Over the decades I’ve listened patiently to conservatives, especially the elected GOP types, spout off about liberal proposals or programs as being “socialism.” The very word carries a strong revulsion in them, enough to cause right wingers and even some centrists to recoil in horror. In common usage, the word is almost spat out of their mouths with the same abhorrence that one might vocalize in reference to a Old Nick himself. The mere utterance of the word should be enough to demolish liberal proposals like affordable healthcare or Pre-K programs.

My station in life has been in the field of chemistry, not psychology, so I am hardly qualified to clinically diagnose what psychology lies behind this vigorous and frequent epithet. Despite the mountain of clinical ignorance I reside under, I can offer a few observations in the not-so-subtle form of questions.

• What event led to the huge corrosive and emotional investment many conservatives have with socialism?
• How is it that I can read comments from conservatives in social media or network news wherein acute criticism is levied on socialism, but such criticism is not expressed on authoritarianism? Are they OK with authoritarianism or just unwilling to invite comparison?
• Do conservatives still believe that socialism automatically means Soviet-style socialism? Didn’t the Soviets prove to the world that Soviet socialism doesn’t work? Many of us were paying attention to this event, weren’t you?
• Could it actually be that conservatives view socialists as freeloaders wanting to suckle on the generous American teat?

Without food, shelter or skills, the world is a dangerous place for those not born into wealth or without a record of good luck. The sort of dilute socialism in practice in the USA since FDR brought us a social safety net has had many positive effects. The overall effect is that it has reduced some of the harshness of life for a great many.

Perhaps the beef that the moneyed class has with liberal democracy is that they are prevented from accumulating gilded-age wealth by every means possible? They want absolute control of markets and labor. The role of government is to arrange consumers for easy pickings, like fish in a barrel. In the biological world, unlimited growth is called cancer. The religion of shareholder value sets the pace for endless growth, despite the mathematical absurdity of it.

Greed is like a penis- it has no brain. It only knows that it wants more.

The 2nd Amendment-banging ultra-right wingers in camouflage britches have long been eager to explain that they were prepping for oppression by a tyrannical government. Well boys, the tyrannical government is here here! Now whatcha gonna do?