Why don't conservatives understand the concept of a mixed economy?

Question

Conservatives think a country adopting universal health care makes it socialist,despite the fact that most countries with universal health care also have a thriving private sector.

Conservatives seem to think economies are either socialist or capitalist.

In the US, there are several services provided by the government. Yet nobody would claim the US is socialist.

Answer 1

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The tendency for conservatives to think largely in terms of black and white for every single issue on the planet. "Black and white thinking" is the false dichotomy of assuming anything not good is evil and vice versa.

A mixture of capitalism and socialism is the best economic policy.

All countries have socialistic programs, and need to. Utilities, military, government, healthcare and many services must be heavily regulated or socialized, by all countries, capitalism does not work in those sectors because there is no real competition in these sectors.

Healthcare insurance in rich countries and/or healthcare(other than the US) have been socialized or paid for by the state. Capitalism cannot control healthcare costs.

75 Ways Socialism Has Improved America

Well I hate to be the one to tell you, but Socialism, which you have been told to fear all your life, is responsible for all this...

1. The Military/Defense - The United States military is the largest and most funded socialist program in the world. It operates thanks to our taxpayer dollars and protects the country as a whole. From the richest citizens to the homeless who sleep under the bridge. We are all protected by our military whether we pay taxes or not. This is complete socialism.

2. Highways/Roads - Those roads and highways you drive on every single day are completely taxpayer funded. Your tax dollars are used to maintain, expand, and preserve our highways and roads for every one's use. President Eisenhower was inspired by Germany's autobahn and implemented the idea right here in America. That's right, a republican president created our taxpayer funded, national highway system. This was a different time, before the republican party came down with a vicious case of rabies that never went away.

3. Public Libraries - Yes. That place where you go to check out books from conservative authors telling you how horrible socialism is, is in fact socialism. Libraries are taxpayer funded. You pay a few bucks to get a library card and you can read books for free for the rest of your life.

4. Police - Ever had a situation where you had to call the police? Then you have used a taxpayer funded socialist program. Anyone can call the police whether they pay taxes or not. They are there to protect and serve the community, not individuals. This is complete socialism on a state level, but still socialism all the same. Would you rather have to swipe your credit card before the police will help you?

5. Fire Dept. - Hopefully you have never had a fire in your home. But if you have, you probably called your local taxpayer-funded fire department to put the fire out. Like police, this is state socialism. You tax dollars are used to rescue your entire community in case of a fire. It use to be set up where you would pay a fee every month to the fire dept. for their service. If you didn't pay, they let your house burn down. Sadly, a man from Tennessee had this exact situation happen to him in 2011 because he didn't pay his $75.00 fee. I guess that small town in Tennessee would rather let people's houses burn down that resort to evil socialism. So don't take for granted the fact that you have a 24/7 fire dept. to put out your burning home thanks to socialism.

See more at

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/3/29/1078852/-7...

AGAIN

What socialist services does the US government currently provide? It seems we have several:

*military

*police

*firefighters

*voting

*Medicare

*Medicaid

*Social Security

*healthcare (via emergency room, for people who can't pay, they get billed anyway)

*public libraries

*public schools

*government college grants, scholarships, and loans

*roads (except private toll roads)

*the FDA

*the EPA

*farm subsidies

 

there's more 

Answer 2

conservatives suffer from baseless hatred more than most.

Answer 3

Why dont libs ask questions not bas3d on strawmen?

Answer 4

Great idea are you will to suffer months for a needed operation than that’s the ticket move to Sweden.

Source(s): Son in laws reason for leaving Sweden

Answer 5

And what makes YOU qualified to know what conservatives think, Little Snowflake?

• Javi3 weeks agoReport

  Because they told me that 
  

Answer 6

If you get socialist healthcare, then quality will suffer.  

• joensfca

  Lv 7

  3 weeks agoReport

  Many "socialist healthcare" systems are better and all are much cheaper.
  

Answer 7

“Several services provided by the government” - such as USPS, Amtrak, the VA. You want more of this?

Answer 8

Ideally nothing is perfect.  Everyhing in measured amounts.  Lastly  human beings are greedy by nature. TRICKLE down economics  does not work.