Socialism what?

While my wife slept in this morning, I spent an hour or two trying to better understand the similarities and the differences between Communism, Socialism, Democratic Socialism, Social Programs, Government Funded Infrastructure, Social Justice (as per "Social Justice Warriors"), Capitalism, and Libertarianism. Why? Because in the debate these terms are often misstated, conflated, and misunderstood.

What did I learn? I learned that I'm not a commie, I'm not a Socialist, nor am I a Democratic Socialist. I'm not a full-on Libertarian, and I'm not a Social Justice Warrior, either. I'm fundamentally a Capitalist, and I support social programs and government funded infrastructure, up to a point.

I don't think the U.S.A. is perfect, but neither do I wish we were more like Scandinavia, the European Union, China, or anyplace else? No. Not even a little bit.

Free college for everyone? No. Everyone isn't cut out for college, and what college is for many people today is out of alignment with the job market. There simply aren't jobs that provide a ROI that justifies the cost. Tax credits for companies willing to pay for employee higher education that is aligned with their jobs or job opportunities in their field of endeavor. Yes, absolutely.

Forgiveness of student loans? Maybe. If some form of public service is incorporated as part of that forgiveness, even if it's spread out over a number of years, then I MIGHT be ok with it. Just flat out paying it off because it was so "wrong" to encumber these poor victimized, powerless people with debt when all the wanted was an education? Are you kidding me? NFW! What about my car loan? I needed a car to get to work, whether I went to college for the job or not. What about my mortgage? I need a place to live and to raise my family more than I needed college to do it. When are those debts going to be forgiven?

Government (taxpayer) funded healthcare for all? No. But neither are the current triangle of evil: healthcare providers, big pharmaceutical companies, and the healthcare insurance companies in our best interest. Healthcare safety nets like medicaid? Yes.