The counter argument to fears of Latin American style socialism is

To point out how dictatorships played a role in installing them.

(Reposted from GD)

The Right attacks us with accusations of socialism to win the war of emotions in South Florida, and Latino Americans follow at their own peril because socialism is a word that entraps the mind. They see the kind of socialism that took over private ownership back in their native countries. I would have said that the chances of that happening in America was nil to none until De Santis made his lunge for Disney, but that’s a subject for another day.

Here in America, the right uses the word socialism to trick people into supporting them as they continue to take down safety nets. And these are safety nets that are popular all over South and Central America. It makes no sense. But from previous discussions it’s obvious that we can’t take this issue head on. The idea has calcified in their brains, so I suggest we sidestep.

Socialism wasn’t the only baddie is South and Central America. Before socialist programs could even be implemented there was the emergence of military dictators. Words that would work here are autocrat and authoritarians. And that’s important because I am hearing that Latinos in South Florida like authoritarianism, which is why they tend to gravitate to Republicans. From my experiences growing up in Panama I know this is not true.

Democrats are making a mistake if they broadbrush latinos from South Florida. I think they know this, but they don’t know how to dissect this problem. And I have one suggestion. Pay attention to who you’re polling or talking to. A Cuban American will have a different perspective from any other Latino American. It’s no surprise to me that we keep coming up with the same bleak outlook for South Florida. Almost every interview I have seen with people on the street have a primarily Cuban American focus group. Que sopresa.

Some would add other countries to the mix that favor authoritarianism, but some are more recent arrivals and can still be reached. The galling example is the Venezuelans. The Parkland shootings hit their community hard, and if anyone would support gun control, they would, or should.

I think there is a lot to gain from going outside of the Cuban American community for background information on the voting population. For one thing, you will learn that there is a lot of dislike between latino communities. Which is something you should expect to find because there is a lot of racism. And where you have communities that favor both authoritarianism and are racist, you are also going to find another group of people who feel demeaned and resentful. These groups are the ones that the Democrats should be interviewing for ideas.

One last thing. All of us in Florida are currently experiencing the effects of a racist autocrat. At first, when De Santis began his crazy rein in this State, I thought it was strictly influenced by Trumpism. Now I see it as the merging of the worst of two cultures. Those of us who lived in countries who were run by dictators can see the similarities. Authoritarianism and dictatorships, one and the same.

If South Floridians fear socialism, they should fear dictators even more. Because you need the latter to implement the former. Except in America, if Republican authoritarianism prevails, they will probably end up with something far worse than socialism.