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The "S" Word: A Short History of an American Tradition...Socialism

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On Friday on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, congress members spoke in defense of Medicare, Social Security, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other programs that by almost anyone's definition are socialist, programs that were denounced as socialist by opponents of their passage in decades past, programs that would not have been created without the efforts of socialists and the Socialist Party.

The debate screeched to a halt, however, because an opponent of the Congressional Progressive Caucus's "People's Budget" then under discussion suggested that its supporters might be socialists. Congressman Keith Ellison, co-chair of that caucus, protested the vicious accusation and demanded that the words of his accuser be transcribed for the record (and possible legal action?). The Republican congress member guilty of the horrible slander announced that he was retracting it. Rep. Raul Grijalva, the other co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, thanked him sincerely for the retraction. Although polls show socialism to be far more popular than Congress, neither Ellison nor Grijalva insisted on being cleared of the label "congress member."

"Socialism," remarked Frank Zeidler, former socialist mayor of Milwaukee, "believes that people working together for a common good can produce a greater benefit, both for society and for the individual, than can a society in which everyone is shrewdly seeking their own self-interest." Missing from Washington, D.C., is not just a single individual who would hurl the term "capitalist" with the strength to have a retraction demanded. Missing also is any sense of working for a cooperative society based on the above truth -- a truth apparent to any child who has neither read Ayn Rand nor viewed cable news, but a truth that sounds insane in our nation's capital.

And one more thing is missing: awareness of the debt our nation owes to its rich socialist history. That's where the best book yet by John Nichols -- and that's saying something! -- comes in. The author of "The Genius of Impeachment," among other brilliant books, has just published "The 'S' Word: A Short History of an American Tradition . . . Socialism."

The book is marred by a militaristic cover depicting the flag-raising pose on Iwo Jima, and its focus on the U.S. national tradition is not without problems. Nichols' goal is to depict socialism as American, as rooted in the tradition of Thomas Paine, Abraham Lincoln, the founding of the Republican Party, the rise of competent public planning in 20th century cities, the New Deal, the struggle for free speech and freedom of the press, and the civil rights movement. In this he is very successful. But a strain of thought related to much socialism and admirable in its own right holds that an idea need not be American to be the best for America. You'd think we'd learn that in KINDERGARTEN.

Nichols does not argue with such internationalism; it just fails to harmonize with the theme of his book. Yet, while other authors have sought to bring out the rich leftist tradition of the United States as something predating and independent of, and better off without, Marxism, Nichols goes out of his way to highlight Marx's employment by a New York newspaper and communications with President Lincoln. Doing so certainly cannot hurt and makes for fascinating reading. Of course, the fascination is in large part based on the reader's imagining of the explosive cognitive dissonance a contemporary Republican might face in discovering his or her party's founding father's appreciation of Marx. This imagination may give too much credit to contemporary Republicans for cognitive processes of whatever sort.

John Nichols' new book, The "S" Word, is a history of Socialism in America. While other history books on the same topic often paint a picture in which Socialism was never really able to take root in the United States, Nichols' has written a thought-provoking and well written history which explains why it's impossible to talk about the U.S without discussing Socialism. In Nichols's telling, the two are intertwined and Socialist ideas have been integrated into America almost since the founding of the nation. It is part of our culture, economy and everyday life.

For most of the 20th & 21st century, the word Socialism has been a loaded term. Detractors from the Right often use it as an insult meant to taint an opponent as unAmerican and extreme. Today, those on the Left for whom the insult is directed usually respond by dodging the label as a grievous insult. As Barack Obama began his term in office with a $700 Billion stimulus, a government bailout of failing banks begun under President Bush and the beginning of a debate about health care reform, it became clear that his opponents favorite attack on him would be the dreaded "S" word. Obama's reaction was not to embrace the term, as Harry Truman had once done, or to use this attack on him as-in Obama's favorite phrase-a teachable moment about the real meaning of Socialism. Instead, the President bristled at the charge, reiterated his commitment to the Free Market and accused the previous administration of using Socialism to rescue Wall Street.

This book looks to clear away the fog caused by a dumbed down news media and a more extreme Right Wing, and is largely about why Socialism is very much an American tradition. Despite what some from the newer trends on the Right-the Tea Party, Libertarians-would have us believe, this country was indeed very receptive to the idea of Socialism. Indeed, as Nichols' explains, many of the founders of the Republican Party itself were Socialists, and Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president, had corresponded with Marx himself. Nichols' talks about several American literary legends, like Walt Whitman and Emma Lazarus, who wrote the poem which is engraved on the plaque that Lady Liberty holds, who were friendly to the ideas which Socialism espouses.

Perhaps most importantly, the author shows us that Thomas Paine, now seen as an American Patriot and icon of the Right, was indeed a radical even by the standards of the time, and espoused many ideas which would be articulated by Marx and other Socialist thinkers later on, including: Old-age pensions, a guaranteed income and government provided universal health care.

Nichols also goes into detail about the Socialist Party in the United States, led by Eugene Debs, and it's role in shaping 20th century America and some of the most popular government programs, such as Social Security and Medicare.

This is a history book, but I wish that Nichols had started by defining Socialism, or just what he means when he says Socialism. The word has a broad meaning, and in a book which is a response to the scaremongering, noise and misinformation rife today about Socialism, I would have liked to see a more technical treatment of it as an economic theory. Socialism can be strictly interpreted, which is what Communism is, or it can coexist perfectly well with capitalism, best embodied by European Social Democracies which allows for regulated capitalism alongside state-run universal health care programs and generous welfare states. But Nichols largely succeeds in crafting an interesting and thought-provoking history of Socialism in the United States. Check it out if you like history and want to learn about an idea which has unfairly been demonized.

This is a superb book to give to a young person new to the subject. My 19-year old happened to pick it up and became hooked on just a few pages. John Nichols is a terrific and engaging writer. Even though I'm not new to the study of Socialism by any means, I learned a good deal from this important book. Nichols sheds much-needed light on the true history of this American political tradition.

I have recently joined the ranks of political "independents" having spent many years as a registered republican. I am a CPA, hold a graduate business degree and have profited from entrepreneurial and business related opportunities for decades. I am happy that the U.S. economic system provides such an option to "prosper". I have, though, come to the conclusion that the system is not working for everyone and that disturbs my sense of comfort.

I feel as though it is time to re-evaluate the american love of capitalism and free-markets. This nation has provided great opportunities for many, but in its rush to individualism and "winner-take-all capitalism" it has run roughshod over the hopes and aspirations of multitudes that have not been born into privilege. Though there are moments in reading this book which set my teeth on edge (mostly because some labels carry so much visceral meaning - I still have an aversion to calling someone "comrade") the intellectual journey has been good medicine for my mind. I grew up during the early stages of the cold war and lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation. It was a time when neighbors were actively building bomb shelters on my block. So the words communism and socialism have a particular negative connotation for me.

That being said, John Nichols has helped bridge a gap that brings out a richer meaning to the term "socialism" and has helped americanize this experience. In my observation of our nation's current economic crisis, the capitalist economic system has fallen down in many respects. I believe that a little seasoning of "socialism" makes an economic recipe that can contribute true prosperity for everyone in our nation. As you read this book I hope that it will stir up the "better angels" of your being and will unite your spirit with the community of citizens for whom capitalism is not working. Perhaps it might also create a more jaundiced eye toward those who take advantage of this system and focus more on "profit" than on "people". Though the author might object, I'd like to redefine the "S" word and label it as "CARING".

Pretty good book. Pick it up if you feel you have a genuine interest in Socialism and American history, otherwise you'll get bored quick. My only complaint is that I feel that Nichols doesn't take enough time to define the democratic Socialism that he envisions in the book. Otherwise a thought provoking and informative read.

This is history that is skipped. It should be required reading for Americans, particularly ones who have not travelled outside the country or been exposed to anything other than 'daily standard' snapshots of history.

Although I had read about Eugene V. Debs and other socialist politicians, I had not realized the positive effects on society their actions produced. Advancements in labor rights often attributed to unions are also ascribed to individuals who saw first-hand the social impact of a lack of caring for one another had on all of society.

This very readable volume fills a huge gap in understanding why the Socialist Party in the US reamins small but may soon rise from the fringes to speak clearly for the majority of Americans. Forced offstage by other parties, its ideas were still frequently adopted by majority parties throughout American history who were more than happy to take the credit for implementation. Mr. Nichols paints the history of socialism with a broad brush and yet identifies the anchors of the movement in this country and defines the ideology of the left and why the left is right and the right is wrong. A commendable book which brings a difficult subject to life.

Nichols' presents a very readable and understandable history of Socialism in America. While tearing apart a few right-wing arguments on the side, Nichols' focuses his energy on pulling back the curtain on socialism. From Thomas Paine to Martin Luther King Jr. Nichols' present an amazing history of socialism's effect on America for such a short book. Combine that with his expert quoting of the intellectual leaders he showcases and the book becomes rather inspirational at times. Whether you agree with socialist ideas or not this book is a must read for, if nothing else, the light it sheds on American history.

In `The "S" Word,' John Nichols presents a crucial collection of historical facts that pertain to the on-going struggle within the US to achieve social justice for all. Although the democratic US Government is supposed to be structured such that it is "of, by and for" its entire population, the current situation leaves much to be desired. For example, "democratic socialism" in 2011 US society is still widely used as a demeaning term.

Indeed, the information presented in The "S" Word should be part of the American History curriculum in US public high schools. Unfortunately, the "Fog Index"* of John Nichols' book is too high for it to be used effectively as a text book.

I suggest that Nichols engage the services of an editor who is proficient in the use of the Gunning Fog Index. This editor should be directed to focus on re-issuing The "S" Word in a form that it can be effectively used as a text in the US public high schools.

* Note: The Gunning Fog Index is computed using a Readability Formula that is based on Average Sentence Length and the Percentage of Words that have 3 or more syllables. In other words, short sentences written in Plain English achieve a "lower-fog" score than long sentences written in complicated language. It is claimed that the ideal Fog Index score for readability is 7 or 8. Anything above 12 is too hard for most people to read and comprehend. Gunning claims The Bible, Shakespeare and Mark Twain have Fog Indexes of around 6, and magazines such as Time, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal average around 11. It should be noted that many sections of The "S" Word have a Fog Index in the 30 to 50 range.