Socialism? I Don't Think So

[davidbcoe]

The Earned Income Tax Credit is a refundable tax credit that gives money to low income workers.  It is paid for by the taxes paid by higher income earners.  Under John McCain's definition of such things, it's socialism.  The EITC was enacted in 1975 under Republican President Gerald Ford and vastly expanded by Ronald Reagan in 1986.  So under John

Comments

[kmarkhoover]

They're speaking to The Base. Which, let's face it, isn't all that GD intelligent to begin with.

He's just trying to bring out The Base on election day so he's not humiliated more than he's already going to be. Pathetic...which, of course, gives me a giggle.

[davidbcoe]

Hope you're right. I'm cautiously optimistic, but I'm too superstitious to allow myself more than that.

[arhyalon]

Er...um...that is socialism. That's what socialism is. Taking money from one group and sharing it with another.

The odd thing about McCain decrying socialism is:

A) Most Democrats favor some socialism, so it is odd that he would think it would bother people...though I guess Republicans don't like it.

2) The current Republican government just nationalized 9 banks against their will...nationalized. That's COMMUNISM!!!

Kind of weird to be bashing socialism at the same moment that your party is moving into communism. If the Democrats have to take American back to Capitalism from Communism...that's just weird.

Re: Sarah Palin...I just wish I were seeing more clips of the real Palin and less of Tina Fey. Fey's funny, but I find I'm beginning to get the two confused...and if that's happening to me, it's probably happening to a lot of people!

[davidbcoe]

Sorry, Jagi, but progressive taxation is NOT Socialism. Socialism is an economic and political system that advocates collective or government ownership and control of the means of production and distribution of goods. It's a system that recognizes no private property, that collectivizes everything. That is a far cry from progressive taxation and income credits for the working poor. On the other hand, the Bush Administration's nationalization of the banks is socialism, so what you have here is John McCain supporting socialism for the wealthy and capitalism for the poor.

[markwise]

Sorry to diagree, but Barack Obama has gone on record several times supporting forced governmental redistribution of wealth. That is socialist.

The belief that it is ok for the governemnt to decide when you make too much money and when to take it from you and give it to the poor, is also socialist.

When Barack Obama says that he is sorry that the Courts did not do more to establish a Redistributative Policy after WWII, that is socialist.

When Biden and Obama say that it your Patriotic duty to pay MORE in taxes, that is socialist.

[arhyalon]

>When Biden and Obama say that it your Patriotic duty to pay MORE in taxes, that is socialist.

I do not agree with this last point.

Paying higher or lower taxes does not make a country socialistic. It's what they do with the taxes. If you paid really high taxes, but it was all used for the basic functions of government...that would not be socialism.

If your taxes were low, but the money was being redistributed, that would be socialism.

[davidbcoe]

But where do the basic functions of government begin and end, Jagi? Is the Earned Income Tax Credit a basic function? And before you answer that it's not, doesn't a government in today's world have a responsibility to those who are least able to take care of themselves? Is there a national interest in providing health insurance for those who can't afford it on their own? Doesn't it save the rest of us money? Doesn't it help our economy? Shouldn't it be the basic function of government to promote the arts and science? The ancient Greeks believed it was; why don't we? I think if we were to put in place a purely capitalist system in this country people would be shocked by how harsh it was, by how many people would be left behind.

[davidbcoe]

It IS your patriotic duty to pay taxes!!! (Not to mention the fact that progressive taxation is the law of the land!) Why is it that conservatives who scream about ridiculous pseudo-patriotism issues like flag pins can't seem to grasp that living in a great country like ours means paying for that privilege?! If you don't accept the idea that the government has the right -- the responsibility -- to tax in a progressive way so that those with the greatest means pay the greatest proportion, then you are out of step with every national Administration since 1916 -- Republican and Democratic. That is the way we fund our government, and it's far more just and humane and fair than any so-called "Fair Tax". Ronald Reagan thought so; John Kennedy thought so; FDR thought so. Barack Obama thinks so. The only people who don't seem to understand this are John McCain, Sarah Palin, and their supporters. You can call it socialist all you like, but that doesn't make it true. Unless we've been living in a socialist nation for the past 92 years

[arhyalon]

>advocates collective or government ownership and control of the means of production and distribution of goods. It's a system that recognizes no private property, that collectivizes everything

[davidbcoe]

Well, I'm working from the Merriam-Webster's 11th edition and as much respect as I have for you and John, I think I'll stick with that as my source for definitions of such things.... ;)

[arhyalon]

That's fair enough. ;-)