What else should I call services provided by the government because it owns the means of producing it? Things like education, military, healthcare, and basic necessities. Things all governments should provide, at or below cost because they're funded by taxes.
Socialism, as I've always understood the term, uses "means of production" to include a lack of privately owned businesses, etc. No European nation refers to itself as socialist. This is interesting b/c I wonder if older voters understand that ppl use two different definitions. I didn't until now.
Yes, all those things I listed *can* be provided by private businesses. In some places they do. Private schools, mercenaries, for profit healthcare, landlords, electric companies, etc. Shit we *need* to live should not have a profit motive and in fact every single time private has taken over that...
which we need to survive and function in the modern world only gets enshitified and price gouged. When the government is the main, biggest, and/or sole provider of these staples of modern life, there's far less focus on profit and almost only focus on service. Socialism.
I wish we were the humanitarians we think we are. No one should have to explain why healthcare, housing, education and food security should be guaranteed. Yet here we are in this "advanced" society. All explanations have to include cost savings projections and even that is not enough for change.