Let's get something straight. President Barack Obama is not a socialist; Obama is not a Marxist; Obama is not a communist and Obama is not a fascist.
Do the people who call Obama communist and fascist in the same breath realize the irony of saying that? Obama is an American Democrat. Today that means he's about as left-wing as Richard Nixon or Dwight Eisenhower.
Joseph Stalin? Nothing like him.
For example, let's take the health care bill. If the government were extremely socialist, we would have tried to pass something that resembles the health care systems of Britain or France — systems where the national government owns all of the hospitals, employs all of the health workers and provides everybody's service. If the government were middle of the road, we might have seen a proposal more like Canada's, where the government provides insurance, sets prices and contracts with private hospitals and doctors to provide care. (Did you know Canada's health care act was 14 pages long? Seven in English, seven in French.)
Guess what? We didn't see a single one of those options proposed.
The closest we got was a public option — a watered-down junior version of socialized insurance. Even that was dropped in favor of a reform that is about as right-wing as you can get while still reforming — an insurance mandate. Everyone is now required to buy insurance or pay an extra tax. If you can't afford it, the government will subsidize you, channeling money, coincidentally, right into the health insurance industry's pockets.
This is the sort of system Mitt Romney signed into law in Massachusetts, except the federal version will have a higher penalty for opting out.
Do you know where this style of reform package came from? It was a Republican alternative to single-payer plans and employer mandates, which they strongly pushed for in opposition to the Clintons' overhaul attempt in the early '90s. An employer mandate, by the way, was Nixon's more liberal, union-friendly idea to overhaul health care. That's right: Obama, on health care, is more conservative than Richard Nixon.
Checking out other elements of Obama's record, it's pretty stunning how the administration has taken over all the heavy industry in the country and instituted the Central Economic Planning committee. I'm really impressed with the way they've begun reindustrializing the Rust Belt and simultaneously redesigning regional major cities.
At least that's what it would have been like if Obama actually was a communist.
The way things are? Tax cuts are on the agenda. Guantanamo Bay is still open. We are executing a surge into Afghanistan. And, just this morning, I heard we are now letting (private) oil companies drill offshore. Man, Obama is such a left-winger!
What about nationalizing the auto industry? Okay, I'll admit, that's pretty left-wing. But note two things: First, the government will be selling the automakers "once they're back on their feet." Second, this was not nationalization for the sake of nationalization — this was nationalization because, being the Democratic party, Obama is beholden to unions, especially the UAW. He's certainly not Ayn Rand.
Let me also point out that it was President George W. Bush who pushed for the financial industry bailout (read: implicit takeover), and many of the same Republicans crying "socialism" voted to pump federal money into Wall Street pockets.
So where does this leave us?
In November 2008, Obama was elected to apocalyptic predictions among the right-wing punditry. He went on to propose health care reform very similar to the reform the Republicans themselves pushed 15 years ago.
The Republican demagoguery, of course, screamed "Socialism!" and "Takeover!" The Republican leadership, politically bound to the demagogues, locked step and moved even further to the right. That's the problem — so few people permit themselves to think critically in evaluating current events.
If they had the intellectual perspicuity and educational background to understand socialism, communism and fascism, they wouldn't make the mistake of blindly agreeing when their angry talking head of choice oversimplifies reality.
THE BOGEYMAN: Calling President Obama communist and fascist is ironic
Published: Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Updated: Thursday, April 1, 2010 12:04
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Neal Coleman is a senior math, physics and economics major and writes 'The Bogeyman' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
is a member of the 
32 comments
adj
1.
a. (of a statement, opinion, etc.) forcibly asserted as if authoritative and unchallengeable
b. (of a person) prone to making such statements
2. (Philosophy) of, relating to, or constituting dogma dogmatic writings
3. based on assumption rather than empirical observation
dogmatically advI advise a quick google of logical fallacies for commentators here and also a quick review on how to make an argument. Those that I see asserting one thing or another "The liberals have said so themselves that its a stepping stone to socialized medicine" or "Obama is a socialist !" "Stop them before your freedom is gone !"are basically ASSERTING the answer is 5 without stating how they got that answer. There's no 3+2 = 5 or 7 + (-2) = 5, all I'm seeing is "the answer is 5 !!!!" over and over again, therefore, Dogmatic. The answer may indeed be 5, but until you show hard facts to support your answer ( 3 + 2 = ), you can't possibly expect to be taken seriously.+1 on the article, made some good points in there.
If you dont do that, at least get your own radio show!
hard working American. The US Government builds poorly engineered roads. If you ever see a highway
built by a Private Sector Contractor its always better built that one designed and constructed by a department in the US Government. Law Enforcement is poor in the United States. Look at the number of sex offenders for example that
move away from their listed address and cant be located(See John Albert Gardner-enough said ). All they care about
is their $50000 plus salary while writing up more tickets to fund their massive government. Huge waste.
Fire Departments do an ok job but dont demand power lines be put underground so they dont cause fires because Electric companies have US Government politicians in their back pocket . The Department of Education is a gigantic unionized fiscal mess that obviously does not work. And you can list uncountable disasters of US Department of Everything Possible but it would feel like forever to explain the pathetic incompetence so you dont even want to attempt it. The US Government has been socialist for a VERY long time starting with
the original socialist Anti American Alexander Hamilton