Socialism, Democracy and the U.S. Constitution

In my Foreword entitled To The Parents in our Open Doors curriculum (available in full in the tab section above), I cited a former colleague’s concern that he had recently met with visiting students at his workplace. They were very pro-socialism. That was 2013, and his concerns were right on target.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York was recently elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She has since become a voice for many young people of voting age. Her worldview? Socialism is the way to go in America. But is it? What should you know about that type of government in order to reach your own conclusion?

Since we are looking at the U.S. Constitution for the next several weeks, I thought it would be timely to first examine what America is not. That will help create a useful contrast between two very different types of government.

To do so, we’ll look first at a recent opinion editorial (Op-ed) entitled: There are just nine steps from freedom to socialism to societal breakdown. What are they, what is the author’s reasoning for them, and why does it matter? Furthermore, how would the results of that set of steps affect you, your future and your family?

The author Tom Del Becarro outlines them as:

1. Massive government spending

2. Massive tax systems that reduce incentives

3. Reduced growth leading to economic stagnation

4. Deficits

5. Governments print money

6. Government fixes prices and declares when goods can be sold

7. Underground economies arise

8. Class warfare begins tearing the fabric of society

9. Total societal discord

Socialism would drastically alter our way of life. Change can be positive or negative. So, we’ll first define socialism itself. Then we will look at the above nine steps over the next couple of weeks. This mini-study will provide you a basic—and necessary--understanding of the most talked about topic in today’s news!