Socialism, Working

IN CAPITALISM, goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed competitively, by privately owned businesses, for profit. In socialism, goods and services are produced, distributed, and consumed cooperatively, in publicly owned enterprises, non profit. Both systems work just fine, if given the chance. Machines must be operated properly, and maintained. Each time a conservative colleague asserts that "socialism doesn't work", I try, usually in vain, to point out that local fire and police departments, streets, bridges, state and federal highways, sewer and water systems, public schools, and numerous other providers of services are owned publicly, and operated on a non profit basis, yet somehow manage to get the job done. The conservative always tries to argue, something about "these are special circumstances", rare examples of non capitalistic activity, which are actually supported by the capitalistic economy, and are therefore not true socialism. The arguments are always trash talk. Just the other day Marco Rubio suggested that anyone wanting socialism should simply move to a socialist country, apparently unaware that we all, including himself, already live in one. Of course, one ought never to expect very much comprehension of reality from any conservative politician. All of the above are indeed examples are socialism, pure and simple. Some small colleges hire conservative history professors, of which there are only a handful, fortunately, who stand in front of their classes, and proclaim "socialism doesn't work", even as they get their paycheck from a socialized entity, their employer, the small college. Small budgets, small minds. Larger universities are usually able to avoid hiring such provincials. Can you imagine a privately owned police department, in business for proift? You'd have to decide which police department to summon for help, since, in a free enterprise economy, there would naturally be more than one police department in every community, competing like dollar stores or fast food restaurants. That wouldn't work at all.