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A few minutes ago I received in my email an article from July 28, 2008 about "Barack Obama's Stealth Socialism" that was written in horrifying adjectives and descriptors about Obama's plans to redistribute wealth from the "successful" to the "others." While labels like "socialism" and "Marxism" were thrown around, I remembered how a philosophy professor told me once how Christianity and Marxism are closely related, with the latter refuting God, but that the actions advocated were similar. Think of how Jesus told people to live through the Beatitudes, which are believed by most scholars to be actual words of Jesus, and the Golden Rule.
Yes, impossibilities for individuals, let alone communities and nations, to live by. But what about aiming for them? What about trying to look out for someone's welfare other than my own? Sure, I can only change myself, but I can change things about myself so that life may be more equitable for someone else.
But do I? Do I really want to? I think that's the problem when one starts to criticize the policies Obama suggests. . . . These are scare tactics, which then cause people to react against them rather than to consider them. However, if they could be looked at and even analyzed, possibilities might open up.
I'm glad these proposals are out for public discussion and even ridicule--I believe we need to think and talk about them! Let's do something positive rather than arguing about such things as homosexuality and marriage!
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Among Obama's proposed "investments":
• "Universal," "guaranteed" health care.
• "Free" college tuition.
• "Universal national service" (a la Havana).
• "Universal 401(k)s" (in which the government would match contributions made by "low- and moderate-income families").
• "Free" job training (even for criminals).
• "Wage insurance" (to supplement dislocated union workers' old income levels).
• "Free" child care and "universal" preschool.
• More subsidized public housing.
• A fatter earned income tax credit for "working poor."
• And even a Global Poverty Act that amounts to a Marshall Plan for the Third World, first and foremost Africa.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Maybe the adjective "free" is what upsets people. HOW will we pay for these things? It always goes back to higher taxes, which is not comfortable, especially as I age. Still, those proposals above are good things.
They would address the inequities that Missy posted about on July 27, 2008 (about the same time the above article was published!). Thank you to Border Explorer who made me notice this important post at Missy's.
Go and read Wealth and Poverty at Missy's and compare what she writes with the article about "Barack Obama's Stealth Socialism".
11 comments:
It is a Rovian, and thus McCain tactic now to simply smear Obama, since they have virtually no issues of their own. The best way to smear is to avoid facts and use labels, such as socialism, communism, marxist etc. This plays well to their base which thinks these are code words for taxes. The great Republican working class hangers on continue to believe in the myth of the American dream, thus taxes mean they can't attain it. It is in some respects also code, for "the democrats will give your money to people of color and other minorities you don't like." It's all too disgusting, and woefully false. But it worked in 2000, 2004. Will it work again? We can only hope not. Fine post Jan.
I'm still trying to figure out what on that list folks could object to. But then again, Republicans always play the "socialism card" when they have nothing else.
Red-baiting is sooo old school.
So. How to pay for this. Well, we could start with the $5 billion we're spending on Iraq each week. That might make a dent.
And how come nobody asked how we were going to pay for THAT little adventure before Bush invaded for no reason? Hmmmm?
Great political post. Watching the USA politics from afar it's good to hear that this debate is being had. I hope voices like yours get heard well!
another great post, Jan! It's GOOD to be an idealist, I think...
I'll be back later...
What Quaker Dave said!
It is interesting, the things and words that can stir people up and cause a paranoia to cycle around, even one that is based on so little information -
oh. wait. there was that whole issue of WMD....
we are woefully suggestive people...
Yeah, well, if you read the Bible carefully, God comes across as pretty socialist. In the OT, the Israelites weren't supposed to just buy up the land of the poor. It was supposed to be returned every Jubilee year. I've been told it never really worked like that, but that was the plan.
And what about those crazy Christians, sharing all in common.
It makes Obama look positively capitalist.
You do just fine when you venture into political waters.
Whenever I look more closely at a political comment I have to stop and see if it evokes an emotional panic response or if there is any kind of factual substance to it.
With Barack Obama, I find the rhetoric to be more baseless fear baiting than substantial objection. Even though his record and experience are frighteningly thin.
McCain's background on the other hand is more frightheningly thick.
What Presbyterian Gal said. And, what quakerdave said.
I was home with my Ann Coulter loving brother this weekend. He had nothing to say good about McCain but plenty bad to say about Obama. I have nothing good to say about McCain, but plenty good to say about Obama. Why NOT set the bar high?
lauralew you've just hit on something I keep hearing over and over--the Republicans don't like McCain! And he's their nominee!
But since Democrats don't like McCain either, we actually have something in common.
Our party affiliations have become too much a part of our personal identities, cutting deep lines between us. Unless you call yourself Independent it becomes impossible to switch candidates without creating some sort of internal identity crisis.
We need to get back to voting for PEOPLE not PARTIES.
Very good post! The use of language in the IBD editorial is obviously inflammatory. In Dreams from my Father I really liked Obama's vision; the book opened me up to him. I don't see him as living up to that vision as we come to know him better, unfortunately. Jan, that vision of working toward economic justice is crucial for human survival--& why Missy's post was so important.
And can anyone explain why we've run ourselves generations into debt under Republican rule if they're supposed to be "conservative?"
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