I was raised in Israel. While Israel is a free economy, when it comes to healthcare, the overarching philosophy is socialist and even communist. Of course, socialism is not what McCarthy described as Better dead than red.

While the saying has lost its appeal in America, the term “communist” is still not kosher. However, in Israel, a free economy where the government plays a big role in the nation’s healthcare system, it is a term that is actually being favored. Actually, the health care system in Israel is rather interesting. I should write an article about it one day.

But I think that there is a difference between socialism and democratic socialism, which is reform capitalism. Entrepreneurial socialism aims at having labor unions pressure corporations into being more socially responsible, also pooling tax funds to have the central government pay to fulfill fundamental social needs like healthcare. State socialism on the other hand is run by the military, which takes more than half our tax payments. Democratic socialism is the social safety net: social security, medicare, or anything that is single-payer.

Maybe I should have made my point clearer. Thank you for keeping me on my toes. You are one smart lady.