Democratic Socialism, A Cuban American Explains

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2018/08/28/democrat-family-escaped-socialism-ocasio-cortez-worries-me-column/1106307002/

This column by the son of Cuban immigrants is worth the time. I think this paragraph gives us a look at the only "benefit" of "Democratic Socialism" ...

Like those of yesteryear, today’s socialists believe the government should nationalize major industries, propose eliminating private ownership of companies, and reject profits. In other words, democratic socialism is a lot like the system my family fled, except its proponents promise to be nicer when seizing your business.

What I disagree with the columnist on is that what "Democratic Socialism" really is would be "Democratic Fascism" ... Hitler with a smiley face. This is well covered in Jonah Goldberg's book "Liberal Fascism". 

Today's millenials are ripe for fascism ... certainly not students of history, very easily taken in by the slick pitch about "greatest good for the greatest number", no theological of philosophical grounding.  Lambs to the slaughter.

Democratic Socialism Explained

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2018/07/the-polls-are-crazy.php

Powerline accidentally explained Democratic Socialism in a nutshell ...

Which raises the question: how could anyone think that socialism is a system that empowers the individual, as many young people do? The answer, I suspect, is not encouraging. When young people (or, most likely, people of any age) say that socialism gives the individual power, I think they mean the power to hang out, smoke dope, and not worry about working, while the state provides. That isn’t my idea of individual autonomy, but it is a lifestyle to which a growing number of Americans apparently aspire.

The question is raised because ...

Those under 40 have a much more favorable opinion of socialism than their elders do and are the strongest supporters of Democrats becoming a national socialist party. But younger voters are also the most likely to believe the individual has more power under a socialist system.

Socialists are all about assumed ends rather than means. They assume that if everyone is taken care of then life will be good. What they don't think about is the MEANS to their assumed end. 

The assumption is always that since there is income inequality, ergo, there is plenty of money to be taken from "someone else" to reach the goal state of the socialists. The only problem with this assumption, like pretty much all wishful assumptions is that it is wrong as I have covered here. If you have net positive wealth, the CURRENT welfare state has insufficient funds and is looking at you as a kid looks at a cookie jar.