[mlocher]

Excellent response and analysis. I would only add that the more the federal government is involved, the worse the program is. Local governments can sometimes be effective.

[Celerity]

Remind them : republicans and more accurately, Conservatives, participate in Socialism by paying loads LOADS of taxes and holding the entire tax burden.

Which, by the way, I have stopped. No more. There are plenty of things at tag sales and flea markets.

[BitWielder1]

Local governments can sometimes be effective.

Yes. When responsible people who are close to the problem are running the program they can make it work.
It's not too different from a private enterprise.
When Washington overburden themselves with micro-managing things from far away, it will most likely fail.
(Even socialism can function in small groups when everybody know each other and slackers are not tolerated.)