Max's perspective on socialism

 Friends,

 

After an ignorant editorial about socialism in The Baltimore Sun, I had the letter below published in the newspaper.  A day later, The Sun published a response "Socialist policies come at a cost."  This letterwriter made no sense about socialism, so I wrote a letter in response.  It was not published. See my response after the letter which was published.  Kagiso, Max

 

Letters to the Editor

 

THE SUN

 

Talkback@baltimoresun.com

 

To the editor:

 

To be frank, it is tiresome to read the constant attacks on socialism-- “What would socialist policies mean for the middle class?” [October 8, 2026, The Baltimore Sun]. The editorial falls completely flat in its attempt to disparage a concept which I argue would be beneficial to the working class.

 

 Look at the current national debt and its effects on interest rates. This was not caused by socialism.  If the writer of the editorial is concerned about the middle class, I urge her/him to watch the election results in November as there will be a middle-class revolt against government policies which have made buying a house beyond the reach of many.  Or the cost of groceries or taking out a loan. And there are the millions who no longer have healthcare insurance. The writer makes some of these same points but ignores who created these policies.

 

There was no information about the Scandinavian countries and how socialism is a boon for the middle class. And please do not trot out Senator John Fetterman as some kind of spokesperson, as he is very troubled.  Ask his former staff members.  It was tough to swallow this: “The American dream … depends on individual freedom, hard work and an economy that rewards initiative while giving people room to recover from setbacks.”  This sounds like that disregarded trickle-down theory. No thanks. I am looking forward to a bit of socialism right here in the USA.

 

Max Obuszewski

 

Letters to the Editor

 

THE SUN

 

Talkback@baltimoresun.com

 

To the editor:

 

I do not write letters to the editor about opera as I lack knowledge of that art form. Why do people expound on socialism without having a clue as to what it means?  For example, I suspect a recent letter writer knows nothing about the sewer socialists in Milwaukee who installed a sewer system in a city without one: “Socialist policies come at a cost” [October 13, 2026, The Baltimore Sun.]

 

Is he aware that in June 1918, Eugene Debs gave a speech in Canton, Ohio, promoting socialism and denouncing war? Despite that great notion of freedom of speech in this country, he was arrested and charged with violating the Espionage Act. After being convicted of voicing his opinion, he received a 10-year prison sentence. Two years later, running for president from his Atlanta prison cell he received one million votes as the socialist candidate.

 

Of particular concern was what the letter writer inferred: “… he means commandeering wealth from those who possess it and redistributing it in the form of social programs and direct payments to the middle class.” Ouch. This confirmed to me he is totally ignorant of what socialism is.

 

When Ronald Reagan took office, the national debt was less than a trillion dollars.  Today, as the oligarchs roam around the White House, the national debt is over $40 trillion.  This was not caused by socialism. In our flawed democracy, corporations have first amendment rights, so they buy legislators who cut back on social programs and make sure these companies get government contracts.  Will President Trump eliminate Social Security and ask for two trillion more tax dollars to start another war, to attack Cuba and to continue to deny basic judicial rights by assassinating boat people alleged to be carrying drugs?

 

If we had a socialist administration, the oligarchs would pay their fair share of taxes, everyone would have access to healthcare and programs would be enacted to provide the poor with a way of getting out of poverty.  And most importantly, Big Oil would be forced to pay for climate chaos, and renewables would flourish so that Mother Earth wouldn’t be choking on oil fumes.

 

Max Obuszewski

 

Source URL: https://portside.org/2026-10-13/rise-and-fall-americas-most-tireless-socialistDonations can be sent to Max Obuszewski, Baltimore Nonviolence Center, 431 Notre Dame Lane, Apt. 206, Baltimore, MD 21212.  Ph.: 410-323-1607; Email: mobuszewski2001 [at] comcast.net. Go to http://baltimorenonviolencecenter.blogspot.com/.

 

 "The master class has always declared the wars; the subject class has always fought the battles. The master class has had all to gain and nothing to lose, while the subject class has had nothing to gain and everything to lose--especially their lives." Eugene Victor Debs