Whatever possessed U.S. Rep. Ed Case to vote for the House resolution against “the horrors of socialism” (“How your lawmakers voted,” Star- Advertiser, Feb. 6)?
Maybe he didn’t actually read it. It’s a mess. The authors apparently can’t even define socialism, since they use the terms “socialism” and “Communism“ interchangeably.
Every thriving modern republic employs a healthy mix of capitalism and socialism to ensure its economic and social stability. But this resolution “denounces socialism in all its forms.” Which socialist policies would Case favor refusing to implement — Social Security? Medicare? Free public schools? National parks? Veterans’ benefits?
The resolution cites horrors perpetrated by Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, Pol Pot, and the North Korean Kims as proof that the “evil ideology” of socialism leads to famine and mass murder. But those were Communists dictators, not socialists.
This is another attempt by the extremists of one party to make the label “socialism” a handy poison arrow they can shoot at any policy or use to intimidate officials or candidates of either party at any level who stand in their way. Case took the bait with his “Yea.”
Sue Cowing
Niu Valley
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