Why Obama is a socialist
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David Leiss
Published: October 25, 2008
Barack Obama has been attacked recently for being a socialist. We need to first define what a socialist is and then determine whether Obama fits that definition.
The following definition is from Wikipedia:
“Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and the
creation of an egalitarian society. Modern socialism originated in the late nineteenth-century working class political movement. Karl Marx posited that socialism would be achieved via class struggle and a
proletarian revolution which represents the transitional stage between capitalism and communism.”
“Socialists mainly share the belief that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital, and creates an unequal society. All socialists advocate
the creation of an egalitarian society in which wealth and power are distributed more evenly, although there is considerable disagreement among socialists over how, and to what extent, this could be
achieved.”
Based upon this definition, is Obama a socialist? One of the main themes for his campaign has been “A tax cut for 95 percent of American families.” So where does the money to pay for this tax cut
come from? It comes from the big businesses “who can afford it.” So this means that successful companies like Microsoft and Apple will have to send more of their wealth to Washington to fund these tax
cuts and other government programs. In order to pay for this, these companies must do the same thing that Wal-Mart and grocery stores must do when the cost of the food they are stocking increases,
as we have all painfully seen lately.
To stay in business, they will need to increase the prices of products. And who will pay these increased prices? You will. If corporate taxes get high enough, companies like these will be forced to move
to more tax-friendly countries.
So, is Obama’s “spreading the wealth,” as he told Joe the Plumber, socialism? Based upon the definition above, I would have to say, YES.
DAVID LEISS
Manassas
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Reader Reactions
Posted by ( raywilliams ) on October 26, 2008 at 9:08 pm
“Carefull there Ray W, sound to me like youve slandered Joe the Plumber”
Well sparky, I didn’t call him a “slob”.
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Posted by ( gwenandgary ) on October 26, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Gents, I believe we’ve had a socialist government in place for some time now. Lyndon Johnson planted those seeds back in the 1960s. Barack Obama is a logical extension of this, and is merely the icing on the cake.
True, the recent socialization of financial institutions was a bipartisan effort. Both sides of the aisle colluded/cooperated/collaborated to bring that about. Everyone’s in on this, make no mistake.
Considering the current makeup of Congress, he’ll be a darned good fit.
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Posted by ( phdee ) on October 26, 2008 at 4:11 pm
The definition of socialism as quoted in this LTE sure sounds a lot like the federal goodies big businesses and the wealthy get. Ah yes, socialism for the wealthy, capitalism for the poor. The federal bailout program is socialistic - and it was not just the Dems who voted for it - why Johnny voterd for it. In fact, he suspended his campaign, came to DC, and made a speech on how successful the bailout program was and how great was his effort, only to have the House defeat the program. Ha ha.
Business can’t make it unless they have tax breaks, subsidies, guarantees, sweetheart deals, kickbacks, and laws to protect them from prosecution for “misdeeds”. Strictly socialistic. When the “free market” collapses, the feds are supposed to bail them out. Pure socialistic. And neither party is immune from advocating it.
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Posted by ( phdee ) on October 26, 2008 at 4:02 pm
spanky: parents were socialists That’s the same logic I and others have been accused of using to cite racists, white trash, hatermongers, etc. on this website. So you are confirming that what’s in the cat (i.e. hate, racism, white trash, ignorance, etc.) is in the kittens.
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Posted by ( ejben ) on October 26, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Another thought. Isn’t it the Democratic Congress that is allocating money to buy up Houses?
Have you checked BO votes in the Congess for the short time he’s been there?
What qualifies him ?
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Posted by ( spanky ) on October 26, 2008 at 12:05 pm
Obama is a socialist because his parents and his mentors were socialists.
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Posted by ( QuestionAuthority ) on October 26, 2008 at 11:47 am
So it’s OK for Republicans to borrow and spend us into the largest debt in US history as long as the money goes to the richest corporations in America in the form of subsidies and huge tax breaks. It’s OK for Republicans to borrow money we don’t have from Saudi Arabia and China so they can give everyone a “rebate check” to “stimulate the economy” but if Obama wants to shift the tax rates slightly then it’s socialism? It’s OK for Republicans to double the national debt in order to throw no-bid contracts at defense contractors who are doing the things our military ought to be doing, but that’s not socialism? We’ve just witnessed the Republican administration with the support of a bipartisan Congress give $720 Billion to Wall Street fat cats, some of whom went right out on a luxury $440,000 retreat…that’s not socialism?
This is nothing more than the politics of fear invoked by a failed campaign that’s run out of ideas.
Therefore I hereby invoke the Rooster Cogburn rule of political squeamishness: The party of of pro-war, pro-torture, gun-totin’, Bible-thumpin’, SUV-drivin’, “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps,“ “marines don’t cut and run,“ “you can have my gun when you pry it from my cold dead fingers,“ shock and awe neo-conservatives is not allowed to hide behind mama’s skirts trembling with fear over nonsensical ghost stories made up by cynical, bigoted propagandists to scare the sheep into believing the scary “community activist” who suspended his campaign to visit his sick grandma is some kind of America-hatin’, Socialist, terrorist “boogerman” who’s going to send you to a forced labor camp and make your babies read the Koran.
“Well if I had a big horse pistol like that I wouldn’t be scared of no ‘boogerman’”
John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, “True Grit”
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Posted by ( spanky ) on October 26, 2008 at 10:55 am
Carefull there Ray W, sound to me like youve slandered Joe the Plumber, REMEBER PEOPle, they went to joe, he was out in his yard throwing a football with his kid when they stopped and asked ; that FACT is left out of alot of news stories.
And with things the way they are, He may be late paying, only if he didnt file would he have had to :dodge paying
If only Obama had 1/2 the scrutiny poor old slob Joe has..
I dont really like McCain, again I will find myself voting against an unknown…. I have an Idea what MCcain will do. Hes the saferr bet IMHO.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on October 26, 2008 at 7:46 am
“as he told Joe the Plumber”
It should also be noted Joe is not a plumber, works illegally to avoid paying taxes, has an income tax lien on his wages by his home state and by all accounts - is an admitted lier.
Joe and his good buddies John McCain and Sarah Palin know quite a bit about ‘stretching the truth’ when tall tales meet their needs.
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Posted by ( raywilliams ) on October 26, 2008 at 7:42 am
“Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating state or collective ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods”
Hey wait. Isn’t it the Bush Administration buying up Wall Street and taking over the banking industry?
Isn’t it the Bush Administration polices the steered the country towards a socialist position and was not John McCain a supporter of the Bush Administration 90% of the time by his own admission?
Run folks run toward the Obama-Biden ticket to avoid further socializing of the nation by Republican operatives.
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