Here we go again - this time it is G.J. Cleaver in his letter of 14th March (bit.ly/2XWXT3j) with his interpretation of Socialism.

He equates it with Communism. Not so Sir. One might as well equate Conservatism with Fascism. It's your opinion, no more than that.

To support your case you quote from the Reverend J Boecker, an extreme right wing American pastor (an immigrant, incidentally, from Germany) who coined the out-of-date nonsense you quote during Victorian times.

He was absolutely hostile to anything that might relieve the sufferings of workers in the USA during their brutal industrial revolution which caused so much hardship.

Consider this quote from him "You cannot help the poor by ruining the rich." What utter pompous claptrap and what ignorance. Get out more. Visit the local Food Bank. Discuss with recipients and donors how this situation came about in the fourth richest country in the world.

Then visit central Bristol late in the evening. Talk to the homeless who often through no fault of their own end up sleeping in the streets - and often dying there.

In other words, have a heart - something Socialists have. It's not the hungry and homeless that have caused this crisis.

The real villains are the rich tax dodgers who siphon their monies to overseas tax havens. They will not make even the minimum tax contributions to society. I

t is claimed by tax experts that if the multi-rich paid their share of tax the government's disastrous Austerity programme would have been unnecessary.

Think on that Mr. Cleaver.

David A.J. Fullman

Alveston