>Doug's point was that in a mainstream media interview you can say
>things like "I support the idea of a welfare state" and still be
>taken seriously whereas if you say "I would like to see the US
>become a socialist state" everything you say after that will be
>treated like so much static. He is essentially correct. Saying that
>this statement really means he isn't a true socialist because the
>concept of a welfare state is meaningless under socialism misses the
>point. When we finally have a socialist state here in the US I
>promise never to confuse anyone or reveal my true ignorance by using
>the term welfare state. Until then however I will use the term to
>help describe my beliefs to strangers. If that earns me a "D" in
>someone's imaginary class that's fine with me. I come here to learn,
>not to earn a grade. I haven't said that to anyone in quite awhile.
And call me an old-fashioned wuss, but I think establishing a decent welfare state in the U.S. would be good in itself, and part of a foundation for something more radical. I don't understand the Coxian road to socialism - it's just supposed to happen, I guess, without agents or agendas. And if we smash the Democratic Party - whoever "we" are and how we accomplish it - we'll be halfway there, right?
Doug