A Smart Girl's Take on America's Potential move to Socialism

America isn't becoming a socialist country nor is it likely to any time in the near future. It was the repub President Bush who first took action to prop-up the failing free market system, bailing out his Wall St. chums. But even this intervention can't be considered to be a turn to socialism. The current financial crisis was created by those "pure capitalist corps" at the pinnacle of the free market system who were more concerned by greed than what was the correct business practice. In a true capitalist system these failing corps would have been allowed to go bankrupt but Bush decided otherwise.

Basically, this post is based on nonsense!

Interesting opinion piece; as I don't live in the US I don't know enough about the day to day life to really comment, but an interesting read.

I highly recommend reading The Undiscovered Self by C. G. Jung.  I re-read this after twenty years when the election was heating up and the words socialism were being thrown around.It was hard to not buy a hundred copies and pass them around .

•     The dictator State has one great advantage over bourgeois reason: along with the individual it swallows up his religious forces. The State has taken the place of God; that is why, seen from this angle, the socialist dictatorships are religions and State slavery is a form of worship. But the religious function cannot be dislocated and falsified in this way without giving rise to secret doubts, which are immediately repressed so as to avoid conflict with the prevailing trend towards mass-mindedness. The result, as always in such cases, is overcompensation in the form of fanaticism, which in its turn is used as a weapon for stamping out the least flicker of opposition. Free opinion is stifled and moral decision ruthlessly suppressed, on the plea that the end justifies the means, even the vilest. The policy of the State is exalted to a creed, the leader or party boss becomes a demigod beyond good and evil, and his votaries are honored as heroes, martyrs, apostles, missionaries. There is only one truth and beside it no other. It is sacrosanct and above criticism. Anyone who thinks differently is a heretic, who, as we know from history, is threatened with all manner of unpleasant things. Only the party boss, who holds the political power in his hands, can interpret the State doctrine authentically, and he does so just as suits him. 
  
• 
  

         Both the dictator State and denominational religion lay quite particular emphasis on the idea of community. This is the basic ideal of “communism,” and it is thrust down the throats of the people so much that it has the exact opposite of the desired effect: it inspires divisive mistrust. 

       Wherever justice is uncertain and police spying and terror are at work, human beings fall into isolation, which, of course, is the aim and purpose of the dictator State, since it is based on the greatest possible accumulation of depotentiated social units. 

If you read this book you will see our government in a different way. 

Democrats should come up with a few alarmist labels for the deregulatory Supply-Side Repubs who created this Depression Economy, to counterbalance the juvenile whines of 'Socialists!' 'Communists!'

On second thought, just let them expose themselves for what they are.

Very interesting read! Thanks!

An excellent article, and without bashing from the left or the right, it should be looked at as food for thought.  It seems to me that the left constantly goes on the defensive instead of discussing certain issues.  At this point, I think the jury is out on the new Administration.  Having said that, I think it would be wise for all to carefully watch what agenda is being pushed under the guise of stimulus and how many more CEOs are replaced.

I should also point out that Obamas TARP 2, worth 1 Trillion with interest was passed without Senators even reading it.  That should give all a nudge to show some interest in what is happening. 

Bush has been gone for 79 days and lots has been changed by the new administration.  To this end Obama now owns the economy, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.  Pointing the finger at previous administrations, whether it be Carter, Clinton or Bush is not helpful.  It is now Obama.s to deal with.

I agree with your comments Esta.  But I think wise government is a contradiction in terms lol

I do not think that the US has to worry about Socialism, it is so much closer to Feudalism, it would take a Russian or French Revolution of sorts in order to change the USA to Socialism. Most America are way to paranoid and miss informed about the Socialist Concept to even conceder embracing such Ideas. Just hot air talk and paranoia in my opinion. 

Politics that has speeches Bleeding heart conservative political correctness and to a large exstent people will bellieve that there not anatomicaly correct and would choose to make the other bleed before have to.

The capitalist failure is not because of the success of socialism. It failed on its own merits of greed, and its loathing demand that every citizen need support it. They created the Military Establishment to endow it's ideals upon a governmental system that contradicts its own value and purpose. Freedom, and Liberty are held in the eyes of the beholder....not through force by the crosshairs in their guns... In fact Militaries are Conservative Organs of Social control, which can only be supported by people with less power. We should look at the Bush administration as the Military Administration.....actually the Socialist Agenda itself. It is amazing to me when people say Democrats are more Socialist inclined than the Republicans,, but the Republicans are more Militaristic....which holds a closer association to the ideals of Socialism.. 911 caused this economic crisis.....It was not the Mortgage Crisis. Point blank....these bad loans have always been repackaged and sold, in a sort of Bankers Club American United States Organization. Bankers were always willing to help each other out. But 911 changed that. Why because it was an assault on the Banking Establishment itself... They attacked NYC, Wall Street, and killed thousands of people. We could say that Enron was one of the major domino's that triggered 911 into action........because this is where the greed took hold of the capitolist system, and those in position of power wanted payback for the collapse.. We all know Enron had deals going on in Afghanistan and Pakistan to route an Oil pipeline through the region.....and when the chips began falling.....the war was on....911 was engineered... We know this is more than a mortage crisis, because evidence proves 911 was an inside job. This killed the Bankers Club...and now the entire financial system distrusts. They know Bush did it, and they have no power to bring him to justice.. Obama refuses to indict....because he is boxed in someway, from pursuing the truth...So he keeps pushing their flawed coverup. The US is/has been a Socialist System from the buildup of the military, which 911 prompted... The spending done on that because of the lies, and really the presense of the military when it was times of peace, proved how controlling they have always been. Looking at the US still in Japan after all these years.....is all the proof you need..to show America is not about freedom, but about controlling.... Actually the Constitution is a fraud, that people stand behind to promote their Socialist form of agenda. There are many different types of agendas, and Socialism need not be the same...The US is clearly using the Militaristic Brand....and if you people think you have a genuine say about that......then keep dreaming that America is the beacon to the world.

Rev. Jermano

"The capitalist failure is not because of the success of socialism. It failed on its own merits of greed,"

YES.

Actually, we have socialism for corporations who have "socialized risk", while the rewards, the riches and power, are "privatized", reserved for the corporations alone.

You poor naive fools...you who think that this country is not going the way of total socialism. This county will become a socialist country and all of you will wonder what happened. Socialism is only a small step away from communism.WAKE UP PEOPLE!! You are hiding your heads in the sand.

This article was clearly written with the full intent of arguing against socialism, rather than ACTUALLY examining both systems in depth and making a balanced decision about which system is superior.

The author's understanding of socialism is vague and loose. Her main objection to Socialism, is the dissolution of private property. It's a fair concern, but let me prompt this question to you.

How many of us ACTUALLY own private property? Did you know that (according to the 2000 census) only a little less than 50% of families in the United States rent their homes? And of the nearly half who actually do own their homes, only 40% of this group has paid off their mortgage, making them TRUE homeowners. Do the math, only about 20% of American families actually own property.

I'd like to further point out, that socialism is not a system where all property is owned by the government. It is a system where all property is owned by the people, because the government itself is made up of the people, rather than a group of professional politicians funded by major corporations, like the system we have now. We are no longer living in a true democracy. We are living in a plutocracy with some democratic properties, where the major corporations control everything, and party politics are used simply as a form of distraction. 

Socialism is in the eye of the beholder, so if you want to accuse President Obama of pushing a socialist agenda, by all means, do it, but make sure you understand what you are accusing him of before speak.

It is possible for socialism to exist in harmony with the rights we are guaranteed in the constitution. Do your research.

I might also add Marco Polo that the lands taken in early America were stolen, by the early major corporate interests.. The US bought land from France the Louisiana Purchase...land conquered and stolen. Buying stolen land, is not legitimate......and most families who claim they own land out west....during the pioneer days....took such land without real authorization except through the authority of guns, force, and intimidation....against Native Americans.

The black slave trade was one of the early major corporate interests, that used slave labor for over 100 years of American history....building the very defunct system that still revolves around the same military control strangle hold it has on the population....per the reason that less than 50% own property..

Obama is not socialism, Obama comes from the same cloth of militaristic american culture. Guns rule his belligerence, and arrogance....with a smile...and a handshake....the skilled liar.

Actually the ponzi scheme is; we are all dependent upon each other. We all seek wealth from each and different groups called corporations. It is how we use the resources that do benefit to our society that is more real to the human condition, than the greed from false property appraisals, and the baseless claims of ownership the Private Sector enforces with its militaristic threats.

Rev. Jermano

A very good article.Thanks.