Social is mmmmm

There are words that, over the course of their lives, have been banished from polite society.
They’ve ended up in the gutter of profanity.
For some words, that exile was a tragedy — to be cast out from the company of “good” words.
For others, it was a blessing.
After all, the forbidden is always tempting.

Remember when the word “cool” meant temperature only?
Or when “geil” (back in Europe) and the English F-word were unthinkable in public?
Once taboo, now they’re mainstream — so mainstream they’ve lost their thrill.
Language moves on, and slang becomes yesterday’s headline.

The Word America Still Fears

In North America, one word remains on the unofficial index.
Not because of its sound — but because of its weight.
A word that carries history — and triggers unease in the self-proclaimed guardians of freedom.

During the Cold War, it was the ultimate villain:
a symbol of tyranny, espionage, and subversion.
In the 1940s and 50s, Senator McCarthy made sure a mere whiff of association with it could destroy a career.
Later, it became a favourite weapon in political rhetoric.
And eventually, it was exiled from the public salon of acceptable speech.

Today, it’s still treated like a curse word.
The word?

Socialism.

The irony is almost comical.
Few who use “socialism” as an insult actually know what it means.
Not the failed state ideologies of the past — but the modern, democratic idea of social balance.

“A political and economic philosophy where the key means of production — such as industry, land, and energy — are collectively managed to promote fairness, equality, and solidarity.”

Or, more simply:

Socialism asks: “What’s fair for everyone?”
Capitalism asks: “What pays off?”

Take Canada, for example.
Citizens — yes, me included — benefit from a universal health-care system.
It may vary by province, but it’s real.
And yes — it’s socialist.

So is our public pension plan.
And our public schools.
And the social assistance that helps those who need it most.
That’s living socialism — Canadian style.

Shocked? Not really.

The Reflex of Outrage

It’s always amusing when someone gasps at the word socialism.

“The government is interfering!”
Yes — it’s called regulation.

“They want to redistribute wealth!”
Indeed — that’s what tax policy is for.

“This is like the Soviet Union!”
Really? That line is older than my record collection.

“Free health care equals socialism!”
Exactly — and how wonderful is that?

“State support? That’s communism!”
Which part — employment insurance, pensions, or student aid?

And when someone declares, “They’re all communists!”,
I suggest a brief visit to the library.
Democratic socialism, social democracy, and communism do not live in the same house.

The world as many of us once knew it is in flux.
Threats seem to line up at the door.
Artificial intelligence is rewriting entire industries.
The gap between rich and poor widens.
And the road to a livable future is paved with question marks.

Yes — these are critical times.
And yes — we who still think critically are on alert.

But here’s the hopeful twist:
Homo sapiens is, by nature, social.
Quietly, almost shyly,
he calls himself Homo socialis.

And that, my friends,
is the one species we should still believe in.