A few decades ago conservative friends of mine called me a socialist to chastise me, for my newspaper commentaries and opinions I’d voiced in our conversations. To be called a socialist in America signifies a character fault; it calls for reform to align one’s opinions to their conservative friends’ viewpoint.

I did nothing of the sort, trusting I knew the true meaning of the word. It is different from what many American politicians say it is. Matter of fact, today’s socialist policies are much fairer than in our current uber-capitalist system, where anything resembling systemic generosity or giving to those who have less than us, is called “socialist.”

In addition to my friends, conservative airwaves, conservative Denver Gazette opinion writers blithely use the word socialist to knock down any liberal act, group or ideation. I have over time come to realize that the word is used to define antagonisms: conservatives versus liberals who’re often misidentified as communists. For some Americans, the extinct USSR still plays mind games of impending mortal danger confronting America’s capitalist existence. Conservatives should spend a bit more time with the two words to comprehend the nuance of their true meaning.

Words are treacherous. In the Democratic primaries of 2020, Senator Bernie Sanders’ candidacy was sunk by the word “socialist.” To be labeled a socialist is to seal one’s fate, something Donald Trump’s is doing, by calling Kamala Harris a socialist and a communist. It’s supposed to demolish her. She is neither a socialist nor a communist.

The truth is, parts of our everyday American life bear a socialist blush; something built to benefit all of us. Best examples of a form of socialism are Medicare and Social Security that benefit the elderly and the disabled and were established by forward-looking individuals: FDR and Lyndon Johnson. K-12 public schooling, police and fire protection, infrastructure and road construction are a few “socialist” programs that serve all of society. Indeed, many who vociferously claim our watered-down socialism is atrocious are the very first ones to seek care when they fall from their perches.

Karl Marx’s socialism referred to a political and economic theory or system in which the means of production, distribution, and exchange of goods are owned or regulated by the community as a whole, often through the state. In theory, wealth and resources are distributed more equally among the population. Private ownership is either limited or replaced by collective ownership. When 1% of the richest Americans own as much as 50% of their countrymen, some thought should be given to how our national wealth can be more justly shared.

Most European nations practice a system where there’s greater sharing of resources and a robust safety net. U.K.’s NHS — National Health Service — is a single-payer model that many have advocated for the US. It would certainly be better than our confused, hodgepodge system in which everything is subjected to profit extraction by an ever-increasing number of rapacious entities. It is a very expensive system whose outcomes leave a lot to be desired.

I have always felt that enormous wealth in the face of intolerable poverty are unbecoming of a democratic society, especially one that professes: “All men were created equal.” Alleviating childhood poverty, hunger and disease are just common sense. Hungry children cannot learn. I have prayed that I’d see an equality in school funding so that all children have nutritious meals, modern books, labs and teachers of equivalent qualification.

Common sense tells me that the extremes that we currently entertain are irrational. As the rich get richer, and the ranks of the poor continue to burgeon one should see violence in our future. The bough is bound to break. The anger of many left behind as the International global trade took off has been coopted by Donald Trump. He has hitched his wagon to their discontent even though he lacks vision. His messages are about division, not unity and equity. I believe with wisdom and common sense we can avoid a rerun of the October 1917 Russian Revolution in America.

For many Americans there’s no limit to how much we can extract from the earth; how much we can squeeze from the economy. I believe that there’s a limit. To avoid possible cataclysmic collapse, we must limit our appetites for more and more, by practicing generosity and charity toward each other. It is imperative we practice Judaism’s “tikkun olam” — to heal mankind and the earth.

Pius Kamau, M.D., a retired general surgeon, is president of the Aurora-based Africa America Higher Education Partnerships; co-founder of the Africa Enterprise Group and an activist for minority students’ STEM education. He is a National Public Radio commentator, a Huffington Post blogger, a past columnist for Denver dailies and is featured on the podcast, “Never Again.”