Obama's No Socialist. I Should Know. »
Posted By Beau7890 8 months, 2 weeks ago in Political NewsIt took a massive global financial crisis, a failed military adventure and a popular repudiation of the Republican Party to make my national television debut possible. After 15 years of socialist political organizing -- everything from licking envelopes and handing out leaflets to the more romantic task of speaking at street demonstrations -- I found myself in the midtown Manhattan studio of the Fox Business Network on a cold February evening. Who ever thought that being the editor of the Socialist magazine, circulation 3,000, would launch me on a cable news career?
Whom did we have to thank for this moment in the spotlight? Oddly enough, Republican politicians such as Mike Huckabee and John McCain had become our most effective promoters. During his campaign, the ever-desperate McCain, his hard-charging running mate Sarah Palin and even a plumber named Joe lined up to call Barack Obama a "socialist." Last month, Huckabee even exclaimed that, "The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics may be dead, but the Union of American Socialist Republics is being born."
We appreciated the newfound attention. But we also cringed as the debate took on the hysterical tone of a farcical McCarthyism. The question "Is Obama a socialist?" spread rapidly through a network of rightwing blogs, conservative television outlets and alarmist radio talk shows and quickly moved into the mainstream. "We Are All Socialists Now," declared a Newsweek cover last month. A New York Times reporter recently pinned Obama down with the question, "Are you a socialist, as some people have suggested?" The normally unflappable politician stumbled through a response so unconvincing that it required a follow-up call in which Obama claimed impeccable free market credentials.
The funny thing is, of course, that socialists know that Barack Obama is not one of us. Not only is he not a socialist, he may in fact not even be a liberal. Socialists understand him more as a hedge-fund Democrat -- one of a generation of neoliberal politicians firmly committed to free-market policies.
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Beau7890
Truth rests on the mathematical reeds of the infinite and everything moves forward by order of the eagle riding pillion, while the genius of vegetable ...
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wrfhsgovComment removed: Retracted by user44 Replies
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Goppy8 months, 1 week ago
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Man Alive!
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The Modern Republican's mindless stereotyping (aka Swift-Boating Agenda) continues to engender negative 'blowback' onto the GOP.
By defining Obama's Centrist policies as 'Socialism' ... average Americans are beginning to think that Socialism is a new, exciting ... and downright MAINSTREAM political pov.
As these Right Wing Mouthpieces diligently try to frame the debate as THEM against Socialism ... Americans are forced to compare the Modern Republican Party with ... \
... their immense failures ... \
... their astounding incompetence ... \
... their ridicule of effective governance ...\
... their desperation to remain unaccountable for the mess they created ... \
... ... ... .... WITH ... ... ... ... ...
The modern Democrat ... President Obama .... who is simply trying his best to clean up the mess left by this 'Right Wing Wrecking Crew'.
And people say .... "So THAT's what Socialism is? Well - compared to Modern Republicanism - I guess it's not a bad boogedy man."
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Goppy8 months, 1 week ago
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I guess The Modern Republican must take heed.
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If you want to make your political opponent look like a pig wearing lipstick --- you should try to keep yourself from looking like a Termite with a gaudy little parasol.
People are likely to embrace the pig.
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It's just human nature.
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4thchance8 months, 1 week ago
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Obama is doing a great job so far, he's has spent trillions of $s! It's just wonderful....Then he comes out and reassures us that everything is fine, by using words like, (Crisis) (Worse then 1929 depression) (Financial Catastrophe) etc. I know I feel very reassured after he uses words like that to describe what we are faced with. Those types of words surly don't scare any of us, not at all. NO, Obama doesn't use scare tactics, does he? I say it every day here, and today is no exception. You people are hypocrites.
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wtagg8 months, 1 week ago
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The trouble with this type of argument, which I have pointed out time after time, is that you are only demonstrating that the new boss is the same as the old boss.
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If you were comfortable with the old boss, why is this a problem? I can see it being a problem for those that were expecting change, not for those that did not want change. -
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mesodude8 months, 1 week ago
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"Obama is doing a great job so far, he's has spent trillions of $s! It's just wonderful...."
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--I think Obama's courting the con vote. He remembers that Bush got re-elected after starting two wars, destroying a budget surplus, and just spending like crazy so he knows he's a shoo-in for a second term if he repeats that formula. I just hope cons will offer their 22% worth of support. Obama can't win without it. ;-x
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jimdoze8 months, 1 week ago
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So, in order to be properly characterized as a socialist one would need to be a totalitarian in their approach?
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Universal healthcare would be the governments way of systematically underinsuring and under-providing healthcare while "cashing in on the moral currency of universal coverage." The fact that it will be "universal" will also insure that innovation will stop and, therefore, no one will know what could have been if innovation had continued. Such an eventuality would simply render as speculation any thought as to what innovation a free market would have encouraged.
Socialists have always and universally cashed in on the "moral currency" of intentions without consideration for the fact that employing the power of the state to implement their "good intentions" always and universally results in the reduction of all to uniform misery and misery of uniformity.
Removing troops from Iraq and Afghanistan has nothing to do with socialism. It has everything to do with isolationism and allowing the world to spin off into massive war... just as total U.S. withdrawal from Europe after WWII would have done.-
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willottica8 months, 1 week ago
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Universal healthcare would be the governments way of systematically underinsuring and under-providing healthcare while "cashing in on the moral currency of universal coverage." The fact that it will be "universal" will also insure that innovation will stop and, therefore, no one will know what could have been if innovation had continued.
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Wow, those are some interesting predictions without any merit to them whatsoever. If what you said were true, then Canadians would be underinsured and medical care would be under-provided. But taking a random American vs. a random Canadian, the Canadian is much more likely to be able to get health care by the doctor of his choosing to save his life. Furthermore, you seem to think that innovation will stop, which, if true, would mean that Canada wouldn't have come up with any innovations since the 70s, when in fact they have made great gains in Cancer research, and are the world's biggest supplier of medical isotopes. -
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Beau78908 months, 1 week ago
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If you don't like universal healthcare, you're entitled to your opinion. If you don't like government-run public works projects, that's fine as well. But argue them on their own merits, rather than using exaggerated shorthand terms like "socialist" that don't do much other than to obfuscate the point and inflame people's passions.
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Calling Obama a socialist is using more than just a little hyperbole. It's like calling George W. Bush a Fascist...and if Mussolini (or Berlusconi) were able to write an article detailing the differences between Fascism and Bush's style of government, I'd probably concede the point that Bush wasn't strictly a Fascist. -
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bluetexasvalley8 months, 1 week ago
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jimdoze: "The fact that it will be "universal" will also insure that innovation will stop and, therefore, no one will know what could have been if innovation had continued."
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This statement tells quite a bit about YOU.
You think that the only incentive people have to innovate or improve is MONEY.
You're flat wrong. Thank goodness not everyone is like you.
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simonsez8 months, 1 week ago
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Goppy8 months, 1 week ago
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I would say that the most potent example of Socialism by any modern candidate .... Left .... OR .... Right ... would have to be George W. Bush.
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Applying Socialist Principles is how he became wealthy in the first place.
As a recruited spokesperson for a cabal that purchased the Texas Rangers - he lobbied for the City of Arlington to RAISE TAXES ... and use that PUBLIC money to build a PRIVATE stadium.
See? He got the GOVERNMENT to build him and his partners a Stadium.
True - in CLASSIC Socialism - the State would OWN what they build. But this is MODERN REPUBLICAN Socialism.
They get the State to build FOR them.
It didn't end there, (of course not ... this is George W. Bush ... everything he does is magnified ... ) --- he THEN went on to get the GOVERNMENT to kick out dozens of home-owners so he and his partners could build a stadium where THEY wanted to build it.
Did the residents sue? Yes they did.
But you can't stop Modern Republicans when they decide to apply their own special brand of Socialism.
Why do you think that GeeDub - at the first sign of economic meltdown - DEMANDED that GOVERNMENT - Bail Out the Bankers that created the mess?
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Goppy8 months, 1 week ago
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Impressive ... you can actually string a few words together to communicate a thought.
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It's a bizarre thought.
But, I commend your ability to create a thought.
I wish for more progress from you, Commodore1. May your next step be RATIONAL thought.
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tadair9198 months, 1 week ago
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this article comes from the inability to accept the definition of "socialism." this author, and the masses simply do not know what the term means. they just don't get it.
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socialism is when you make policy of the taking of money for (presumably benevolent) purposes. (read schools, roads, etc....)
this society already has a bunch of socialist policies. now adding to this list is obama's "redistribution of wealth," and "universal health care" initiatives. By definition, these policies are socialist policies.
don't get mad at me for stating the facts.
if you don't like the word, then you should at least find out why.
and if you think it's a good thing, then you should probably talk to somebody who has lived in a socialist country. they are the biggest opponents of socialism.-
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Progressive8 months, 1 week ago
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I've lived in several socialist countries, tadair, and I am less opposed to socialism than to the distorted form of democracy created by the supposed free market system under which we live in the US.
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And the US embraced socialism when the banks were nationalized through TARP payments under the Bush administration. -
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willottica8 months, 1 week ago
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tadair,
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Read the article. The author talks about how Obama isn't socialist because his policy is NOT universal health care; it's universal health insurance.
Included in socialism is not just the taking of the money, but the assertion of control by the government. Obama seems willing to take the money, but unwilling to give the government the control. So you end up with corporatism, since the corporations will lobby hardest for the funds (and the power) to be directed to them. -
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Beau78908 months, 1 week ago
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tadair9198 months, 1 week ago
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look people. the fallacy is simple. this author contends that since obama is not a member of the socialist party, which demands government control of all facets of your life -- then he automatically could never endorse socialistic policies.
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this is like saying that since bush and cheney were not put in jail, then they never committed a crime.
wake up. learn to think. for those of you still in college (or would like to go back) then take Logic. If it is difficult for you, then take it twice. Start training your mind to think, else you will be the idiot who casually thinks that mandatory redistribution of wealth is not socialism.-
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antibrainwasher8 months, 1 week ago
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Jesus on a Jet ski, its the pot calling the kettle black.
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The largest economic redistribution of wealth in the history of the freaking planet, moron, took place, idiot, during the Bush Administration, as the villiage idiot you voted for, imbecile, redistrigbuted the nations wealth to the richest 1% of all americans.
The largest economic redistribution of wealth in the history of the planet to the rich, and listen the the Limbaugh moron Tadpole defending it the same way all moron cons do, by swiftboating, calling socialist anyone trying to repeal the corporate casino capatilism socialism for the rich.
You win the moron of the day award, tadpole. -
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scott42618 months, 1 week ago
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The truth is elements of socialism have been integrated with democratic principles at least since the Great Depression. Conservatives have been actively trying to privatize - or otherwise dismantle - New Deal and Great Society programs like Social Security and Medicare since their inceptions.
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I am in favor of single payer universal health care. I do not believe that one's wealth or lack of it should determine the health care that person should receive. I believe that the U.S. could expand Medicare and the doctors would be able to treat everyone without any significant change in how they run their practice. But I would even go a step further and ban pharmaceutical advertisements, let the FDA actually do their job, and have the doctor and patient decide the best treatment without the outside influence of advertisements from companies like Pfiser... So yeah, I guess I'm a socialist in that respect...
But the author of this piece is absolutely correct that this is NOT what Barack Obama is offering for health care coverage. What will probably emerge is a plan implemented by a couple of providers - like Aetna or BC/BS - which will offer coverage like that enjoyed by our representatives and senators. The difference is we will pay small premium. But all will have the option of maintaining private coverage or enrolling in the Obama plan. Regardless, everyone should have coverage. IMO, this does not go far enough, but it's a start....
And on redistributing wealth: ...I believe most rich people are more angry about taxes than anything else. Obama will be letting the Bush tax cuts sunset and we will return to Clinton tax levels. And I, BTW, approve of that. We all were doing better then.
Make no mistake, I am a liberal. I have come to my politics through my life experiences. I beleive that the Keynesian economic approach that Obama is putting forward is the right one. And I beleive that supply-side economics as advanced by every president from Ronald Reagan until Obama (including Bill Clinton) is the wrong course to take. I have watched things like the Sherman Anti-trust Act be dismantled. ...and more recently Glass-Steagall. I believe the latter was the chief component of our current real estate collapse.
I guess I am a true FDR Democrat. And I beleive what he did, updated to the 21st century, is what is needed now....
And if that makes me a socialist in your eyes, then so be it. I know I am a liberal Democrat embracing certain western European socialist elements that work. I know that makes your head explode in your black and white world..... -
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Progressive8 months, 1 week ago
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"this is like saying that since bush and cheney were not put in jail, then they never committed a crime."
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No, it's more like gay a person who doesn't wish to be associated with someone described with a pejorative for homosexuals simply because the person using the pejorative is an inarticulate homophobe.
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antibrainwasher8 months, 1 week ago
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Interesting that those using socialism as playground rhetoric trashtalk are the ones voting for CARIBU BARBIE.
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What kind of moron votes for caribu barbie to head the US economy? Are you kidding me? How stupid to you have to be to vote for Caribu Barbie to head the Economy......well, you have to also eat the verbal projectile diarrhea spewing from the gaping maw of the fat swine Drug Lamebaugh, the moral and intellectual leader of the repugs.-
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tadair9198 months, 1 week ago
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even more interesting is that you regard the fact that obama has socialistic policies as mere "rhetoric," is truth, rhetoric now? this article is newspeak, and you fell for it.
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also interesting is your take that if anybody correctly identifies obama as having socialistic policies, then they are automatically a caribu barbie voting individual. i, for one, didn't support either major party candidates.
or, more interesting, is that you have the same mindset as the blow-hard rank-and-file republican, which is the very same type of intellect that you are damning against. your inability to see the facts shows that you are a mindless rank-and-file democrat.
but we don't want rank-and-file people towing the party-line. this is exactly the type of behavior that got us in this mess.
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sonofreasonComment removed: Hard Banned14 Replies
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joeblowe8 months, 1 week ago
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Well, see, the problem is - people STILL tend to confuse "Republican" with "Conservative." For the last - well, many years anyway - this has arguably NOT been the case. It wouldn't necessarily be inaccurate to make a claim that the current crop of REPUBLICANS are Socialists. (EXCEPT maybe, oddly, Sarah Palin. I suspect her of being a rabid conservative and free marketeer. MAYBE - we'll find out more about that in 2012? I just wish she were a fair bit SMARTER.)
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frctm58 months, 1 week ago
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So you must really hate Bush since his prescription drug program was the largest entitlement passed since the Johnson administration. Automan thinks Bush is a socialist! Government grew under Bush with the Department of Homeland security and massive increases in military spending so Automan thinks Bush is a socialist. If you are going by the criteria of growing government, you can't escape that conclusion.
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dxxy4u8 months, 1 week ago
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The ones who are in foreclosure could care less what label you put on Obama. If you label him a Socialist, then they are saying, "where is the Socialist HELP"? There is NO man on Planet Earth that is all you pundits say he is. The only thing you haven't called him is a "Child of God". "Child of Satan", yes.
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Does your hatred for Obama run that Deep, or are you just blogging to read your own blogs?
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