One minute John McCain is calling Barack Obama a socialist. The next minute he's suggesting the federal government should buy up distressed mortgages at inflated prices to save home owners from their bad investments. Guess what John? That's a little bit of socialism right there.
None of the candidates is advocating literal socialism, a system whereby the government controls the basic means of production, least of all Obama, who is advised by Warren Buffett, one of the most successful capitalists of all time. If McCain were to suggest that, he should be disqualified from being president on the basis of mental deficiency.
On the other hand, as I pointed out in the opening paragraph, little bits of socialism can be found in policies espoused by all of the candidates. Sarah Palin's stump speech includes the line,"Now is not the time to experiment with socialism." The truth is we've been experimenting with socialism since the republic began.
Capitalism is our way of life. It's arguably the best economic system ever invented. But it's flawed. It needs help. Unchecked capitalism is subject to unchecked greed. And that can lead to problems, such as we experienced in 1929 and the 1980s and are experiencing now. So, over the years, we've built a few checks and balances into the system. Many of these checks and balances might be thought of as socialism but they are integral to the American way of life.
Start with the very idea of taxation. All taxation is redistribution of wealth. The government takes our money, then uses it as it sees fit for the betterment of our lives. The decision was made long ago that the free market could not adequately provide everything we need: defense, police, firefighters, bridges, roads, etc., So the government takes money from individuals and spreads it around society. McCain is proposing a tax break for rich people and a tax refund as part of his health insurance plan. Palin pushed for a windfall tax on oil companies that she then redistributed to the people of Alaska. So, while they attack Obama for proposing a tax cut for the middle class, they are both for redistribution of wealth.
We learned after the Great Depression that we needed to insure people's deposits in the bank. Everyone is happy about the FDIC insurance they get for free from the government. The government agreeing to replace your cash if the bank screws up? Not exactly free market capitalism. We also discovered that we needed to provide for the basic needs of our elderly. Social Security was born. And even though it has the word "social" right in it, very few people, other than folks on the fringe like Joe The Plumber, would like to face old age without it. Another safety net that most Americans would not like to live without is Medicare. Socialism! Wait until Rush Limbaugh realizes he can use his Medicare card to get cheaper pills than he does in the parking lot.
Anyone notice that tiny little bailout that President Bush spearheaded a few weeks ago? The one where the government committed $700 billion to buy up chunks of American companies? The one that both McCain and Obama supported? Yeah, some socialism in that one.
Our next venture into socialism will provide us with needed health care. We already spend more on health care than any nation in the world, yet 47 million people go without health insurance. In addition, insurance companies do not encourage preventative care and can choose to deny coverage even if you've paid your premiums. In 2000, The World Health Organization ranked the U.S. 37th in its list of health systems, behind Costa Rica, Morocco and Colombia, to name a few. That's a pretty low return for our money. When it comes to health care, capitalism needs a little bit of socialism.
More of my writing on the economy, taxes and "trickle down."
Abe The Accountant
McCain Is Not Bush? - The Failed Economics of Reagan, Bush and McCain
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he does it often now
just ask him if Palin was a good pick
he says YES
he is saying "socialist
he would say "bogeyman" if he thought it would help!
"Spread the Wealth Around" are their best efforts to discredit Obama.
McCain's plan for the government to buy up the sub-prime mortgages as a "bail out"
so folks can keep their homes to stabilize the "Housing Market" is his best effort of
"Speading the DEBT Around"
To compare each of these plans: Obama wants the wealthy to help with bailing out
the failing economy.
McCain wants the middle class "Joe the Plumbers"
to "PAY" to bail out the failing economy.
Why should we "middle class folks" always get stuck paying for the "greedy folks" problems??
Which plan would you rather have in place??? I've made my choice.
Remember, the United States government does not have an income problem, it has a spending problem.
Oh, and did I say how he also is rich, and thus will be spending some of his own money for poorer people than himself.
Do you actually think he's going to follow up on all this B S he's saying he's going to do? Wake up people! He's a politician
He's not going to fight for the middle or lower classes. He's going to benefit from the power that the Office of Presidency of the USA brings. He may TRY to do SOME of the things he promises.
But, ultimately
Obviously, there are already corrupt people influencin
I've got news for John McCain: Public education is socialist. Public Libraries are socialist. Public Parks are socialist. Pretty much anything PUBLIC is socialist. Medicare is socialist. Social Security is socialist. Why don't you get up at rallies and say "My friends, my friends, Barack Obama is a Socialist.
Elitist" is code for people who are genuinely well-educa
"Marxism" is a convenient word since although no one who uses the loaded term has actually read Karl Marx. The word "Commie" is rather passe and besides despite it's being shortrhand for Communist it also conjures up other associatio
Even the best systems require checks and balances and "social programs" are the necessary counterwei
If anything, Obama's newness means he's less corrupt than McCain, he's had less time for the barnacles to grow on him.
(I don't support either of these guys or their parties, but McCain is the far more corrupt of the two by orders of magnitude. You don't survive in Washington for 30 years by being clean)
There will be so many newly unemployed Rebublican
Why tax more for those who work more? Why redistribu
If everyone is going to contribute fairly, everyone should be subject to the same percentage
33% of $10,000 leaves a person $6700
33% of $100,000 leaves a person $67,000
33% of $249,000 leaves a person $166,830
I'd say there's considerab
The incentive argument is a poor one. When you are making enormous sums of money, you don't quit because you have to pay taxes. You think you could find someone who was making $250k that wished they were making only $100k so they could pay less tax? Do you know of anyone who quit working their high paying, white collar job because they had to pay taxes?
"utopian socialism - an economic system based on the premise that if capital voluntaril
Incredibly far. Light years away. Step outside and look up at the stars. That far. He has not suggested that enterprise should be turned over to the government
The idea of socialism was invented by European Communists in the 1800's as a way to change European government
Socialism is irrelevant in the United States. The people were defined to be the government here from the beginning in this country. Implementa
Those in the higher brackets should feel honored to pay it. Asking those people to give back to the place that enabled them to do so well seems fair to me. When are these rich so-called patriots going to think of America, which has done so much for them, and allowed them to make so much money, as their business partner instead of their enemy? There's a reason they're in America, and that's because there is opportunit
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Reference.
utopian socialism
–noun (sometimes initial capital letter) an economic system based on the premise that if capital voluntaril
Compare socialism.
Perhaps if he added "Utopian" as a qualifier it would make more sense... he isn't crazy.
Look it up on Dictionary
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[Origin: 1920–25]
Dictionary
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary
utopian socialism
noun
socialism achieved by voluntary sacrifice
All through the new testament it says to give to the poor and less fortunate. Here, for instance, Jesus says you will be cast into "everlasti
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. (40) And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.(41) Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlastin
The idea that all help for the poor should be done through the government is in opposition the Christ's teaching that help for the poor is a personal responsibi
Why not both?