There are myriad definitions and variations of socialism. If you don’t believe me, check out the term’s Wikipedia page.
Things that have been called socialist:
- publicly owned lands, such as state and national parks [1]
- eminent domain [1][2]
- Social Security [1][3]
- the New Deal [1][5]
- public housing [1]
- the civil rights movement [1]
- bank deposit insurance (such as the FDIC) [3]
- labor unions [3][4]
- Medicare [4][5]
- the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) [4][5]
- government employment [4]
- free polio vaccines [4][5]
- State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) [4]
- President John F. Kennedy [4]
- mandatory measles shots [5]
- voting rights [5]
- farm relief [5]
- repealing Prohibition [5]
- the interstate highway system [5]
Notes:
[1] https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2019/03/07/what-is-socialism-socialist
[2] Ironically, eminent domain, which is supposed to be used to support public needs, is often used to benefit private enterprise, thereby reinforcing the observation that we have socialism for the wealthy and connected.
[3] https://prospect.org/economy/old-scare-tactic-socialism/
[5] https://gen.medium.com/whats-so-scary-about-socialism-4ae6d336620e