"Socialism for me - NON E for you."

[JFN1]

I just watched this well-to-do lady on MSNBC complaining about how Obama sucks, he's a socialist, she doesn't know enough about him to vote for him, etc. My head is about to explode, so I'm going to vent.

I realized today that I am finally sick of hearing about socialism in this country. The rich don't want "socialism" - like social security, universal healthcare, medicare, or even veteran's care.

But the wealthy are just fine with corporate socialism. Bail out Freddy and Fannie? AIG? All of Wall Street? Sure thing, absolutely, hurry up Feds - where's our fucking money?

But as soon as Obama talks about health care improvements, or cutting taxes for the middle class, or raising taxes on the wealthy, he's a goddamned socialist. Socialism for the rich is just fine - but there had better be none for the rest of us.

And why can't these rich Republican jerkwads understand that WE PAY FOR GOVERNMENT - ALL OF IT. We pay for their bailouts, we pay for their roads, we pay for their cops, and teachers, and firemen, and national defense, just as they pay for our healthcare, and welfare, and children's health insurance programs. We ALL pay all of it.

ALL RESPONSIBLE CIVILIZATIONS HAVE SOCIALISM IN THEM. Without a measure of socialism, there is no culture, no civilization. The law of the jungle belongs in the jungle - that's why humans have been banding together FOR THE COMMON GOOD (socialism) for tens of thousands of years. If we're all paying for it, it's not a handout - it's an agreement; it is our social contract.

I can't take anymore of this shit. IOKIYAR is going to drive me out of my mind. After Obama takes office and we have a Democratic Congress, and we begin to work through all of the bullshit the wealthy, the stupid, and the purposely ignorant have inflicted on this country, I sincerely hope that these crazy, selfish, ignorant assholes will fade back into the fringe where they came from - and where they belong.

[alsame]

1. My experience with people who rant against socialism is that they

have no idea what they are talking about. They use the terms 'socialist' and 'Marxist' as synonyms of 'communist'.

[JFN1]

2. Exactly.

A little self-education would seem to be called for, but Republicans are comfortable with their own ignorance. How they ever grabbed power - and held it for eight years - continues to confound and annoy me...

[RadicalTexan]

4. Exaaaaaactly

"socialism" (or, I would say, even "communism") does NOT imply Stalinism

http://swimmingwolves.blogspot.com/2008/10/socialism-isnt-welfare.html

[KellyW]

3. That reminds me of my state

In the dark red parts they live off of farm subsidies and other government handouts and absolutely hate "commie" part of the state- Where Microsoft and Boeing actually make-up a significant part of the whole county's GDP.

[PseudoIntellect]

5. But Socialism = Communism = OBAMA = STALIN PPLZZZZ

AND STOP THINKING ABOUT IT RIGHT THERE SO YOU CAN STAY SCARED OF HIM.

-.-:sarcasm:

[Overseas]

6. I am glad socialism for the rich vs. for the poor has come into focus this time.

It has been true for a long time, but I am glad it is much clearer this time with the Wall Street bailouts so close at hand.

It also has bothered me for a long time that billion dollar military projects sail through, while million dollar projects for the poor are vetoed.

Like McSame wants to cut a TRILLION from Medicare after handing out a trillion to Wall Street.

Like McSame wants to add medical benefits to taxable income, but keep those tax cuts Bush gave to the super rich.

[damonm]

7. IOKIYAR?????

:wtf:

[ElboRuum]

8. Translation...

It's
O
K
If
You
Are
Republican.

An acronymous way of referring to the obvious double standard when it comes to what is expected of Republicans versus Democrats (specifically referring to, but not limited to, the spin of the media).

[AtomTan]

9. "America is a unique society...

"America is a unique society in which we have free enterprise for the poor and socialism for the rich."

--Gore Vidal

[ElboRuum]

10. Self-delete.

[Two Americas]

11. well said

"Without a measure of socialism, there is no culture, no civilization."

Of course.

But it is just the word that people have been trained to react to, and that mindless prejudice is not much worse among Republican voters than it is among Democrats.

We can't very well expect the general public to be open-minded about socialism when right here people spend so much time trashing it and attacking leftists and left wing ideas, can we?

I say the job is to clean up our own backyard rather than rant about Republicans. I have spent years speaking around the country, in the most conservative rural districts, talking socialism and always get a positive response. The one place there is very deep resistance is among the better off people, more successful and educated people, be they liberals or conservatives, and the opposition and hostility is very often much stronger from liberals than it is from the conservatives.

As FDR said, "the resolute enemy within our gates is ever ready to beat down our words unless in greater courage we will fight for them."

It is the opposition to socialism, or almost anything vaguely left wing on matters of power and economics, within our own gates that is the obstacle.

[JFN1]

13. Yes, you are correct,

but I don't understand why things that are absolutely necessary to a responsible civilization - like some socialism - is equated to left-wing thinking, while those things required of a responsible civilization don't seem to exist in right-wing thinking. In other words, if we want a responsible civilization, we need the "left." I don't think the same can be said of the "right."

[Two Americas]

14. very important

This is so important and you stated it very clearly.

Everything that is required for a responsible civilization is called "left wing" or "socialism" so it can be feared and dismissed, because it interferes with the freedom of the few to amass wealth and power at the expense of the many.

Everything required for the wealthy and powerful few to have complete freedom to amass wealth and power at the expense of the many - what we call the political "right" - is called "human nature" or "reality" or "freedom" to make it sound normal and healthy and inevitable.

Not only is the right not necessary for a healthy society, it is contrary to human survival and denies and negates human history.

They found a flute among artifacts from a 12,000 year old human settlement. Other evidence suggests that those people had a brutal struggle for survival. Yet they had music. That implies that social cohesion, communication, art, the invisible binds between people were all essential to survival. The right wants to portray everything human and cultural and community oriented as "sentimental" and "bleeding heart" and therefore superfluous to human existence, and they want us to believe that we are meant to compete with each other in a cut throat way and that only material well-being motivates people.

The human species would have long ago gone extinct if Limbaugh were right about human nature.

[MatthewStLouis]

12. Greed Over People party.

The republicans and their deregulation-corruption-bailout cycles are killing our economy.

Republicans: privatize the profits, socialize the losses.

[renie408]

15. Whenever they say the word 'socialism' like it's some kind of foul thing...

I always wonder, "What's so bad about socialism??"

Really...what IS so bad about socialism?

[RandomKoolzip]

16. It "punishes" the rich. Supposedly.

George Lakoff's "Moral Politics" has a good section on this.