Boy, I hate it when critics of President Obama rail against him with accusations of “socialism,” especially since most of them 1) know NOTHING about real socialism, and, 2) on a scale of 1 (no socialism) to 10 (total socialism), Obama’s past and present record ranks probably somewhere near -1.
Seriously, the most “socialistic” thing Obama’s critics point to is stronger government regulation of the financial industry (which President Bush started) and a statement he made to that silly “Joe the Plumber” guy in which he used the phrase “share the wealth” or something. In reality, Obama’s reference was NOT to any goofy socialistic “wealth redistribution” plan — it was to restoring the maximum 39% income tax bracket in place under Clinton.
So in effect, the right wing is howling “socialism” over a sensible effort to regulate capitalistic greed — and a 3% income tax increase on the nation’s wealthiest tax payers. *sigh*
I have to tell you, I got started on this rant after reading a particularly ignorant letter from a regular writer in our local newspaper. She delights in spewing right-wing ignorance and hate on a regular basis, but hasn’t written anything for the “Reader’s Letters” recently, so her mug shot and short letter caught my eye this morning. Her three paragraph letter 1) accused Obama of plunging us into a Depression, and, 2) destroying our country with his socialism (taking great pains to tell readers that the Nazi party was actually the “National SOCIALISTS” party in Hitler’s Germany). She warned that Obama was intent on destroying us as every failed socialist country in history has gone down in despair, etc.
So, good readers, beware of the creeping, scary, frightful SOCIALISM coming to get you if you don’t watch out. Beware, I say! Remember in our own time the fallen, destroyed economy of socialistic countries worldwide. I’m talking about such political and economic wrecks as Sweden, Norway, Finland, Great Britain, Canada — uh, no, wait. Those nations haven’t fallen or self-destructed under the evils of socialism HAVE THEY????
Grrrrr. I hate it when Obama’s critics rail against him out of bone-headed ignorance.
Well, and my point is, it is not just right wingers suggesting that Obama is turning this country towards socialism.
When the government oversees all aspects of health care, owns large portions of the financing/banking/manufacturing industries, ‘creates’ jobs by building larger governmental departments that take on responsibilities formerly held in the private sector, well, I’d say there are all sorts of similarities. They have a valid point, but it is just one of many things that people in general – not just far right Republicans – are having an issue with.
You make some excellent points. My focus in this post, though, was that “socialism” has become primarily a right-wing scare tactic. Sure, there were all sorts of things wrong with that huge spending package. And, sure, there were critics of it from throughout the spectrum. But the right-wing, from what I’ve read online, in newspapers, and seen on cable, has focused on a mis-definition of “socialism” and used it to frighten people.
Sure, we need to solve a ton of things wrong with federal AND state spending nationwide. And, sure, there are critics from every political stripe. But let’s not call bad or even “wrong” (if that term can be used for such matters?) spending and politics “socialism.” It has become a word that too many people have come to fear irrationally the same way the Red Scare folks did with “communism” back in the 1950s.
Is socialism inherently “evil” or “wrong”? Perhaps you could make a case against socialism in all forms — but you’d have a hard time convincing large numbers of people in Canada, Great Britain, Scandinavia, and many other European countries that ALL socialism is ALWAYS wrong/evil/whatever.
Perhaps I failed to make it clear in my original post that this misunderstanding and misrepresentation of socialism is a great deal of what I dislike.
Why do you assume it is right wingers criticising him? Let’s talk about the trillion dollar stimulus package in January, for example. This bill 1) Was not read before it was passed, 2) Did not receive adequate discussion by the media, citizens in general or politicians before it was rushed to a vote 3) Was supposed to ‘stimulate’ the economy out of the recession this year but for the most part will not be distributed until next year, near the election, 4) Contained, as I recall, thousands upon thousands of earmarks and 5) Unfairly granted projects to locales with low unemployment while other locations with high unemployment received little or nothing.
If you are at all concerned about your country, the way this bill was written and passed by your government should anger you.
So, dismiss what you will as right wing diatribes, the truth is that this President, like the last one, is spending too much money, is oblivious to what the majority of the citizens want and is determined to grow the size of this government to the point that, yes, it will have some similarities to socialism.
The answer is simple. The prez is overwhelming popular, and he has done almost everything right since taking office. The things he has not done right involve areas in which he has placated the right, such as backing off of criminal investigations against Bush administration officials. So, right-wing demagogues are not going to criticize him for that.
Thus, the Rush Limbaughs, the Glenn Becks, the little old ladies of middle America, have only name-calling to resort to; and catch-phrase anti-American epithets such as “Socialist” are so easy to use, and attract a built-in following of people who refuse to think for themselves, but follow their own party line, to the sea, to the sea.