I do not believe that the semantic strugle here is worth fighting. 'Communism', 'marxism' and 'socialism' have become such unmentionable terms in American politics that even the very workers that such ideas benefit will refuse to support them. Not only has the right wing mainstream media redefined these terms for their own puposes, but the words have also become nearly inseparable from the atrocities commited by the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. In China's case, these atrocities continue to go on today, further blemishing the name of Marx and distorting his great ideas.
Socialist policies, however, like public education, Medicare, Social Security, etc., are so popular and dear to the American people that a firestorm erupts whenever a politico proposes changes, and the far right must pay lip service to these programs even as it tries to strip them of power, money, and effectiveness.
For me, the real questions is: what can I do to support worker friendly social policy? If we can provide, for instance, a workable national health care system(Europe seems to have plenty of good examples), a living wage, or a public education system that is once again the envy of the world, the American people will welcome it with open arms. If these same programs are presented as 'socialist' or 'communist' the media wont even give them a hearing.
I guess what I'm saying is, Workers Of The World- come up with some new names.
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