What is Socialism?

Socialism! It's a word that is being thrown around a lot lately to describe the president and in some extreme cases the people who voted for the president. According to a lot of people, and everyone right wing pundit on TV and radio, Obama is a Socialist and all of his plans are socialistic from his health care reform to his views on the war.

To quote the movie the Princess Bride, "You keep on using this word. I do not think it means what you think it means." And it's true, they don't know what it means and they don't see how Obama is not Socialist. But since they have no concept of the word they can never make a coherent argument about it.

So lets take a quick look at the word Socialism and what it means...

so⋅cial⋅ism

–noun

1.	a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

2.	procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.

so⋅cial⋅ist

–noun

1.	an advocate or supporter of socialism.

2.	(initial capital letter) a member of the U.S. Socialist party.

So how is Obama a Socialist? What makes the right think that he is a communist? Well take a look here. An article I found is claiming that Obama is a Socialist simply because he made statements about some bitter people who go to church. They say it's reminiscent of Karl Marx's quote, "religion is the opiate of the people".

Is Obama a Socialist? Not if you ask one. That's the title of an article I found where a REAL American Socialist speaks out about Obama and Socialism.

FROM THE ARTICLE:

Greg Pason, National Secretary of the Socialist Party USA: “Barack Obama's programs are not socialist. The vast majority of his proposals are anti-worker (or he might say ‘pro-business’). His health care proposals are more to save the for-profit insurance industry and do not have the goal of ending for-profit insurance. He has refused to support a Senate version of HR676, which would create a single-payer program (not socialist but much better than we have, and [which has] the support of labor and community organizations across the US). Many of his other economic proposals are pro-corporate.

A socialist program (even a reformist one) would not be a program that props up capitalism when it fails, but one that transforms the economy. None of Senator Obama's proposals do that. Senator Obama’s tax plan is regressive and even less ‘progressive’ than programs put forward under such conservative administrations like the one of Richard Nixon.”

F.N. Brill, National Secretary of the World Socialist Party (US): “Obama is as much a socialist as the Pope is an atheist. Income redistribution isn't a socialist act. It might aid in ameliorating income disparities within a capitalist economy for a limited time. But the logic of capitalism demands the rich grow richer (more capitalization is needed) and the poor grow poorer (their work creates the needed capital used by the rich).”

WOW! That guy is comparing Obama to Nixon! Wow...if Obama is a Socialist he sure is pissing off his party pretty well. Come on now, how could a guy like this be elected as Socialist?

That's the sad thing about all of this. Most people don't know what Socialism even is, and they just throw the word out there. As Hitler once said, "the more times you tell a lie the more people will believe it." That's just the case here with calling Obama a Socialist. None of his programs are Socialistic programs, and no one can prove that they are.

The tag still doesn't apply if you're relatives were Socialist, or wrote about Socialism. Obama's father wrote an essay about Socialism, so that MUST mean that Obama is a big Socialist! My grandfather and father are big Republicans, so I guess by that logic I must be a big conservative!

A Socialist is the working people's leader. A Socialist wants everything to be public domain, regulate pay so that no one person has more than the other person, and is most certainly not a fan of big business.

Obama's plans don't so much help the working people as much as it helps the big businesses. No one gets their pay regulated, competition is great for America, and he wants big businesses to thrive which is why there are more business stimulus packages in the works.

The idea that Obama is a Socialist stems mainly from his health care reform plan. The idea to give the people a public option that is affordable, decent quality health care is not socialism. No one gets their current benefits taken away, no one is forced by the government to see certain doctors, and current insurance companies would still be in place.

Socialist? Sounds more like a liberal Democrat who wants to make health care afford able if you ask me.

ARTICLES:

OBAMA THE SOCIALIST

IS OBAMA A SOCIALIST? NOT IF YOU ASK ONE