Archived Opinion

Socialism is 
a misused word

Socialism is 
a misused word

To the Editor: 

The only thing I learned from a letter in a recent edition is that the letter writer doesn’t have a clue as to what socialism actually is. 

I am a veteran, and have received medical treatment at the Veterans Administration Hospital, but the VA is socialism, so I guess the previous writer hates the VA. The government owns the VA hospital and hires the VA doctors. I did not have a choice as to what doctor treated me or where I went for treatment. With Medicare, which is not socialism, I chose my doctor, and the government later paid (or partially paid) the doctor bill. That is capitalism. 

I attended socialist public schools when I was growing up. The government owns the school and hires the teachers. I did not have any choice as to which school I attended or which teacher would teach me. Today, there are some charter schools, but these are limited in number; there are also private schools, but they are expensive, and not an option for most of us. 

If someone runs a red light and destroys your car, you could avoid socialism by hiring a private detective, but the private detective could not charge the at-fault driver. The police and sheriff are, in fact, more examples of socialism. The law enforcement organization that you contact decides who will help you. The officers are hired by the government and the sheriff’s office and police department buildings are owned by the government. 

Clark Pearson 

Sylva 

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.