*As I see it, socialism solves a number of societal problems. It assists in social mobility; it undermines the desire to exploit others; it manufactures a sense of shared community. But there is major roadblock on the way to a socialist utopia.
The problem is that socialism asks people to sacrifice for others. Humans are social animals and that society operates a lot more smoothly when those in the group are similar. The kind of selfless sacrifice that socialism suggests from people is easier if the people you are sacrificing for are similar to you. This is why when societies go to war they accentuate the differentness of the enemy and highlight the similarities of people in the group.
The countries that are executing socialism best right now are in Scandinavia. One thing that they all have in common is a large degree of homogeneity amongst the population. Countries like Norway and Sweden harness their population and this feature of human psychology to achieve a positive goal.
The United States is in a very different position. It has always been a country of immigrants and therefore of a relatively heterogeneous population. Even when people have the same Irish ancestry, the newer immigrant to the United States has been treated as an outcast by the 3rd generation Irish-American. Because of this dynamic in American history and in contemporary American society it is difficult to see the similarities within the population as a whole and therefore difficult to successfully execute socialism.
On the bright side the United States also has a history of integrating new demographic groups into society after a generation or two. The trick is getting contemporary Americans to envision society as it will look years later, and how current immigrants will contribute to that future society. This will allow everyone to better accept their resources being used to help being given to immigrants. This is how imperial powers like France and the United Kingdom have been able to implement socialist policies.
We in the United States have already initiated the policies. Now we have to come to the acceptance.
Trevor Brookins is a free lance writer in Rockland County, New York. He is currently working on a book about American culture during the Cold War. His writing has appeared in The Journal News. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @historictrev.
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