In light of the furious debate around healthcare reform, and some people advocating the definition of healthcare reform (that sets a minimum standard for government regulation to spur competition in private markets to improve access to a private service) as either socialist, communist or fascist is misleading at best. I would like to provide some context to what these terms actually mean. Granted, these are not perfect definitions, as each term has libraries of literature written about them and I am not nearly educated enough on history to provide that deep of an analysis. However, I hope these will suffice as at least a very basic understanding and context for what each of these terms means.
Socialism - An economic theory or system where wage labor and private ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods/services are replaced by total public ownership and operation. In a socialist economic system, the means of production and the forces both driving production of goods and providing of services is entirely owned publicly, for example through direct government control and ownership. This is different than government regulation, which seeks to provide standards in private markets operated and controlled by privately owned entities. Some (Karl Marx for example) define this at least partly as a system which advocates the maximization of use-value as opposed to exchange-value. Some also believe socialism is a transitional phase onward to communism. In application, socialist nations tend not be able to harness the rapidly innovative forces that exist in the free market. | See: Venezuela, Bolivia, China.
Communism - Theoretically, communism is a classless, stateless way for a society to be organized free of oppression and private markets, commodities or property ownership. In practice, communist principals have been attempted to be implemented by authoritarian states like the Soviet Union and China. Some theorists believe that communism is the final stage of societal evolution, however, in practice, the application of this theory has lead to massive corruption, oppression and a stronger institution of class structure and hindering the advancement of free market structures in producing innovative goods/services. | See: China, Cuba, North Korea.
Fascism - An authoritarian state that promulgates the advancement of a singular collective nation-identity, often based on either economic status or race, above all else. A centralized state structure that absolutely oppresses dissent, (often violently) democratic civic involvement and seeks to control information and economic and political activities with violent force and propaganda. | See: Nazi Germany, Iron Guard (Romania).
Healthcare reform falls in none of those categories. To debate this issue and ensure that we are implementing the most effective public policy is a necessary piece to the workings of our democracy. However, using terms like the above to try and re-classify something to make it sound like something it is not for political gains is an embarrassment to the democratic process of our free market of ideas.
Instead of battling over political ideology, and using any means necessary to preserve or advance one ideology over another by creating what might be repeated best in a soundbite, we must engage in a truly open, free, educated and rigorous debate on the issues that face our society. Only then we will be able to truly work towards solutions that, rather than benefit a political ideology or platform, will be for the benefit of each and every citizen within our democracy.
(1) Newman, Michael. (2005) Socialism: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-280431-6
(2) Oxford English Dictionary
(3) Merriam-Webster Dictionary
(4) "Communism". Columbia Encyclopedia. 2008.
(5) Lyons, Matthew N.. "What is Fascism? Some General Ideological Features". PublicEye.org. Political Research Associates. http://www.publiceye.org/eyes/whatfasc.html.
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