Socialism, properly applied, benefits society as a whole.

A letter to the editor by Tom Waddell of Litchfield, published in the Portland Press Herald on April 11, 2020:

For those who oppose socialism but support government efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19, think again. All efforts to combat COVID-19 are examples of socialism, a social system that regulates society for the benefit of everyone.

Closing schools, businesses and sporting events to slow the rate of infection is socialism; it infringes on individual freedoms for the benefit of society.

Subsidizing businesses and individuals for lost income to reduce the impact of COVID-19 on the economy is regulating the economy for the benefit of everyone.

Providing free COVID-19 tests to everyone is universal health care, a measure some people oppose because it is socialism. If the country had universal health care in place before the virus arrived, the medical system’s response to COVID-19 would have been much faster.

Those who oppose socialism would allow everyone to do what they want during this pandemic, let market forces determine prices and only test those with insurance for COVID-19.

Socialism, properly applied, benefits society as a whole. We have had socialism in this country for decades but no one seems to mind. To paraphrase Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: “When the government provides financial benefits for multimillion-dollar corporations, we call it ‘subsidies.’ When the government does the same for poor people, we call it ‘welfare.’ ”

Socialism is not the problem; the way it is applied is. All too often we have socialism for the rich and rugged, free enterprise capitalism for the poor. That’s the problem!

Read the full LTE with comments HERE: https://www.pressherald.com/2020/04/11/letter-to-the-editor-fighting-covid-19-is-socialism/