This week on Reality Check Jeanne hosted Rick Hess, of the American Enterprise Institute, and Jay Greene, of the University of Arkansas, whose take on why EdReform is experiencing a “frustrating stall’ may surprise and shock you.
In their latest report, “Education’s Deep Blue Hue,” Rick and Jay uncover a distinctly “blue” political tilt among top edreform funders and advocacy organizations.
Is political correctness stalling out EdReform efforts across the country, even as local communities and educators struggle to achieve their goals? Tune in to the latest episode of Reality Check for this fascinating discussion between Jeanne, and two leading researchers in the EdReform movement.
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Overnight: 7"
Last 24hr: 7"
Last 48hr: 8"
Storm Total: 8"
BASE Total: 130"
YTD Total: 557"
Who says Spring is just packed groomers and park runs? With fresh powder on the slopes and more on the way, Spring is better than ever at Brighton.
Unlimited skiing or riding from now through end-of-season. Pow days, park days, and fun for the whole family.
Roads are slick and 2-wheel drive cars are not permitted in the canyon. Please plan ahead to carpool in an approved 4X4 or all wheel drive vehicle (read 4x4 and chain requirements here).
Taking the ski bus reduces traffic and keeps you (and others) safe. Be smart out there!
Current season pass holders can renew their passes for the 2019/2020 season online at the lowest-possible pre-season rates. No ticket lines, no stress — just head straight to the lift next season!
No-interest payment plans make it easy to renew your season pass and pay it off all summer long.
What Democratic Socialism Is and Is Not
By Lawrence Wittner
967 words
In recent weeks, Donald Trump and other Republicans have begun to tar their Democratic opponents with the “socialist” brush, contending that the adoption of socialist policies will transform the United States into a land of dictatorship and poverty. In fact, though, like many of Trump’s other claims, there’s no reason to believe it.
The ideal of socialism goes back deep into human history and, at its core, is based on the notion that wealth should be shared more equitably between the rich and the poor. Numerous major religions have emphasized this point, criticizing greed and preaching the necessity for “all God’s children” to share in the world’s abundance. The goal of increased economic equality has also mobilized numerous social movements and rebellions.
But how was this sharing of wealth to be achieved? Religious leaders often emphasized charity. Social movements developed communitarian living experiments. Revolutions seized the property of the rich and redistributed it. And governments began to set aside portions of the economy to enhance the welfare of the public, rather than the profits of the wealthy few.
In the United States, governments created a public sector alongside private enterprise. The American Constitution, drafted by the Founding Fathers, provided for the establishment of a U.S. postal service, which quickly took root in American life. Other public enterprises followed, including publicly-owned and operated lands, roads, bridges, canals, ports, schools, police forces, water departments, fire departments, mass transit systems, sewers, sanitation services, dams, libraries, parks, hospitals, food and nutrition services, and colleges and universities. Although many of these operated on a local level, others were nationwide in scope and became very substantial enterprises, including Social Security, Medicare, National Public Radio, the National Institutes of Health, and the U.S. armed forces. In short, over the centuries the United States has developed what is often termed “a mixed economy,” as have many other countries.
Nations also found additional ways to socialize (or share) the wealth. These included facilitating the organization of unions and cooperatives, as well as establishing a minimum wage, unemployment insurance, and a progressive tax policy―one with the highest levies on the wealthy and their corporations.
Over the course of U.S. history, these policies, sometimes termed “social democracy,” have enriched the lives of most Americans and have certainly not led to dictatorship and economic collapse. They are also the kind championed by Bernie Sanders and other democratic socialists.
Why, then, does a significant portion of the American population view socialism as a dirty word?
One reason is that many (though not all) of the wealthy fiercely object to sharing their wealth and possess the vast financial resources that enable them to manipulate public opinion and pull American politics rightward. After all, they own the corporate television and radio networks, control most of the major newspapers, dominate the governing boards of major institutions, and can easily afford to launch vast public relations campaigns to support their economic interests. In addition, as the largest source of campaign funding in the United States, the wealthy have disproportionate power in politics. So it’s only natural that their values are over-represented in public opinion and in election results.
But there’s another major reason that socialism has acquired a bad name: the policies of Communist governments. In the late 19thand early 20thcenturies, socialist parties were making major gains in economically advanced nations. This included the United States, where the Socialist Party of America, between 1904 and 1920, elected socialists to office in 353 towns and cities, and governed major urban centers such as Milwaukee and Minneapolis. But, in Czarist Russia, an economically backward country suffering under a harsh dictatorship, one wing of the small, underground socialist movement, the Bolsheviks, used the chaos and demoralization caused by Russia’s disastrous participation in World War I to seize power. Given their utter lack of democratic experience, the Bolsheviks (who soon called themselves Communists) repressed their rivals (including democratic socialists) and established a one-party dictatorship. They also created a worldwide body, the Communist International, to compete with the established socialist movement, which they denounced fiercely for its insistence on democratic norms and civil liberties.
In the following decades, the Communists, championing their model of authoritarian socialism, made a terrible mess of it in the new Soviet Union, as well as in most other lands where they seized power or, in Eastern Europe, took command thanks to post-World War II occupation by the Red Army. Establishing brutal dictatorships with stagnating economies, these Communist regimes alienated their populations and drew worldwide opprobrium. In China, to be sure, the economy has boomed in recent decades, but at the cost of supplementing political dictatorship with the heightened economic inequality accompanying corporate-style capitalism.
By contrast, the democratic socialists―those denounced and spurned by the Communists―did a remarkably good job of governing their countries. In the advanced industrial democracies, where they were elected to office on numerous occasions and defeated on others, they fostered greater economic and social equality, substantial economic growth, and political freedom.
Their impact was particularly impressive in the Scandinavian nations. For example, abouta quarterof Sweden’s vibrant economy is publicly-owned. In addition, Sweden has free undergraduate college/university tuition, monthly stipends to undergraduate students, free postgraduate education (e.g. medical and law school), free medical care until age 20 and nearly free medical care thereafter, paid sick leave, 480 days of paid leave when a child is born or adopted, and nearly free day-care and preschool programs. Furthermore, Sweden has 70 percent union membership, high wages, four to seven weeks of vacation a year, and an 82-year life expectancy. It can also boast the ninth most competitive economy in the world. Democratic socialism has produced similar results in Norway and Denmark.
Of course, democratic socialism might not be what you want. But let’s not pretend that it’s something that it’s not.
–end–
Dr. Lawrence Wittner, syndicated by PeaceVoice, is Professor of History emeritus at SUNY/Albany and the author of Confronting the Bomb (Stanford University Press).
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The Evening
Releases New Cover Video
"Everybody Wants To Rule The World"
Listen Now, Here:
March 22, 2019 - Washington, DC - The Evening have released a brand new cover video of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World," the hit single from Tears For Fears. Featuring Luke Holland on drums, The Evening offers listeners a bright, vibrant take on the '80s classic. Fans can check out the song now, here: http://smarturl.it/061cs7.
"Songs from the Big Chair is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time," Holland shares."When Taylor reached out to do this project together, I practically already had my parts written. We really enjoyed putting a modern spin on a classic like this."
The Evening consists of producer/instrumentalist Taylor Larson and vocalist Kinnie Lane. Created in 2018 as a studio project, the band blossomed into a full-blown band with singles and cameos charting on Billboards hot singles charts. With many more singles to come, The Evening has a whole new album on the horizon that will surprise and mystify listeners.
Stay up to date on the latest at www.facebook.com/THEEVENING.
For More Information, please visit:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/THEEVENING
Instagram: www.instagram.com/theeveningmusic
"Everybody Wants To Rule The World" Embed Code: <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vim2b-72vCI" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Download single artwork here
