Socialism is a transitional state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of Communism. People who don’t rely on things like welfare, social security, or other government programs with Socialist undertones are the ones creating a stigmatism around the word socialism and its ideology.

Donald Trump claims to hate socialism and those associated with socialist ideas. He is the capitalist “golden boy.” It’s probably a little bit easier to hate socialists and their ideas when you’re one of the few who doesn’t need the safety net it creates.

There is a stigmatism around socialism; many people believe is a leftist extreme, but it’s not directly connected to one party. The ideologies of socialism can be supported by any party/person, but because people constantly associate socialism with things that give it a negative connotation, it’s rarely supported. The term “Democratic Socialist” referring to the far left scares away support from moderates or others fearful of extremes, left or right.

Socialism is not communism; this is a common misconception driven by people in the government who know that associating the two concepts will scare people away from socialist ideas and policies. It creates a barrier between incorporating socialist ideas into our government and economy.

Allowing yourself to accept policies that don’t align with your party is important. Just because an idea is coming from a Democrat doesn’t mean a Republican should disagree with it and vice versa.

Donald Trump recently took to Twitter to protest the closing of a GM plant in Ohio. The plant is not financially viable anymore. Only able to produce one model, the plant’s upgrades to become a viable factory would be millions. Trump managed to use bully tactics to keep the plant open. This is the government intervening in private business, which most would categorize as a Socialist action. Even though you may not notice, socialism is all around us in our daily lives.

Socialism and capitalism both have their drawbacks and advantages. This is why we need an economy with a balance of both. It’s important to fully understand socialism and what it truly is, as well as accept policies and changes with socialist undertones.

Don’t limit yourself to a party and stay within their ideological boundaries. At the end of the day, decisions should be made based on your ethics, mindset, and what you believe should be done. It’s not a matter of staying perfectly aligned with your party but instead making a decision that you have faith in.