Socialism?

The McCain campaign is now accusing Sen. Obama of advocating socialism. Socialism, of course, is a policy of public ownership of the means of production. There is nothing about the Obama tax policies that have any relationship to socialism, so this word is merely being used to arouse emotion and fear in a free enterprise society where any hint of socialism can be a political kiss of death.
 
Ironically, the only thing that might possibly be fit into this category of socialism in recent history is the action of President Bush's Treasury Department in taking partial public ownership of all of the nation's largest banks, something that was widely seen as necessary after unregulated speculation in financial instruments backed by bad mortgages threatened to bankrupt the entire system.
 
What McCain calls socialism is the idea of raising taxes up to the level of the Reagan era by reversing some of the tax cuts to the rich that were paid for with borrowed money and national debt. When policy is changed to subsidize the well-to-do or private business, even incredibly rich oil companies, it is defended as economic development. When there is a proposal to provide some aid through the tax system to working families not earning enough to support their families, conservatives see it not as social justice, as caring for deserving families and children facing tough times, or as a way to develop their potential and give them a chance to fully contribute to the society, but as SOCIALISM!
 
As this campaign reaches its final days, I hope that the public will recognize these charges for exactly what they are--an effort to distract people from the fact
that the policies of blank check, license to steal economics have failed and that those making the charges are implicated in the failure and are now trying to sell primal fear in the absence of any compelling ideas of their own.
 
On-topic comments that add to the discussion are welcome. Please respect each other and the forum by using your real name and a civil tone. Spam and comments judged by UCLA to be libelous, offensive or abusive may be deleted without notice

Comments

Lars says:

Sorry, for double post but my browser was spinning and i dont know if the comment was sedate. Lars http://www.sewerin.com

Lars says:

yes i agree with you. And i cant reproducing the mccains fact. And im arrantly with your sentence that "What McCain calls socialism is the idea of raising taxes up to the level of the Reagan era by reversing some of the tax cuts to the rich that were paid for with borrowed money and national debt." how many value-added tax you has now? Lars http://www.sewerin.com

Lars says:

yes i agree with you. And i cant reproducing the mccains fact. And im arrantly with your sentence that "What McCain calls socialism is the idea of raising taxes up to the level of the Reagan era by reversing some of the tax cuts to the rich that were paid for with borrowed money and national debt." how many value-added tax you has now?

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Alec says:

You are ignoring that in every society that has undergone a socialist transformation, a key aspect has been the redistribution of wealth. "Spreading the wealth around" may not fit your exclusive definition of socialism, but to deny that wealth redistribution is not a socialist tenet is pure ignorance. The majority of America would agree with that statement, but the Obama campaign continues to deny its socialist leanings (despite his numerous connections to radical leftist groups).

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