by Robert M. Traxler

Socialism has been a factor in American political history since 1876 and possibly even earlier. Research the Socialist movement in the United States and you find a long history of dozens of small, dedicated groups that could never coalesce into a large movement.

Before Senator Sanders, the old high water mark of Socialism in the United States was 1912 to 1920, with Eugene V. Debs receiving nearly a million votes when running for president. The Socialist movement fractured starting in 1917 over support for the Communist Marxist/Leninist movement after the October revolution in Russia. Socialists and their big brother Communists have been on the American national ballot for well over a hundred years now, with various candidates running in different elections.

The rise of Franklin D. Roosevelt, a very liberal candidate, moved a number of the various Socialist/Communist organizations into the Democratic Party. The hard core Socialists and Communists remained independent of the national Democratic Party, but the less devoted were absorbed into major party politics.

Senator Bernie Sanders holds the highest elected office for any of the various American Socialist movements. Two U.S. Representatives, Victor Berger of Milwaukee and Myer London of New York City, each served three terms in the early 1900s.

Senator Sanders, a Democratic Socialist, is unique in our history; he is the first openly Socialist candidate to be seriously considered for the presidential nomination of a major political party. If Senator Sanders gets the nomination of the Democratic Party (given party politics a highly unlikely event), it will cement his place in American history.

I sincerely wish our friends in the media would ask Senator Sanders what he feels the role of government should be in our everyday lives. Socialism advocates that the government control production and distribution of all products; does Senator Sanders want to control wages and prices? The amount you are paid would be set by your employer in coordination with the government. The price you pay for goods or services would be set by the provider and the government, not supply and demand as we find in a free market.

Socialism advocates much greater government involvement in our everyday lives. Government, especially the federal government, would regulate many more things in the name of providing fairness and equality of outcome for all. A free market Democracy endeavors to allow equal opportunity for all to achieve a favorable outcome, but unlike Socialism does not provide a government guarantee of a positive outcome. Those of you who work harder/faster/smarter will get rewarded in a Capitalist system, as opposed to rewards being equal for all regardless of effort in the name of fairness and social justice in the Socialist system.

Socialism has never worked for long, as it punishes success and rewards mediocrity. Redistribution of wealth and social fairness are great, until as the late Margret Thatcher said, “The problem with Socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”

We can tax the rich and businesses until their success has been punished and they have nothing left, then what? The funds necessary to provide government largesse are still necessary, but the rich and businesses have no more left — so who pays?

No Socialist nation has lasted as long as our free enterprise Democracy, and many of dozens of nations have adopted Socialism only to see it fail over time. The longest lasting nation with a Socialist government I could find was the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics 1922 to 1991, 67 years. A number of nations refer to themselves as Socialist but have more of a free enterprise capitalist economic system. A good example are the Scandinavian countries that refer to themselves as Socialists but govern and tax more as a free market capitalist system.

Socialist political movements have been with us in the United States for a very long time. Senator Sanders’ success thus far may ensure the Democratic Party moves further left for years to come, in order to recapture the far left Socialist voters. Time will tell us if it is a course of action that will work long term for the Democrats.

History tells us Socialism has always failed as it rewards mediocrity and punishes productive labor. However, it sure sounds good, and who does not like free stuff and getting even with and punishing corporations and the rich and successful?