Socialism has a long and proud history in the United States. When capitalism can't or won't do that which is in the public good the government takes over.

The military is socialism, mostly. In order to avoid the draft, the Bush administration created a huge mercenary base, and that is paid by the US. Police forces tend to be funded and staffed by the government. As do water bureaus.

NASA is socialistic, with spin-offs going to private companies as they become profitable.

As capitalism fails, the financial industry is being nationalized in order to survive their greedy overreaching and collapse.

It is obvious that health care needs to be nationalized, too, as the present system is not meeting the needs of a large part of society. One will either agree with that process or say the hell with those people who don't have health insurance and aren't independently wealthy. I suppose the argument could be made that if God loved them they'd have health insurance and therefore they are expendable. As a matter of fact, that argument is made.

"Can't afford it" is the mantra of Conservatives, and yet they've said that about everything except huge expenditures on items procured from multi-national companies and whatever else it takes to maintain the empire. Some people can have 9 or 11 houses, with servants without health care, and that's fine. The way it goes. A silly argument.

The highest and best use of the government is to promote the welfare of it's people. That certainly means providing health care as a very, very high priority. Only an iminent invasion should be higher.

And let's not give socialism a bad name. It's made many a US corporation very, very wealthy. It should not be just for the wealthy. We should extend it's reach to the poorer people, too.

Arf