Socialism issue

The current political campaigning about "socialism" is unhelpful to the voters in deciding what they desire for the United States and which candidates to vote for.

The campaigning is unhelpful because it is unclear what is being talked about.

Merriam-Webster gives the following definition of socialism

Definition of socialism

1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods

2a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property

b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state

3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

What is socialism under the foregoing definition? Are food stamps socialism? Is K-12 public education socialism? Is Medicaid socialism? Would taxpayer funded colleges that don't charge tuition be socialism? Is Medicare for All socialism?

Asking the foregoing questions points up there are things in a society which may be viewed as "socialistic" but the presence of those things does not mean the society has a system that is socialism under the foregoing definition of socialism.

The reality is that the United States has numerous things which are "socialistic" (such as Medicaid). These things may be debated as to whether they should be augmented or reduced, and there may be debate about whether the United States should have new things that are socialistic (such as taxpayer funded colleges that do not charge tuition).

The political campaigning about "socialism" that is happening does not start from the foregoing realities but rather is suggestive that there is an either/or choice between "capitalism" and "socialism."

There has been created in the public mind the idea that the Dems will change the United States to the socialism system, and Trump and the GOP will save the country from the socialism system and preserve "capitalism" in the United States.

While some Dems may want to end capitalism and turn the United States into a system of socialism, I think that is not ultimately true for most Dems and not true for an overwhelming majority of Americans.

The political campaigning about socialism that is happening may be viewed by the perpetrators of the campaigning as serving their political interests, but it ill serves the interest of the voters in deciding what they desire for the United States and deciding which candidates to vote for.

It would be good for the country if the political campaigning about socialism would be more reflective of  the realities about the presence of socialistic things in the United States and for the debate to address those things individually

Whether the political campaigning about socialism that is currently happening will persist until Election Day in 2020 remains to be seen.