Ross Holcuob is 31 years old and seeking his Bachelor’s degree in Petroleum Engineering. He has worked in the oilfields since he was 23. Russ is currently writing a novel and plans to use both his writing and degree to travel the world.
“Is having a stronger social net (universal healthcare, universal basic income, etc.) against American values?”
— 2022 Question
It is no secret that when Americans fall, they fall hard. Medical bills bankrupt families, simple mistakes destroy futures, and poverty persists in families for generations. One way to solve this problem is to make the United States more like other countries: give everyone comprehensive health insurance, for example, or make welfare programs more robust, or provide university students with free education. Advocates say these are the only means to diminish the income inequality that comes from American-style capitalism, but critics call these solutions “socialism,” and claim they limit individual freedom. Which is it? Do democracies like ours have a responsibility to provide for its worst off and if doing so is socialism, might that mean that socialism is actually a good thing?
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