Why America Must Embrace Soft Socialism

We all know the headlines.  Social Security is in danger of becoming bankrupt.  The super rich are getting richer faster than ever before.  The number of people in America living below the poverty line is growing.  Health care costs are out of control.  Energy prices are spiraling upward.  Wage growth is stagnating.  Interest rates are on the rise.  We are in a war that is more about empire building than it is about "bringing democracy."  

What are the differences?

Capitalism, at is most basic, is all about greed.  It is about "me"  making more than "you."  It is about control.  The "haves" controlling the "have nots."  It has led to a culture of greed that is centered on consumption of resources over the pursuit of higher ideals.  It is the reason a lawyer can make 10, 50, or 100 times what a teacher or fireman makes.  It has led to a system that values corporations over people, profits over a truly fulfilling life.  Of course, it has its good points.  It encourages new ideas, although they are usually only new ideas for making money.  It allows hard work to be rewarded, at least sometimes.  It short, it is a system that benefits those who don't do the work over those who do.  Shareholders and CEOs get rich, the wage earner goes in debt to afford heating oil.  Companies like Wal-Mart make billions, while the people making their products scratch out a few dollars a day.  People like Dick Cheney and Paris Hilton get richer without lifting a finger.