system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
CMV:AOC and Bernie should stop talking about socialism

I like AOC and Bernie, I think that conservative attacks on AOC is primarily due to her gender and her name, and she is cute which is extra insulting. 

However, this socialism talk is problematic. The main problem is that what they are talking about isn't actually socialism, and I suspect they are smart enough to know that. The second problem is that when they compare their plans to Denmark, it falls flat because Denmark is *capitalist!* 

Instead of insisting that socialism isn't evil and that capitalism is a huge problem, they should focus on smart regulation and safety nets. It is perverse when Governor Hickenlooper has to wonder if he is a capitalist (of course he is, literally, a capitalist in every sense of the word) because he doesn't want to annoy the twitter mob. 

Instead of trying to play the Republican game of demonizing whole ideas (Marxism = bad, don't even mention it, not even in college!) they should play the high road - explain how these supposedly 'socialist' programs actually work as it relates to private ownership of capital.
gpt
I disagree.

For years the Republicans have tried to brand any liberal who is for government-funded programs like these as 'a socialist' or 'a commie' when, as you point out, the word has historically meant something else, and doesn't apply to liberal capitalists.

Bernie and AOC are taking that re-branding and using it to their advantage.

And i think it's working.


Most republicans voters have been tricked into believing that a 'socialist' is someone who wants higher taxes on the wealthy, and less expensive healthcare for everyone and that's what bernie and aoc actually want.



It is a bit unfortunate that we will soon have two basically opposite definitions for 'socialist', but we are currently handling liberal and neo-liberalism being polar opposites, and flammable and inflammable meaning the same thing.