1. Fire Department

Source: Canva

Is your house burning down? Well, those guys in the red truck carrying that giant hose with the high-pressure water are socialists.

And so is that fire hydrant.

2. Mail

Source: Canva

Might as well stop and check the mailbox on the way out.

Hey, guess what? The second you touch that birthday card (Happy Birthday, by the way! You look great!), you’re a socialist.

Unless, of course, your aunt sent your card via UPS, which would have cost more than the card.

3. Our highways

Source: Unsplash/Nahari Perez Aguilar

Without socialism, you’d probably have a dirt path from your house to the local grocery store, and there would be no highways. If you’re Amish, that previous sentence has no significance.

4. Police

Source: Unsplash/ Credit: ev

If you lived in Afghanistan, you might be lucky enough to have a private security team guarding your house.

However, since you live in America, our socialist cops will protect you whether or not you’re a citizen or a taxpayer.

5. Airports

Source: Unsplash/Emily Rusch

There’s a reason that air travel is affordable—because taxpayer dollars fund airports and the FAA.

6. Courts

Source: Canva

If the private sector were responsible for courthouses, we’d never have justice. Because courts aren’t exactly profit-machines.

The courtroom, judge, and jury all exist because of socialism. Not to mention public defenders. [Note: Does not apply to food courts.]

7. Schools

Source: Canva

If you attended any public school, you’re officially a graduate of Socialist U.

Actually, you are even if you went to a charter school—which is just a sneaky way for rich people to keep their kids from interacting with poor kids. But that’s for another list…

8. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines

Source: Canva

Yep. Our national defense is owned, funded, and operated by the U.S. government—the very definition of socialism.

And 24 cents out of every tax dollar goes to the military-industrial complex.

9. Medicare

Source: Pixabay

Most senior citizens couldn’t afford private health care, so Medicare is literally and figuratively a lifesaver.

Socialism at its finest.

10. Medicaid

Source: Pixabay

Just think of it as Medicare for low-income people, and as another way socialism helps keep people alive.

11. Social Security

Source: Canva

It’s not called Capitalist Security.

This safety-net slice of socialism helps senior citizens avoid living in poverty and possibly YOU from having to finance Mom and Dad’s golden years instead of saving for your own.

They called FDR a commie for signing this into law, but it was so popular they had to make another law that said FDR couldn’t be president forever.

12. Sewers

Source: Canva

Every time you flush a toilet, you’re a socialist. And if you never flush… well, then you’ve got bigger issues.

Our sewer system does a lot more than remove waste. It also helps prevent disease.

13. Soda

Source: Canva

Huh? Really? Yes. Because the government subsidizes farmers to grow corn (and pays some farmers NOT to grow corn) to make cheap high-fructose corn syrup.

So if you’ve ever consumed a non-diet cola, you’re sipping on socialism.

Incidentally, Donald J. Trump has already bailed out farmers to the tune of $29 billion. Otherwise, they’d go out of business because of his horrid attempts at trade deals.

Twitter

14. Customs and Border Patrol

Source: Customs and Border Patrol

Perhaps the most ironic of all socialist entities: CBP.

This federal government agency helps keep illegal immigrants out, as well as regulates trade.

“Build that socialist wall!”

15. National Weather Service

Source: Wikimedia

Without this socialist service, you’d need to rely on looking out your window to figure out the weather. And knowing when a big storm is coming is invaluable. At any price.

16. Amtrak

Source: Canva

Yes, Amtrak is owned by the federal government. So next time you’re in a sleeper car dream about socialism.

17. Water system 

Source: Canva

Every time we turn on a faucet, most of us are dripping socialism.

In fact, the residents of Flint, Michigan didn’t have to boil their tap water until they switched their system to a private (capitalist) company.

18. Public Beaches

Source: Canva

Do you head to the coast when school lets out for the summer? Those public beaches you love to frolic on, that’s going to be socialism. Again.

You can thank Boston for creating the first public beach which they dubbed “The People’s Beach.”

19. Amber Alerts

Source: Flickr/Tony Webster

Amber Alerts have been helping track down kidnapped kids since the late 90s. The program was modeled after the inclement weather alerts that are sent out by the National Weather Service—which is also a socialist program.

20. Business Subsidies

Source: Flickr / Steve Jurvetson

Business owners like Amazon’s Jeff Bezos may think they are capitalist royalty, but all those business subsidies and tax breaks they get are just more forms of socialism.

21. The FBI and the CIA

Source: Wikimedia

Just like local police and the branches of the military, the FBI and the CIA are socialist programs paid for by your tax dollars.

22. Garbage collection

Source: Canva

Unless you are paying a private company to collect your trash every week, then you are enjoying more socialism. Oh, you take your own trash to the landfill? Is it owned by your county? Yep. Socialism.

23. Public libraries

Source: Pixabay

Public libraries all across the country are full of “free” books, “free” WiFi, and even “free” job training classes. Those services aren’t really free, you are just paying for them with your tax dollars whether you check out 10 books a week or don’t even have a library card.

Socialism at work.

24. NASA

Source: Canva

Without good ol’ socialism, Neil Armstrong would never have taken that “giant leap for mankind.”

25. Street lights

Source: Canva

Next time you go out at night to walk your dog, say thanks to socialism for being able to see the sidewalk because all those street lights lighting your path are funded by your tax dollars.