even if they’re arrested."
  “Peru is descending into anarchy. On the face of it, the country has a constitutional government, but really it’s anarchy. No one knows how it’s going to end.”

• Cuba: more Cubans are migrating to the United States. Cubans don’t see a future with the corrupt and inefficient military gerontocracy ruling the country. Profound reforms such as allowing Cubans to own export businesses or to partner with foreign companies are not forthcoming. Low prices for Cuba’s exports, a stifling bureaucracy and continuous repression are making life on the island increasingly unbearable.
  The Castro regime has encouraged emigration. It alleviates internal pressure by creating an escape valve which weakens opposition. In addition it eliminates one of the major complaints of Cubans on the island – that they were prohibited from traveling abroad.
  Finally, the powerful attraction and help of some two million Cuban-Americans living in the U.S. encourages and facilitates the migration process. Their experience in this country is an attraction for those suffering on the island and longing for a better future.

• Venezuela:  Venezuelans propelled to U.S. by crisis, not immigration policy. Venezuela is a unique case of an economic catastrophe. Only country in peacetime able to engineer a decline in GDP of 80%... that compares to a GDP decline of 28% during the Great Depression in the U.S. and a 50% drop in GDP in Germany during World War II.
  Economy went into a tailspin because government tried to control society by taking away economic rights. In the middle of the oil boom, the government thought, we have enough money coming from oil, so we don’t need the private sector. In fact, we can expropriate the private sector. We can put all sorts of controls on the private sector and make it obey. Many people decided under those conditions, it was not possible to dream, to plan, to invest, to do things in Venezuela, and people started to leave.

... in ALL these cases, these are not people wanting-desiring to leave-their-homelands just to go on government assistance in the U.S. ... that's GOP-disinformation-propaganda
... economics are the driving-forces propelling them to our borders, and that's NOT-gonna-be-changing anytime-soon ... matter-of-fact, it's all to only to be getting worse

... the U.S. should be watching closely and learn-react from what is happening in all of these countries.. we are not immune to similar circumstances occurring here... we're on the edge now
... here in this country we don't have government wise enough to understand this border issues-crises are only to increase in the very near future... desperate people willing-are to continue taking desperate measures

... Republican-arguments, saying they are all coming-flocking to U.S borders simply to get 'free-social-benefits' is beyond naivete.. another con being perpetrated on the American-people by their leadership

... land has been fought over for all of history... Europeans invading-conquering America... seizing lands having been inhabited by indigenous-peoples for thousands-of-years

... my father Bernard Arias came to America early last century fleeing Fascism in Spain
... majority of these Latin American refugees doing-nothing-wrongfully-different
... America's immigration system in drastic-need-of-overhaul

 

 

 

What is Progressivism? ... there are many think they know, but what they think is NOT what Progressivism is in fact.

 

Progressivism in American politics refers to a reform movement advocating progress – change and improvement – over conservatism, preserving the status quo.

Progressivism was a reaction to the increasing economic inequality that was a product of the Industrial Revolution and virtually unregulated capitalism, including the exploitation of labor.

As an idea, Progressivism generally refers to the belief that government or people acting on its behalf can be used to address social problems, inequalities, or inequities facing the nation.

Whether you were a Progressive only in spirit or a member of the political organization of the same name, you shared several major goals:

• Ending corruption - Progressives wanted consumer rights, the ending of monopolies, and clean government.

• Efficiency and perfection - Progressives held the belief that we really could eradicate most social failings and problems. At the minimum, if we couldn't end these problems, we could streamline our solutions to provide the most efficient solutions.

There were several policies that had-have leverage with both Progressives and everyday Americans. Key areas of social reform addressed by Progressivism Movements are:

• Conservationism: the promotion of nature and wildness, as well for ideas about the “commons” and its protection. 

• Quality of life: progressivism saw that human flourishing was less possible in poverty conditions – from hunger to unsafe housing.

• Education: the virtue of public education wasn't just to provide a 'way out' for poor minorities or immigrants, as it's often viewed today. Instead, it was viewed as a civilizing force by Progressives, a social mechanism for creating new, industrious Americans.

• Labor Rights & Conditions: progressives sought to end dramatic industrial accidents in which workers perished or were injured because of poor working conditions. Labor organizing was generally supported by the Progressive movement, and so were creation of safety codes for factories and other buildings.

• Shorter Working Days: the eight-hour day enforced by overtime requirements was a long fight on the part of the Progressive movement and the labor movement (at first with active opposition from courts which found that changes in labor laws interfered with the individual rights of corporate owners).

• Child Labor: the progressives came to oppose permitting children at young ages could be employed in dangerous occupations, from four year olds selling newspapers in the street, to children in the mines, to children operating dangerous machinery in textile mills and factories. Prior to the Progressive era, child labor was depressingly common. Factory owners often preferred child workers since they were more manageable (that is, less likely to strike) and cheaper. Children in factories often worked 16-hour days in highly dangerous conditions. The anti-child-labor activism continued into the 20^th century, and the highest courts at first made it difficult to pass such laws. Sound familiar, today there's once again talk (by R's) of loosening child labor laws.

• Equal Treatment: the political disenfranchisement of African Americans and women was a major issue for all Progressive groups.

•  Women’s Rights: though the women’s rights movement began organizing before the Progressive Era, and arguably helped begin it, the Progressive Era saw the expansion of women’s rights from child custody, to more liberal divorce laws, to information about contraceptives and family planning, to “protective labor laws” to make it possible for women to be both mothers and workers. Women finally were able to get a constitutional amendment in 1920 removing sex as a barrier to voting.

• Race: some reformers worked for racial inclusion and racial justice. Black people founded reform organizations of their own, such as the NACW, working for such issues as education, women’s rights, child labor reform. The NAACP brought together White and Black reformers in response to destructive riots. Ida B. Wells-Barnett worked to end lynching. Other progressives fought against those (like Woodrow Wilson) who enforced and promoted racial segregation.

• Better Government: in the face not only of increased concentrations of money into corporate hands, but also the rise of big city machine politics, reforming government to put more power into the hands of ordinary Americans was a major part of progressivism. This included establishing a primary system where voters, not party leaders, selected candidates for their party, and it included direct election of Senators, rather than having them elected by state legislatures.

• Limits on Corporate Power: busting and regulating monopolies and establishing antitrust laws were policies seen as not only benefiting more people and preventing unconscionable wealth disparities, but also as a way for capitalism to function more effectively through a more competitive market. "Muckraking-journalism" helped expose corruption in politics and business, and motivate limits on both government and business power.

Republicans go on and on about how bad progressives are ... why do they, because they are exclusively on the side of business interests (majority of corporate-democrats are as well), and their lobbying-spending hundreds-of-millions to keep "that-status-quo," and all the unending-billions-of-dollars it brings along with it.

 

Progressivism is the fight against all-monied-interests wanting-demanding full control of government, along with the 'laissez-faire' right of doing business as they alone see fit.

Progressives want 'to-change-reform' all-of-this, so they've-become-are the-ultimate-bad-guys in all-the-propaganda of the GOP faithful, bought and paid for by plutocrats and oligarchs with ever increasing abusive-obscene-wealth.

Our current systems are not working, they are crying out for reforms. Those believing progressives are the 'bad-guys' all-have-are-being-conned, by the exact same system[s] doing-them-in and so-benefiting e-n-o-r-m-o-u-s-l-y... FOLLOW-THE-MONEY. 

 

*****