Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) added:
"What [Democratic Socialism] means to me is health care as a human right; it means that every child no matter where you are born should have access to a college or trade-school education if they so choose it. I think that no person should be homeless if we have public structures or public policy to allow for people to have homes and food and lead a dignified life in the United States."
Think of it as a safety net through which no one can fall, a check on capitalism when it inevitably fails.
There are still rich people, but there is an expectation they will put a fair share of their wealth toward making sure society provides citizens everything they need to survive and achieve the potential they're told from kindergarten up is feasible in a functioning democratic republic.
Unlike Libertarianism that promotes the idea that any form of government intervention is intrusive, Democratic Socialism understands that no thriving democracy has ever existed without strong government-subsidized common infrastructure.
This means healthcare, housing, food, wages, and education should be protected from the profit motive.
Talk to anyone decrying the "evils of Socialism," and we will find they drive every day on roads for which their taxes have paid.
They probably attended public schools, as their kids likely do. Those sending their kids to private schools or college are still expected to pay school taxes on top of tuition.
If they have fire in their homes, they pick up the phone and call 911 without expecting a bill.
If they need police, they don't have to worry about how much the officer is going to charge them.
If they're suddenly rendered disabled, the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) they have been contributing to all their working lives protects them.
If they're 65, they can start collecting Medicare.
They (most of them, anyway) pay their taxes every year with the knowledge some is going to fund the military.
They have likely utilized their local public libraries at some point.
But if they or members of their families get seriously sick, they hope their insurance policies are comprehensive enough to cover everything.
If their wages are reduced because their bosses decide to cut corners to increase their own profits, they're going to start worrying about how to pay the bills and eat.
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