Socialism Fear-mongering is Bananas | Robert Reich

Medicare for All - “That’s socialism!”

Social Security - “That’s socialism!”

Debt free education - “That’s socialism!”

$886 billion defense budget - “That’s just how it is!”

[eternaldarkness]

My elderly parents were in a car crash a year ago. Mother had 3 broken ribs, and spent 1 month in hospital. My father spent 2 months in hospital, 11 broken ribs, bilateral pelvic fractures, and a small puncture in his lung.
The hospital bill came to: you might want to sit down for this...


$45 each, the costs of the ambulance rides. Plus the annual provincial healthcare tax that maxes out at $900 per person.
Did I mention, we live in Canada?? Yeah, those filthy Socialists up North, eh...

[stevechance]

My extremely conservative parents were against government spending to help the needy, until the hurricane dropped a tree on their house, then they happily took that FEMA grant money to repair the roof. (They also hate the idea of Socialized Medicine, while acknowledging that they like their Medicare health plan).

[amos]

Somehow, Americans never learned the difference between Socialism, Communism, and Stalinism. They seem to think that the minute a national health system is established, the Secret Police would start rounding up people on the streets and sending them to Siberia.

[johnpritchard]

Lovely vid, Robert. I live in Wales in the UK. My dad worked in the local coal mine and was a socialist. when I was a young kid, I asked him what "socialism" meant. He explained that it was just people working together, helping each other to live better, healthier lives and fighting against the exploitation of workers by the rich. Seemed like a good idea to me. I'm 74 years old now and have been (and will be) a socialist all my life. It's really not scary at all🙂

[ryanb]

In the U.S., it's bananas for the rich, and rugged individualism for the rest of us.

[barbaraellmore]

Thank you Mr. Reich. I learned that from school, reading, and my mom. But, it was just a few years ago that I met a man who thought our President had complete power. This is also why i have been concerned about students who were never taught about the constitution or the Bill of Rights- including my own children- that i just found out a few years ago. They are 33 and 34 now. The money being pulled out of education makes me wonder if they just want the working class to be drones.

[tylerhackner]

More socialism for the rest of the people instead of just the rich would be great

[TioOlavoDoBaralho]

The fact that one has to explain these very obvious things to grown-ass adults is insane.

[aroundwego]

"We all do better when we all do better." Paul Wellstone
Thank you Robert Reich for your dedication to educating all of us!

[cinsu]

Robert Reich is one of my favorite people on earth. Wish he had run for president years ago!

[christinaulibarri]

Thank you Mr. Reich. The rich and corporations need to pay their fair share in taxes.

[caracrabtree]

I don’t understand why people complain so much when the money goes to improving the lives of all of our society, but don’t say a word when billions go to subsidizing multi million and billion dollar corporations.

[MsAlexRichardson]

You're the only Uncle Bob we need!!

Thank you for all that you do, Mr. Reich

[kataroquasinzki]

Predatory capitalism is so mainstream in the US that Americans need to be taught and reminded about things other societies understood since the Industrial Revolution. Genuinely frightening and bloodchilling

[johns]

I’m a working class guy who would happily pay more in “bananas” if it meant that I didn’t have to worry about health care, or infrastructure falling apart around us, or how we could pay for my daughters ridiculously expensive secondary education, or my elderly parents care, or my neighbors preschooler getting his best start in life or any of the other myriad positive things the dreaded “socialism” could bring us!

[tadonplane]

I am a retired geodetic surveyor and worked for the DOD for thirty years as a mission support contractor. One day in a meeting a government civilian manager was decrying the ruination of or country due to socialism. I got tired of his rant and right in front of everyone said “Dave, don’t you realize that the entire Department of Defense to include all branches of the military and all its corporate contractors are taxpayer funded for the greater good? That’s socialism! That includes your paycheck buddy!” That stopped him in his tracks, including all the other trump supporters in the meeting.

[jamesoakes]

Lately, I've seen a lot more people meet the accusation of "That's Socialism!" with something along the lines of, "So, Socialism is a superior way of running the government? Thanks for letting me know!"

[hezigler]

"We have the best government money can buy." Mark Twain

[Acrowe]

I remember a year when I was a teenager working at a restaurant and record store and I saw that I paid more in taxes that year than Microsoft. Microsoft!?! THAT IS INSANE.

[JimP]

Here's my story about the ridiculous US healthcare system. We were on vacation in the US, renting an air BNB. My daughter was only year old and fell and cut her face on a metal coffee table. It was not a big cut, but deep, so I figured probably needed a couple stitches. In Canada of course we'd take her to at least have it looked at. Anyway we went to the local hospital and saw the doctor for about 8 minutes while he superglued the cut. They charged my insurance company $750USD for that procedure! One a homeless guy would've done for a big Mac and fries.

The US system is insane. And despite the horrible healthcare system, you're gun crime is off the charts. Highest US mortality among kids now is due to gun violence. Amazing!