Democracy and socialism ‘go hand in hand’ | Letter to the editor

This is to the letter writer who claims that Democrats do not know the horrors of “socialism.”

What you describe in your letter is communism, not socialism. Do the research. Socialism is not communism. In a previous letter I explain that Trump supporters are unsurprisingly unfamiliar with the fundamentals of constitutional law and do not understand the definition of democratic socialism.

Democratic socialists believe that both the economy and society should be run democratically — to meet public needs, not to make profits for a few. Democracy and socialism go hand in hand. All over the world, wherever the idea of democracy has taken root, the vision of socialism has taken root as well. Everywhere but in the United States.

Because of this, many false ideas about socialism have developed in the U.S. Nobody wants communism, although if we stay with Trump that is exactly what we will get and our country will be run as an oligarchy with a kleptocrat at the helm, just like all the other communist countries.

Rick Desautels

Bradenton

This story was originally published February 27, 2020 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Democracy and socialism ‘go hand in hand’ | Letter to the editor."