America's March Towards Socialism

[steven787]

ManusJustus said:

On November 4th, America overwhelmingly elected Barack Obama over John McCain in the miDst of a financial crisis.  According to the National Journal, Barack Obama is the most liberal senator in the US Senate.  Indenpendet and self described democratic socialist, Bernie Sanders, ranked 4th on the list, but was not a liberal as Obama and his running mate, Joe Biden.  (http://www.nationaljournal.com/voteratings/sen/lib.htm)

The problem with that ranking is that it goes by voting with the Democratic Party, the D's aren't socialists or even liberal, they are center left.

 

What does this mean?  An African American with a terrorist sounding name with policies more liberal than that of the only socialist in congress was elected to the highest office.  Hopefully America has thrown aside its fears of socialism in the same way that many have thrown away their fears of African Americans when they elected a black president.

Don't get your hopes up.

 

Its no secret that democratic socialism is the most popular idealogy in the world, if political preference testing tells us anything.  Test yourself: (http://www.politicalcompass.org/)  Unfortunately, the right-wing has had a monopoly on social issues in America for decades, telling Americans to put up pictures of Jesus in church while they continue to grow the gap between rich and poor.

That test is likely to produce wide array of political ideologies in the US. And it still works, because rural populated states have more power per person.

 

But as of late the free market has failed us, and unlike 1939 there is no ultimate government stimulus that can get the economy back on its feet.  Not suprisingly, while the West was bogged down by the free market, the economic 'poor' houses of Germany and the Soviet Union rose from the ashes to become superpowers with their different forms of government controlled economies.

We don't have a free market, we never had one.  Market Failure happens, the US population despite voting for a liberal Democrat come from a broad array of political ideologies.  There were many reasons why people voted for Obama.  While most of the country supports Government backed-privatized health care, increasing education funding, and increasing retirement, disability, and unemployment benefits; not many support federally run employment agencies, labor unions, or nationalization of major industries.

 

Its time for the American government to assume more control over our economy.  We need public works programs that improve the quality of life while creating jobs.  We need socialist education so that all students who wish to improve their lives and make more money for the economy have the opportunity to go to college.  We need a universal healthcare program that provides us with better quality and cheaper healthcare, just like much of Europe has done.  We need the government to further assume ownership opportunities in the banking sector.

If you mean control by your examples of increasing government employment through education, building better infrastructure, universal health care, than yes.  If you want the government to own industry or banks in the long term, then you won't find many supporters in the US.  Competition and entrepreneurial spirit are the strength of the American system.  For how little is put into public education, so much innovation and productivity come out of it.

 

And dont let the right-wing inscribe fear in you and keep you away from these noble goals.  Do you trust CEOs over elected officials who answer directly to you.  I could similarly ask, do you trust your friends more than complete strangers.  In both cases, we have more trust the people we choose (friends and elected officials) over people we are unfamilar with and have no control over (CEOs and complete strangers).

Don't let the right-wing put fear in you.  But I would also tell people to be weary people who offer what isn't there's to give.  I must warn you CEO's and Politicians are not inherently evil, just as I tell the right that lawyers and academics aren't evil.