Americans are already Socialist.

Socialism is such a bad word in the Unites States of America.

I recently watched the Michael Moore Documentary 'Sicko' and I have started to realise a few things...

Americans are already Socialist.

Like the documentary points out, the Police, Fire Services and Schools are all government funded. They are not private, they make no profit. Why?

Is it because they are 'essential' services, perhaps?

• Are the Police essential to our everyday lives?
  
• Do we really need a Fire Service?
  
• And why bother to allow people to go to school for free?

Yes, I think we can all agree, Right Wing, Left Wing and every single person in the middle, these services are 'essential'.

So, lets assume that Fire, Police and Schools are indeed essential.

• You have a right to be safe from fire.
  
• You have a right to be protected from crime.
  
• You have a right to be Educated.
• Do you have a right to be healthy?
  

The USA is the only western country in the world without universal healthcare for its citizens. it is the only country that demands that a citizen must place their trust in a private profit making company to look after their healthcare. But that's the only option I guess, because the mere mention of making the system go public attracts cries of "Socialism!".

I grew up in Scotland, UK. I have lived in Australia and I now live in New Zealand. All these countries share a common belief:
Freedom requires that you as a human being have a right to access primary essential services..

• Police
• Fire Services
• Education
• Free Heathcare.

Listing these services as 'essential' does not make a country is socialist in any way shape or form. The UK, Germany, France and Japan (to name a few) are among the worlds largest capitalist economies. Yes they may have what you could call 'social' elements to their structure, but they are free, democratic and capitalist nations anyway.

• Making profit is not evil.
• Socialised health care is not evil.
  

So why do Americans fear the 'S' word?

Would you prefer to receive a bill the next time the police chase a rapist from your neighbourhood? or would you stand up to keep it FREE?

NASA is another example of a fully funded United States organisation and is respected world-wide for its amazing achievements in space exploration and science, but if you want to, you could call it a Socialist organisation. Does that make NASA bad? Does that mean that the NASA logo should be replaced with a Hammer and Sickle?

The Cold War is over and just because the the USSR was communist and socialist doesn't mean that there must be fear of public healthcare.

As a side note I'd also like to mention that after NASA's space shuttles were grounded the only vehicle left to fly into space for manned missions was the Soviet era Soyuz. A craft built with no private money whatsoever. Ironic?

Muzzerino