Actress and Hulu talk show host Sarah Silverman took to name calling when she insisted that paying taxes for police and firefighters is comparable to socialism.
Silverman jumped on Twitter Monday to respond to a Fox & Friends message that relayed a quote from conservative talk show host and former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino, who insisted that “socialism is a disaster.”
“Socialism is a disaster. The only people who support Socialism are people who don’t know what it is or people who want to win elections,” Bongino said in Monday appearance on the popular Fox News morning show.
Silverman scoffed at Bongino’s comment and called him “daft” for his stance against socialism.
“Forgive me but you are daft,” Silverman said. “Socialist democrats are for socialized programs within our democracy. Like, education &health care available 4all, making sure all@kids have the same opportunities.. u don’t like socialized programs? Do you like the police dept? The fire department?”
Of course, the actual definition of “socialism” would tend to make Silverman’s proclamation suspect. Paying taxes to support police and firefighters is not an example of “government ownership of the means of production and distribution of goods.” Nor is the existence of police and firefighters an example of the elimination of private property or any “unequal distribution of goods,” all part and parcel to the definition of what socialism is.
Additionally, socialism is full, national government control, and police and fire are local matters that are affected by local voters making decisions about who they want to put in positions of leadership to control the policies upon which first responders operate. Indeed, in some places, sheriffs and police chiefs run for office themselves. This is hardly “socialism” because if it were, voters would never have any say at all in what police and firemen do.
Also, paying taxes to support first responders is entirely in keeping with the republic our founders created. And our founders did not create a socialist system.
Paying taxes to support police and firefighters is not exclusive to socialism. Indeed, it is a situation that exists in nearly every single form of government humans have created.
The I Love You, America, host, who campaigned for Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) before backing Hillary Clinton in the 2016 general election, is no stranger to outlandish statements.
Last February, Sarah Silverman suggested that the U.S. military could help overthrow President Donald Trump.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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