Why is Obama called a socialist?
musicismylife78
Posts: 6,116
its a rare moment when I come to the defense of Obama. But this is one of them. I have never understood this line of thinking. I am a registered socialist and consider myself a radical communist anarchist. I know my political beliefs, and I know Obama’s. And I highly doubt he would even listen to my points of view. So that to me suggests we dont agree on issues, thus he isnt a socialist. I have studied communism and socialism extensively. And I can not understand why and how some can call Obama a socialist and suggest that the nation we live in is now socialist under his leadership. Hilary was accused of the same thing in the lead up to the election.
Anyways, I can understand maybe, it as an insult, but why has it stuck. People continue to suggest that he is a socialist. Anyone who has read anything about socialism can understand even in the most basic sense, that we are not living in a socialist state. The most obvious example of this is that the means of production are still in the hand of the owners, as opposed to the workers. Thats one. Another is that Obama is not, and has never given any suggestion that he even has one socialist bone in his body. If there ever was a time to be a socialist, to start taking from the rich and giving to the poor, to make it so everyone recieved all equal wages, it was now, in the midst of this Great Depression we are currently in. As far as I can tell Obama has never considered that line of thinking, nor has any american president. Obama’s actions during this Depression, are the actions of a capitalist. Secondly, he is a man of faith. And, obviously a person can be a socialist and be religious, but I would think there would have been some kind of major speech by him, talking about how socialism and religion can coexist. There obviously was no such speech.
It inconceiveable to me to rationalize the idea that Obama is a socialist. There is no evidence to suggest he is anything but a capitalist politician. The most obvious example of this is he hasnt espoused the philosophies of some of our great radical thinkers of our time, the Zinns, Chomskys, Moores, Jensens, and so on.
Obama if anything is a centrist, even a Democrat with right wing tendencies.
How can a lie so ridiculous continue without a serious challenging of it?
I think the most damaging part of it, is how socialist in this context isnt a positive thing. Its used as an insult.
Anyways, I can understand maybe, it as an insult, but why has it stuck. People continue to suggest that he is a socialist. Anyone who has read anything about socialism can understand even in the most basic sense, that we are not living in a socialist state. The most obvious example of this is that the means of production are still in the hand of the owners, as opposed to the workers. Thats one. Another is that Obama is not, and has never given any suggestion that he even has one socialist bone in his body. If there ever was a time to be a socialist, to start taking from the rich and giving to the poor, to make it so everyone recieved all equal wages, it was now, in the midst of this Great Depression we are currently in. As far as I can tell Obama has never considered that line of thinking, nor has any american president. Obama’s actions during this Depression, are the actions of a capitalist. Secondly, he is a man of faith. And, obviously a person can be a socialist and be religious, but I would think there would have been some kind of major speech by him, talking about how socialism and religion can coexist. There obviously was no such speech.
It inconceiveable to me to rationalize the idea that Obama is a socialist. There is no evidence to suggest he is anything but a capitalist politician. The most obvious example of this is he hasnt espoused the philosophies of some of our great radical thinkers of our time, the Zinns, Chomskys, Moores, Jensens, and so on.
Obama if anything is a centrist, even a Democrat with right wing tendencies.
How can a lie so ridiculous continue without a serious challenging of it?
I think the most damaging part of it, is how socialist in this context isnt a positive thing. Its used as an insult.
Post edited by Unknown User on
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How is one a "radical communist anarchist"?
Seems a little contradictory?
they also see what universal healthcare is like in Canada. I get free medical. Yet I have to wait in line hours upon hours to get treatment. Or at least that's the stereotype. Frankly, I've never had to wait for anything medical in my life (however, to be fair, I've also never had to to go the ER/OR-I know many people who have had to wait hours in the ER waiting room). The Republican right want Americans to believe they can have their cake and eat it too. The fact is, though, the poor cannot afford drive-thru healthcare, so if they want it at all they have to sit and wait for a table. The right are telling them they may die before they get seated, so it's better to be hundreds of thousands in debt than to be dead.
Canada's healthcare system is flawed, no question, but in all honesty, universal heathcare is the norm in industrialized nations, and is far superior to the US system.
No one likes change. They're not used to someone talking about something other than "the enemy", which they all got used to for 8 LOOOOOONG years.
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
It's just a scary word some people throw around to get people fired up...
Dumb people perpetuating dumb ideas.
That's a bingo
A: Because the people calling him a socialist are usually stupid people who haven't got a clue what 'socialism' means.
That is why they sometimes freely substiture the terms, 'Facist' and 'Communist' in their comical, moronic rants. I have even heard some people use all three terms to describe President Obama. That's how stupid some people are.
Hail, Hail!!!
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
"Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
Anyone care to explain to me how a person becomes a radical communist anarchist?
:thumbup:
Fargo 2003
Winnipeg 2005
Winnipeg 2011
St. Paul 2014
Just go to wikipedia or something and type in "anarcho-syndicalism", and you'll see.
Generally anarchism comes in two strains, one aligning towards communism, and another towards libertarian free-capitalism. But the core is actually pretty similar.
So a radical (meaning extreme) communist anarchist, I would read as a devoted anarcho-syndicalist.
Here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anarcho_syndicalism
Peace
Dan
"Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
It's about as accurate as Bush being a fascist. And although I cared little for Bush and the fear-mongering his administration furthered, he was no fascist.
Peace
Dan
"Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
Those calling him a socialist definitely do not know what socialism is. And only in the US could the word 'socialist' incite fear!
6/30/98 Minneapolis, 10/8/00 East Troy (Brrrr!), 6/16/03 St. Paul, 6/27/06 St. Paul
Is that your complete answer?
I'm sorry... but, you'll have to explain how he is a socialist, here.
Hail, Hail!!!
Isn't a socialist a kind of screwdriver...the one with the funny head?
I always thought a 'socialist' was one of those fancy pants guys... that wears Seersucker suits to the Kentucky Derby and goes to the opera and has a membership to the country club.
...
Like, did you ever read that book, 'The Outsiders'? There was this battle between the Greasers and the Socialists... which seems kind of unfair because Greasers usually fight dirty.
Then again, the socialists have dads who are lawyers and judges who can lock them up.
Hail, Hail!!!
*the multi-billion dollar stimulus package
*obama's health plan
aren't at least these two things somewhat socialistic?
From the outside looking in there seems to be a hell of a lot of fear about everything in the US. The saying that ignorance is bliss has a flip side - fear is ignorance
so everything paid for with tax dolalrs is socialist? we put money into a pool, which the gov't then spend as it sees fits. on programs. military, roads, etc
The Stimulus package is going to infrastructure projects, such a highways and bridges... and levees and storm drains. Actually, a socialist project is the interstate highway system. When you see the interstate sign... such as I-5 through California... it means it gets federal funding (which also explains how Hawaii can have interstate highways over there). So, with the money... we get freeways and bridges.
The Heatlh Care Plan? Which Health Care plan? The ones in the House or the ones in the Senate? And i don't think they have passed, yet.
...
Other socialist entities... the military and the postal service. The Government plans and controls the military by not allowing them to purchase things such as Kalashnikov Rifles or MiG-29 Fighters.
And a Socialist program... Medicare.
Hail, Hail!!!
You mustn't confuse capitalism with a dash of social responsibility for socialism.
The stimulus package is first and foremost to save the current capitalist system, and from what I've gleaned of the Obama health plan, there ain't no revolution there either. In other words, continuing the status quo of state-based capitalism pretty much. (Which is the capitalism we've pretty much always had, at least on a soceital level)
Socialism as a system is something far more than taxing capitalism. In the developed world at least, we have pretty much leftie capitalism and rightie capitalism. In both instances there is taxation and public programs, they just differ on what programs, and to a really tiny extent how much to tax. But it's capitalism alright. America barely even have leftie capitalists as it is. Obama is pretty centrist really. Only in America can he get the "socialist" sticker attached to him. Pretty much everywhere else he would have passed for a conservative.
Peace
Dan
"Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
Capitalism would be letting these companies fail....not giving them money so government can control them, which is socialism.
guess George W. Bush is a socialist!!!