Point of View: Who's afraid of 'big government'?

By Miriam Muravchik

The airwaves have been filled with warnings about “big government,” and loss of our liberties, when in fact for me, as a senior citizen, “big government” is already here, and I’m mighty glad for it. Let me explain.

First, I receive my Social Security check on the third of each month and I depend on it. True, I paid into the system all my working life, but unlike other insurance systems, Social Security is weighted in my favor and is responsive to changes in the cost of living.

I have Medicare, which now includes some assistance with the cost of my medication.

I have my local senior center, which provides me with a nutritious and often delicious meal at low cost, and where I can meet old and new friends and partake in a variety of activities.

I have the glorious Wave Hill garden nearby, subsidized by government. I have Access- A-Ride, glory be! It takes me to doctor’s appointments and to places I could never get to without it.

And heaven be praised, my apartment remains “rent stabilized,” so I do not fear I will be priced out of my home and neighborhood.

And then there are the countless benefits that we all share and take for granted: sanitation, police and fire departments, schools, hospitals, armed forces, clean water and more.

Do all these benefits impinge on my “liberty?”

Hardly.

Rather, they provide me with the security and support I need to live as independently as I can — my strong desire.

Do all these benefits add up to the dreaded word “socialism,” a word that has been so widely misused, it has lost any semblance of meaning.

The Nazis called their party The National Socialist Party, and the Soviets named their country the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Today, many of the more advanced European countries that have developed national health plans and other public benefits are called “social democracies.” Is that what is meant by epithet “socialist?” If so, their citizens are not complaining.

And so, to those who threaten us with empty words, and to those who are swayed by such empty words: Our democratic system has worked for us for more than 200 years. It may seem slow and cumbersome, but it has served us well. However, it requires an enlightened citizenry who keep informed, ask real questions, and act responsibly.

Miriam Muravchic is longtime Riverdalian and occasional contributor to The Press.