Two things not same

Socialism is not communism. Communism is where the state owns the means of production and everyone works for the state. Socialism is when the state does things that need doing. Federal and state highways help capitalists get their goods to market. That’s socialism. Education for all is socialism. Medicare is socialism. If you like your fire department, department of sanitation, city water, roads, you are a socialist. Advanced nations have some form of Medicare for all. It’s a human right, and a lot cheaper and better than what we have now. Just ask a senior, a veteran, or a Canadian.

It has been 100 years since the states mandated 12 years of public education for all. Now we need to educate our children four more years. There is more to learn, and our economy depends on it. “We can’t afford it,” cry the deficit hawks. We can’t afford not to! “The only thing more expensive than education is ignorance.” (Ben Franklin) Our manufacturing jobs will come back when we have computer technicians and robots that will make us more productive. We need engineers, systems analysts, computer programmers and people who can design and operate modern plants.

Our economy suffers from low demand. Give working people a tax cut and they will spend it. Rich people don’t spend their tax cuts. Demand begins at the bottom and works its way up. Businesses can borrow money or sell stock to meet customers’ demand. They don’t need a tax cut. Neither do rich people. They just buy more stocks. The stock market rises, but since the increase is not based on demand, the market corrects. The poor are poor because wages are too low. Tax the rich, not the poor. It will grow the economy (GDP) faster. RUUD DuVALL Fayetteville