Why do americans fear anything that's slightly left wing, let alone socialist ?

[Schonerlebnis]

Admit it's a bit of a blanket statement but there seems to be this widespread fear of any kind of left wing policy. I'm on a non political facebook group (cooking related so as ordinary as you can get) which has many US members and was surprised by how many called obama care socialist
Even the Democrats are accused of being left leaning (correct me if I'm wrong but that's not even remotely accurate !) and I'm not sure that they even have unions anymore ? On a recent US election thread someone mentioned that people feared that changes to the benefits system to support the vulnerable would lead to a rise in taxes and so make them poorer..... Can any one explain why a country that claims to look after the persecuted and vulnerable has such odd views ?

someone mentioned that people feared that changes to the benefits system to support the vulnerable would lead to a rise in taxes and so make them poorer

There's your answer. It's about being an individualist, not about community.

It's so ingrained in them that they need to look after themselves, that the State won't help, that they all just think of how they're doing.

Interesting there road system is free to use at source for everyone driving, which is a very socialist policy
But they don’t ever complain about it
I find this bizarre

It’s odd isn’t it.

I don’t have a definitive answer, but it strikes me that being self-sufficient is a really core value of the US as a nation, ‘land of the free and the home of the brave’. People look after themselves, and philanthropy is a much bigger deal than in the U.K. where we have (in theory) a cradle to grave system that should ensure everyone gets the care they need, through the NHS for health, and a benefits system if people can’t find work. This isn’t remotely the ‘American way’, and even things like our employment law protections are alien in the US, where employers can more or less hire and fire at will.

Communism was hugely feared, especially in the 50s, and there was an inherent loathing of what was seen as an utterly anti-democratic system, and again the US prides itself on man and woman being free, the rights of the constitution, with a big emphasis on the value of democracy, and a massive fear of communism, which leads to a rejection of anything that could be construed as left-leaning, like universal healthcare free at the point of need as we have here.

Would be interested to read others’ thoughts on the OP, it’s fascinating isn’t it.

Land of the free and brave - presumably that's where the obsession with guns comes in, the ability to bear arms. Equally the rags to riches stories - immigrant to millionaire in one generation ?

The thing is though, if we didn't already have any socialist policies like NHS, welfare, free libraries etc then people in this country wouldn't vote for them either.

Look at the scaremongering that surrounding labour's policies during the last election.

There are free to use libraries in US

I think it's more to do with the fear of someone else getting a free ride.

The Work Hard imperative is very strong in American culture - which is a good thing, - but it's hard to get buy in on that on a societal level if others dont pitch in for whatever reason, and still reap the benefit.

Look at the scaremongering that surrounding labour's policies during the last election.

Indeed

Free internet from Corbin was mocked

And free school meals was a Tory policy

Look at the uproar over free school meals in half term

@ivykaty44

Look at the scaremongering that surrounding labour's policies during the last election.

Indeed

Free internet from Corbin was mocked

And free school meals was a Tory policy

Look at the uproar over free school meals in half term

Free school meals was a Lib Dem policy from the coalition, it wasn't a Tory policy.

There are unions in the US.

We in the UK, and Europe generally, regard the state as something that looks after us. In the US, the state is something that oppresses you. The US was founded by people fleeing state persecution in Europe. It’s like with gun ownership and the right to bear arms - it comes out of a philosophy that it is the state itself that can be the persecutor.

Jess sorry I hadn’t realised the free school meals had started that far back

In the balance between individual vs community they lean to individual. What I find odd is that although the individual and their rights are revered they have really showy community events - sports games, parades etal.

Capitalist culture built on individualism.

Americans wouldn't hand over their hard earned money to the state in return for a free at point of use healthcare system. We are heading in the same direction, towards private healthcare which is paid for by health insurance or a very poor public health provision

Ivykaty44, I'm pretty sure free school meals were around when i was a kid in the 1970s

Yes, it's amazing we have what we have. No party who wants into increase or improve the welfare state or education or even the NHS and asks the public to pay more to pay for it has won an election in decades. People are inherently selfish and they vote with only their own interests in mind, even if what they say is different. This is why the polls are often wrong, people say they are more left wing than they are.

“ The thing is though, if we didn't already have any socialist policies like NHS, welfare, free libraries etc then people in this country wouldn't vote for them either.”

Sadly this is very true. If we ever lost any of the things we have re NHS, Social care (as u see funded as they are) we’d never get them back.

Spot on @BecomeStronger

Imagine if we had no NHS and it was proposed by one of the main parties, there would be cries of communism, socialism, having to pay for others who don't deserve it.......

They’ve been gaslit for decades. McCarthyism in the 50s created an imaginary monster lurking waiting to steal their American Dream. Once it died on its own and socialist policies would have been a really natural salve everyone was still shitting their pants about something that was never happening and wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.

Free school meals started in WW2 I think. A lot of the Welfare State started after the war.

@Doyouknowwhat

Ivykaty44, I'm pretty sure free school meals were around when i was a kid in the 1970s

Yes probably, the universal free school meals for key stage 1 regardless of income is the Lib Dem coalition policy

Controlling people's lives, anti-freedom, incompetent state trying to provide services that the state sucks at providing, corrupt state taking too much tax then wasting money on projects that don't suit local needs or priorities. Is how left wing policies are seen. Is not at all different from what everyone in UK tends to say about govt competence.

Tea party says the only duty of govt is military protection, you're on your own otherwise (but can organise locally into states & towns, of course).

oh... and anti-religious. Left wing insisting on divorcing religion from decision making & public life. This affronts many people.

Doyouknowwhat I was referring to the free school meals for reception and year 1 that are for every child and not means tested, it was brought in in 2014 by Nick Clegg