Is the USA Becoming a Socialist Country? What is the Opposite of Socialism?
by Vince Robertson(51)I continue to hear accusations that President Barack Obama is making our great country a socialist country. I would like to explore this debate.
Many times over the past 6 months I've heard the argument that Big Government is the precursor to socialism and ultimately communism. This is certainly un-American!
Those making the argument typically take the position that if socialism and communism are on one end of the spectrum, then we who love God and country should run as fast and as far as we can to the other end of the spectrum. In my crude, text-graphic format, this is what the spectrum looks like:
Communism Socialism Run!!! ->
Let me be clear, I am not making the case for communism nor for socialism, but I believe that clear thinking individuals need to understand the complete argument.
The facts are that there are opposites of communism and socialism, and I propose to you that the opposites are class oppression and slavery.
Class oppression, or classism, is defined as mistreatment on the basis of socioeconomic class. Slavery is blatant abuse and oppression to the benefit of the master.
Understanding this, the spectrum is more accurately represented as:
Communism Socialism Classism Slavery
When this is understood, the question is no longer how far do we as Americans want to get away from Communism, but rather where is the proper balance? I believe this is the heart of the intelligent debate.
I often hear arguments that free markets are the key to prosperity. It has been shown over and over again that some people, when given the tools to succeed, have created wealth for themselves and those around them. But what happens when this is taken to the extreme?
The problem with all-out free markets is that this inevitably leads to bullying, tyranny, and the absolute dominance of the strongest.
You may wonder what is wrong with this. It is after all the survival of the fittest and the most deserving. Or is it the survival of the greediest and most corrupt?
I suggest that it is the later. Without laws preventing all-out free market, we would have forced child labor, monopolies, price fixing, racketeering, extortion, bribery, price gouging, and human slavery. These are all capitalist endeavors, and all have legal restrictions in the United States. Indeed we should stay away from this end of the spectrum as well.
Abraham Lincoln was considered a proponent of Big Government as the Civil War was technically over the Federal Government's right to control individual states’ ability to secede. Outlawing slavery was merely the issue that brought about the desire for the South to secede from the North. I suspect if Abraham Lincoln was President of America today, this conservative President would be accused by Conservatives of moving our country toward socialism.
In the same way, I don’t believe the case has been made that President Obama is trying to make the United States of America a socialist country. He is merely trying to move our country away from the classism and slavery end of the spectrum.
To further this point, it occurs to me that the ones making the most noise about President Obama moving the country toward Socialism are the same ones who constantly argue that our country needs to return to the values of our Founding Fathers. While a great deal of respect is due to this country’s Founding Fathers, many of them regarded slavery as an acceptable practice. Is this what we want to return to?
Personally I believe the proper balance in the spectrum which we need to work for would be for our country to be a place where individuals are likely to succeed if they work hard, where individuals are allowed to fail miserably if they are lazy and choose not to work, and if they work hard and experience hardships that make them fail, they don’t have to worry about losing everything for the rest of their lives. This is not where America is today.
The United States of American going socialist would be a terrible thing, but I believe the angst of this happening today is unsupportable. The likely instigators of such accusations are political wonks, bent on using fear and hatred as a means to political gain.
Article submitted Thursday, April 09, 2009 & read 1928 times.
Leave Your Comments:
» left by Tex Norman(134)(335 days 12 hours ago.)
Powerful and well done article. I would prefer a government that works, that addresses the needs of its citizens, over one that goes too far in either a right or left wing direction. I loved the way you showed a scale. There is a continuum always there, and while one act or another might be labeled socialism at the end of that continuum, when you are closer to the middle you are not socialistic you are pragmatic, and pragmatism solves problems. Thanks for writing and please keep writing. We need to hear from you.tex normanRespond to this comment
» left by Maxwell Smart(8) (335 days 12 hours ago.)
I understand why some are afraid of Obama's stimulus plan. If you hear socialist and communist enough times and if you are a low information voter/citizen, then it just seems logical, I guess, to believe IF they say it on TV it must be true. Your writing here calls us all to stop, think, to really think, and if we really look we don't see communists, or socialists, or liberals, or conservative, or fascists, we see people jumping into the muck of their assumptions. We need to stop and think, and you have just given me, and all of us, a lot to think about.MaxRespond to this comment
» left by robert melaccio sr (309 days 9 hours ago.)
Yes Guys all correct, it was called for the common good and general welfare but that was long ago on another planet. Yes Put them both in a bag, shake them up and spillt hem out and what do you have. The same. Check their works and it says it all.
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» left by william from ny (176 days 8 hours ago.)
Since 1980 under Presidents Reagan, HW Bush and GW Bush the country has run up a massive debt in order to distrubute wealth (tax cuts) to the rich. The only President to balance the budget since 1980 was Clinton. Maybe we don't have to ask what is the opposite of socialism we have been living with it since 1980. I think we should have a capitalist system in which the goverment does not run up the National Debt we all will eventually pay for in order to provide only the wealthy class with tax cuts.
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» left by Dave from NH (77 days 20 hours ago.)
I don't think the gov has any business in our works. I agree whole-heartedly with your 2nd to the last paragraph, but I also believe that gov control of health care & stimulus is very inefficient. The gov will allow too many undeserved to recieve forced charity. How can the gov complain about rewarding a handful of executives for poor performance when millions are rewarded by our welfare system for poor performance? How can people call for "freedom of choice" with something as serious as abortion and not give me the choice to pay for it or pay to support those who are undeserved. You have a point we should help good citizens it is morally and ethicaly right it, amazes me that studies show the people against forced charity are the MOST charitable and those who wish too force charity via taxation and take that power away from the people and place it in the hands of the gov are the LEAST charitable...hypocratesRespond to this comment
