"As you never fail to remind us, over and over. I sometimes wonder if it isn't the socialism that bothers you more than the killing."

Socialism will ALWAYS requires culling/killing [or at least some form of maiming].

"And of course, how do you define socialism? It can range from an insect hive society to a restaurant inspector to make sure the meat isn't crawling with maggots before it's fried. No society can survive without some political control of the private sector. The spectrum is very wide. I think conservatives put the dividing line too far to the right. But they don't seem to think I want it too far to the left, they always talk as if there should be no line at all."

The degree in which govt controls it's citizens can vary. America is founded on the idea of having limited govt- having the least govt control of the people and that control checked by the will of the people. Socialism is based on the idea that more govt control better and that it's never ever attained the amount control that is really necessary. Socialism is based on idea that people don't know what's good for them and that only a goverment attain what is best for all the people. The American view is people do know what is best for them, that soveriegnty is the people, that people elect persons that represent them. In America the idea is that Joe farmer can be member of congress, or a judge, or the President. In contrast, Socialism hold that you need people who are from a particular professional class who are educated to know what is right for all the people.