I remember that we’ve seen this before:
Being a student of American History and Political Science, I’ve noticed something since - oh, 1930. When some Republicans, the more wingnut sorts, are behind the eight-ball and trying to stir things up, they call the Democrats commies, socialists or commie sympathizers. And traitors to the realm.
Go back and check out the commentary about FDR, Truman, Stevenson, Kennedy, and so on, and you’ll see this sort of nonsense over and over again. It’s not just the province of Joe McCarthy.
Progressive political movements in this country are NOT socialist. I mean, I know real socialists, Wobblies and such, and they are the fringe of politics in this country and always have been.
I know that there’s people who go on at length about Obama in particular, being socialist, and that’s utter nonsense. He’s a center-left sort, very cautious, uninterested in ideology. The closest to a real rip-snorting socialist in the last round of Democratic candidates was Congressman Kucinich. Notice how much support he got. (Or there’s Ralph Nader, who is a whole lot closer to being a socialist than Obama.)
Since the beginning of the New Deal, we have lived in a somewhat ’socialized’ country. I’ve studied Marxism since college, and I’m a fervent anti-Communist. But the numerous reforms created since then that were fought against by the Republican party are legion, and they have made our lives a whole lot better.
- Banking reform, including the Glass-Steagall act and the FDIC and SEC. The New Deal essentially *saved* capitalism and banking.
- Taking the country off the Gold standard.
- Farm Price Supports, Rural Electrification and the TVA
- the CCC and many road and school building projects
- various dam projects on the Colorado and Columbia rivers, increasing hydroelectricity and making Las Vegas possible.
- Social Security
- GI Bill
- Voting Rights reform and modern Civil Rights
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Federal aid to Education, including loans and grants for college attendees.
But to be honest, the two things that stick in my craw is that the biggest Socialistic measure for many years was just accomplished as part of the bailout plan; partially nationalizing many banks. By Bush and his cabinet. And the reason that Palin can afford to be so hot on tax-reduction is the collective ownership by the state of Alaska of tax revenues and profits from the North Slope oil - eliminating most taxes and involving massive paybacks annually to every Alaskan.
That sure sounds socialist to me….
