14 march 1955 "One More Rant"

socialism: a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

Here is where I think people get confused and scared. Here is the definition of socialism under MARXISM:

(in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.

The ideals of 'fear of socialism' began after WWII and were really propogated by the coporations. The idea that we work together as a community and help one another out, that is socialism. The fear that we will live under a totaliterian state is Marxism. We now, quickly withouth thinking, so, "Oh no, not socialism." and what we are saying is "no we do not want to help our neighbors." That doesnt always have to be through the goverment.

It is true that the high cost of healthcare is from all the insurance companies and their lobbying but they exist in their form because this was a captialist and not a socialist society. The healthcare never got to be in the hands of the people and there are many cases when a person NEEDS modern medicine. An appendicitis and cancer are not going to be cured by home remedies. I don't want to sound harsh, but I am also afraid of the upswing of home healthcare that is a response to our not affording actual healthcare, certainly preventative medicine, could be dangerous in that it is not a be all cure all solution. It must go hand in hand with actual scientific medicine. They are not mutually exclusive.

I began to think this morning, after going over all the posts and then discussing with my hubby our current culture:am I a part of a newbreed: the over-educated homemaker?

Now, I am certainly not against homemaking, but I am returning to a role at closer to 40 than 20 that would have become the role of a young girl out of high school or jr college, only I have years of university in my head and my general need for education. IS that a modern concept? And I don't mean 1950s housewives were stupid, but they did not feel the need to have a vast education, probably because they would depend upon the schools to teach their children what they didnt know or else they valued their skillset and home knowledge AS valuable knowledge that could be passed onto their dauthers. I am not making judgements in this idea and in fact doing this project so I can UNDERSTAND where we stood and where we stand now?

Is it good, we new breed of overeducated homemakers? Or, in our over analyzing our we the reason that the home-skills are thoguht to not be valid education and knowledge in the first place? It is all very interesting to me, and hopefully you as well. That simple concept: the value of our current idea of education compared to that same idea in the past. In this case 1955.

We may now say, oh the housewife in 1955 in middle america maybe had no education beyond high school, therefore she is under educate. However, we, as a collective socitey, set the norms for what is education. The ability to, in this example, stay in a budget, make things when the money is not there, plan and prepare meals, clean effectively and efficiently. These are education in that they had to be learned. They are not inherent behavior. So, therefore, do we now say that those things (cleaning, budgeting, cooking) are education? I am not sure that we do.

Is that why, for the most part, they have been removed from our schools as they are not deemed actual knowledge? And, if this is the case, why have we come to think this in modern socitey? Why is it that learning Dickens is more valid than learning to budget your money? This path of reasoning ALWAYS leads me back to the original concept of our modern society being consumer driven. I know, I keep harping on it, but I am just feeling suddenly as if my eyes are opening!

In the very time when this knowledge of homemaking was most valued (1950s) is also the time we began to de-value it. But, why? To give women their freedom? Perhaps, that was used as the cause to get behind, but think about it. If you have a generation that despises this knowledge of self-preservation and the ability to make your own clothes, cook your own food, grow your own food, manage your own money, take care of your own children and elderly, who will buy and need all the things we now depend on? I mean even our children and our old people now are a product within a consumer economy, because of daycare and nursing homes. The coporate sturcture that now exists in our country relies heavily on our inabilites and our not asking "why"?

Again, maybe I am just being a conspiracy nut all of a sudden, but I really believe the more you follow a path with reason to its point, the truth is reavealed.

That is also why I do not want anyone to think I am picking on them for their opinion that they think Socialism is bad. I just wanted to point out that our idea of socialism in this country was formed in post war America by corporations. I have an ad ( I can't find it today but will post it this week, as I am out of the house again today, because Vintage friend and I are working on a project!) in one of my women's magazines, a full page ad, against what is described as Socialism. It is an ad put out by the phone company. When I found it, it was very frightening. Because, to change a generation, you do it through the then heart of the home: the mother. This is a very machiavellian ideal. The phone company was putting out anti-socialist propaganda, because they wanted to put the spin on it that it was un-american, as they described it as going against individual business ownership, which is not true. And, by doing so, they could allow people to support their idea of large monopolies that in fact only helped their business interest and eventually lead to the growth of corporations that took the freedoms of individual business and community out of the hands of the people. Socialism is basically about community.

Also, it is just a term. I don't think our country should allow itself to be defined by any term. I don't necesarily want the government taking care of us, but I do know that for the amount of tax we now all pay, to help fund things that put money into pockets of the few, could certainly help the masses with basic healthcare. Such reform would also address the Insurance company. Another corporation born out of the fear and propaganda of post war 1950s where companies used our fears of the changing world to have us buy into their idea that we need to pay them for future woes. The fact that they are as powerful and have as many lobbyists now, is because we bought into the concept they began to feed us at that time and because we didn't ask "WHY" and get involved in our local politics. They defined what being american should be and by that very act make it un-american. As we were the country of people who thought for themselves.

Someone commented that people run to the doctor with the first sniffle. This, in fact, is not ture and CANNOT be true for many, because they cannot run to the doctor as they have no healthcare. My close friend is an ER physician, and he often gets those hard working honest people who cannot afford healthcare and could NOT go for the first sniffle but now are forced to go to him on the thrid week of sniffle and end up with a high ER bill they cannot pay and then we all pay for anyway but a higher cost all of which goes to the insurance companies which are, yes, corporations!

I don't want a socialized state as some people view it. I want a nation, that we had once planned, of people with the gumption to ask "WHY?". That is why we have this country. IF my and my husbands ancestors hadn't said to England, "why do I have to follow your religion? Why do I have to do as you say" they would not have come here.

If other immigrant nationalites hadn't said, "Why, do I have to live under this dictatorship, Why do I have to live this way?" they would not have come and made this country stronger with their traditions.'

I am just afraid that many people today are fed the anti-socialist hype from the very corporate structure that has it all in place, so we don't ask why and just go out and buy.

I mean, do you ask yourself, "Why is this toothbrush $1.00 at Walmart, but $5.00 at the local owned store" Oh, it must be Walmart has magic fairies that build items for free for them. Every action has a reaction. Every choice we make has a consequence. We can try to believe what we are fed and say "It is American to do this or that" but to be "American" is to think for yourself and ask 'WHY" that is that aspect of this country and it's people that I am proud of, not because a corporate chain store sells an american flag made in china for .50 cents!

We seemed to have traded the tyranny of kings and dictators from our past for the sublet tyranny of the corporations. How are they not like a king, making all the governement decisions that decide what is good or bad for our tax dollar. The basis for ANY society is its education and health. Plain and simple.

Please, no one be offended by anyting I have said. I am speaking from my heart and from what I feel I am finding out from my research. To look at the daily magazines and news of a different time is very enlighteneing and I want to share all of this with you.

I also, don't want you to think that this blog will only be political. I still care (even more so!) for the knowledge of recipes, and cleaning tips and dressmaking, and in fact this political aspect of asking "why" makes me realize how we have devalued such skills. I want to get those skills back. I also want them to recieve the same respect and acceptence that they are as much knowledge as reading Dickens (and I love Dickens!) but why can only one skill set be valid?

So, do not think that now my posts will be all rant. IF anything I am becoming more excited to learn and take back the education and knowledge of our past mothers, grandmothers etc. I just want to live in a world where these things are important and that if we educate our selves in them, we may find we don't need to spend so much and may not need two incomes etc. And we may be able to tell our government from the local to the whitehouse, what is important to ALL of us and that we do not want to be corporate fodder.

Thanks for listening to this unedited rant, as I need to go off to my project with my vintage friend. We are working on somthing that might be giving us more space to continue to learn our 'homemaking' skills. More about that in future blogs.

And remember, Love first. We all may come to this forum with different views, ieals, religions, beliefs, but at the root of it all, we are all women and human. We want what is best for all of us and through knowledge and thinking we can come to it. Who cares if we cannot affect the white house, but if we can all change our own small communities, maybe it will ripple out someday and become a part of our overall culture.

Until later, happy homemaking and remember...

Ask WHY?