Don't have time to cuss and discuss at the moment, but I want to make this observation:

I have never considered myself to be a socialist (note lower-case "s"), but the more I look at such things as surveys of which countries in the world have the happiest, most contented citizens, they all turn out to be ones that are heavily socialistic. Free (government supported, tax financed) education, including college, good quality free health care, care for the elderly and disabled, many other things, along with limits on how many hours someone can be required to work, mandated vacations (so many weeks per year), and all kinds of other benefits. Yes, their taxes are high and they bitch about that, but when pressed on the matter they wouldn't change a thing!

The Scandinavian countries in general and a couple of others. Last I read, Denmark tops the "contented citizens index."

Americans have tried to turn "socialism" into a swear-word. Swedes, Norwegians, Danes, and Finns just smile and shake their heads.

Don Firth