When someone tells me this "ism" is better than that "ism" I immediately wonder what they are protecting.
My big ism is pragmatism which is a mix of communism, socialism, and capitalism., i.e., whatever works best in the circumstance.
Take healthcare as an example. Does healthcare fit the circumstances for capitalism. i.e., does the market have well-informed consumers able to choose providers in open competition in an arena of level supply and demand? Of course not. The providers are limited and regulated and go through a class system favoring the wealthy. The consumers can't predict their diseases much less have knowledge of things such as the various options for dealing with prostate cancer. Even if the consumer did have that knowledge the law states that insurers are only required to provide summary information on their health plans. So which insurer would provide your life-saving treatment at the lowest cost? Impossible to know so the consumer is screwed even if they know the diseases to which they might be susceptible. However, the insurers can deny you and you could lose benefits through termination. Does capitalism respond to the circumstances of pandemics and the needs of the individuals? It fails miserably there. We are gorged on pricing and the Rx industry isn't expected to cater to anyone but the masses. Presently the government has to intervene because insulin makers are absolutely gorging poor consumers. Is there a fair distribution of healthcare resources around the country? No, rural and poor areas are screwed. Overall we, as nation of capitalists, are getting sicker (30th and dropping), taking more unnecessary personal risks, and spending far more than other national systems. Accordingly, in our system, we get a less mobile and less healthy workforce.
There is room for socialism and capitalism together in healthcare IMO but universal healthcare is the only pragmatic solution for consumers. Unfortunately consumers are triggered by a word with an ism at the end. Socialism, So scary. Universal healthcare is just pragmatism but easily killed by fear.