I am not sure how it is that the populace of the United States has been scared into believing that socialism in any form is a bad thing. Perhaps the propagation of this notion serves the purpose of the right wing, and in furtherance of that purpose they incite righteous indignation, creating mobs, who protest the loudest and understand the least. Perhaps if they spent less time worshiping Ronald Reagan, and more time researching history and facts, they would realize that socialism plays a role in our society. Social Security and Medicare, as examples of "socialist" programs, provide bare minimum protection against homelessness, disease and hunger in the elderly, and were put into place in the decades following the despair of the Great Depression. So called "socialist programs" are not about the expectations referred to in the blog linked below.
http://maybeitisrocketscience.blogspot.com/2009/12/feed-body-starve-soul.html
