I am sitting at Wave Hill, a little gem of a park and botanical garden overlooking the Hudson River and shepping notches (Yiddish for reaping the pleasure and pride from something your son or daughter has done) over Josh's new book "The Rise and Fall of Socialism." Wave Hill which was once the home of Mark Twin and later that of Arturo Toscanini is now owned by the city and developed by the city university for everyone's recreation, pleasure and cultural enrichment. It seems an ideal spot for me to think about what socialist-type institutions (whether predating the socialist movement or growing out of conscious socialist initiatives and ideas) now contribute to my life at age 85. Predating the socialist movements were little public parks like this one and giants like Central Park; also public library systems (three in the immediate vicinity of my home) and, of course, the postal service. They all have the key socialist characteristics of operating for use not profit and being equally available to all.

Thinking about my personal finances, Miriam's and my income comes primarily from Social Security. It is supplemented to a degree by our union negotiated pension checks. We live in a nice apartment which we are able to afford because of NYC "rent stabilization." Our health bills in 2001, with my four hospital stays and oxygen needs were about $60,000. Fortunately this is picked up by Medicare. The possibility that either of us might need long-term medical care would be a serious problem if it were not for Medicaid. Each of these government or nonprofit labor-management benefits can be credited in large part to socialist initiatives and beyond that the, spread of socialist ideas. I mention those directly benefiting us, but for the general population I could have included unemployment insurance, workmen's comp, paid vacations, public schools and more. It is very satisfying to realize I am only one of the millions of Americans who are enjoying the fruits of the socialist efforts. The Bush White House and a House majority is seeking to repeal, restrict starve or otherwise limit all of these benefits except education in order to pay for tax cuts for the most affluent. But I believe the voters won't let them do it and even now the pressure from the, grass roots is for more not less.

Now it occurs to me that I have lived both ends of "from each according to his ability; to each according to his need." The benefits above was "receiving according to our need." For over 50 years we contributed "according to our ability," Miriam as a social worker at WY Legal Services and at International Rescue Committee. I worked wherever my socialist beliefs led me. This included building labor unions and supporting laws that equalize economic, opportunity. It meant educating and legislating to end racism, anti-Semitism and discrimination. It included supporting democracy and combating dictatorship with special focus on opposing those who promoted or defended dictatorship in the name of the very causes which socialists advocate. Socialist economic goals focus on an end to exploitation and a decent material life for all. My job was educating and mobilizing unions and the Jewish community in behalf of various measures that contribute to these ends.

Some might ask, why do you credit these benefits to the socialist movement? Do you think they wouldn't have come without you? Weren't there others who participated in bringing them about? The answer is that sooner or later a movement would probably have developed for each of these changes and yes there were others who joined in and helped bring them about, but to an amazing degree socialists either in organized fashion or as an amorphous group were the initiators, the front line of most of these efforts. Picking at random from a vast number of examples we find the founding of the

NAACP; half the names on its charter were SP members, black or white; socialists were the founders and builders of many American unions: the autoworkers, the teachers, the government workers, the sleeping car porters. With the heavy influx of immigrants came the United Hebrew Trades' and earlier the German Trades' and Labor Assembly.

The earliest campaign for public housing was organized by socialists led by Dr. Rabinow in the late '20s; the key socialist campaign issue in NYS '30 election was unemployment insurance; socialists did the fund raising for the socialist led Southern Tenant Farmers' Union and its successor the National Farm Labor Union. Our impact was epitomized by Franklin D. Roosevelt who, after initiating the New Deal whispered to Norman Thomas "Norman, I stole your platform."

Whether you believe or hope that socialism is dead or that the one thing that our poor battered world needs right now is a vigorous and creative social democratic movement, I, for one, am happy that I will be seeing all of you on May 1." And if I were not such a confirmed atheist I would say to the initiators of this event. "God Bless You."

Manny Muravchik

And do read Josh's book. I learned lots of socialist history from it.