What Do Socialists Want?
It’s an important question because many Democratic candidates are associated with socialism.
We want everyone to have what they need.
We want what the United States has had since the founding of the Republic: an economy managed by both government and capitalists. We and the capitalists are the same in this respect.
We differ from capitalists in other respects.
We seek to increase sharing of the country’s wealth. Today most capitalists seek to decrease sharing of the country’s wealth and to allow for the rest of us only enough to enable us to serve them.
We seek an increase of government management of the economy which will make the economy more efficient and a better provider for everyone. Today most capitalists seek government management of the economy only to the extent that it serves their interests.
From these basic goals come the others, for example, Medicare for All and the elimination of the loopholes in our tax code.
A minority of socialists want different things. For example, among members of the Democratic Socialists of America, some want the elimination of capitalism, although others believe as we do that capitalism is necessary for a healthy economy.
Tom Arnall
