Socialism

 

Americans hate the word socialism.

Me?

I wouldn't live in any country that isn't fairly to very socialistic. I'm talking about the failed societies but the successful ones in Europe that vary in the degree of socialism.

This is the budget for our region of Southern France.

• 35 million Euros to improve cable.
• 16 million Euros for roads
• 12 million Euros for bike trails
• 10 million Euros for fire department and security
• 9 million Euros for social housing
• 7.8 million Euros to rehab existing schools and to build a new
• 3.1 million Euros to make keep the water clean enough to drink.
• 1.8 million Euros to renovate retirement homes
• 750,000 Euros for rehabing the Institute of Childhood and Adolescence

 I will use the roads, the cable and maybe the trails. I hope I won't need the Fire Department, but if my neighbor's house catches fire, the firefighters might be able to save her house and also mine from catching too. Others may need social housing and it is wonderful they are not on the street. The call is still out on when I might need a retirement home. 

My tax money is going to make my life better and my neighbors' lives better. Of course, not every centime is spent wisely and I'm 100% sure there is some graft as there is everywhere. 

I believe the government is there to make the lives of its citizens who put them in office better through providing services that not only would it be impossible for everyone to supply for themselves but would be a climatic catastrophe.

So let me ride on socialistic roads and bridges, take public transportation, flush into a public sewer, drink clean water from my tap, feed my reading habit from the local library. I don't want to live with the ignorant masses so I'm happy that money goes to schools and I am even happy if higher education is public paid. After all these are my future doctors, dentists, lawyers, accountants, etc. 

Micro example: We have friends who wanted a house in Argelès. What they loved, neither couple could afford alone. So they pooled their money. There is a bit of negotiating who uses what when (and sometimes together), how rental income is distributed, what repairs are needed when but together they have more than they could have alone. Maybe that's personalized socialism.

Socialism is rampant in Scandinavian country but it has also produced some major capitalistic companies such as Nokia, Volvo, Ikea, etc. Small business also flourish while the employees and citizens have decent health care, retirement, holidays--the things that reduce some of the worries of life. 

I'm happy to claim to be a Democratic Socialist.