As a socialist, I am constantly surprised and irritated when in political discussions I hear or read this. Do they think that acknowledging any problems with capitalism at all helps socialism (even liberal-style "yes, but…" acknowledgments), or are they just the right-wing equivalents of the intellectually lazy liberals who like to call conservatives "fascists"?
2007-09-27 08:43:19 · 21 answers · asked by Dont Call Me Dude 7 in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
Throwing around labels like "socialist" and "fascist" without knowing what they really mean is just an adult version of the old child's game of calling one another a "doodoohead". Some people never grow up!
2007-09-27 08:49:54 · answer #1 · answered by tangerine 7 · 8⤊ 3⤋
Most of the problems you see with capitalism, we think are because the government regulation to fix the problem is worse than the problem.
An obvious issue for Hillary Clinton is health care. We see her trying to socialize the system. Problems with the uninsured are made worse by government regulation.
Example: Massachusetts has regulations that prevent charging a different price because of the person’s age. Everybody knows that health care cost more when you are older. So younger people see health insurance as too expensive. They choose not to buy because they are subsidizing retired people.
In New Jersey we have all sorts of regulations requiring coverage for this thing or that. All of these regulations just make health insurance cost more.
Health insurance paid for by a company and by payroll deductions are tax deductible. Health care paid for by a person is not. There are exceptions if you have a flexible spending account which you lose if you don't spend it all. Even more regulations.
Just going to the doctor and getting prescriptions are a regular part of life and should not be paid for by insurance. Insurance is for out of the ordinary expenses. Having your company pay for insurance for ordinary expenses just costs more because of the added paperwork. But we do it because it is tax free money.
A Hillary care single payer system is socialism. Our system has many of the problems it does because we don't control for our own health care. Our employer does. People want more health care because they are not paying and the employer wants you to have less because it is paying.
The problems we in health care being too expensive are because our system is already too socialist.
Conservatives and Libertarians who call the Clintons socialist really believe that they are.
2007-09-27 09:50:17 · answer #2 · answered by jacbob 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hold on a second here. Let's take a close look at Hillary. Here she is pushing a mandatory health care system as part of her platform, and we all know from past experience (when Slick Willie was in office) that her answer to the health care problem is universal health care controlled by the Federal Government. Check me on this, but isn't that socialized medicine? The same woman also advocated the Federal Government taking all the profits of Exxon-Mobil and using that money for research into alternate sources of energy. Doesn't that sound like government-mandated redistribution of wealth to you? Finally, she is also pushing perpetual welfare while making no mention of the reforms needed to correct the abuses of the welfare system. So her answer to the problem is to let the lazy continue to be lazy at the expense of the American taxpayer?
Add all this together and you get a picture of a person who wants to (a) put the government in charge of something that will take all choices away from the American people, (b) increase government power to the point where the government controls how much profit a business makes and what can be done with those profits, and (c) keep a huge segment of our population 100% dependent upon the government. If it looks like it, feels like it, and smells like it, we the people definitely don't want to step in it.
2007-09-27 08:54:25 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 2⤋
Most probably don't believe it. That is a scare tactic used to frame the debate. It is a way of avoiding talking REAL issues and instead make personal attacks. That worked well for them against Kerry but it will back fire this time.
Don't expect them to offer up any clear evidence of their claims because there aren't any. Oh they will post some very slanted article from Fox or Washington Post thinking people will not detect that those are definately right biased media. People are wising up to their dirty tricks, name calling, personal attacks and so those trying to do that merely look more foolish every time they try.
It is funny how the right so fervently went after the Clintons on the White Water investment thing. If they were not Capitalists what were they doing investing in anything? By calling them Socialists after that the right simply shows their hypocrisy once again.
2007-09-27 08:47:18 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 9⤊ 4⤋
What we believe is that they are fascists that pretend to be socialists for the people. They have no intention to live a socialist life they only intend it for you and I.
The socialist system removes the power from the people and gives it to the government. You are rewarded for this by being told when you can go to the doctor and what they will consider treating. Next you will be told where you can live and what activities you can do so as not to damage the governments body that they allow you to use.
2007-09-27 08:53:09 · answer #5 · answered by Locutus1of1 5 · 3⤊ 3⤋
Alan Greenspan called Bill Clinton the "best Republican President we ever had". Clinton expanded trade, balanced the budget, and signed welfare reform. Doesn't sound very socialist to me.
2007-09-27 09:28:57 · answer #6 · answered by wyldfyr 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Bill Clinton accepted the free market - for the most part.
His wife doesn't.
2007-09-27 08:55:45 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Right. It is basically name calling.
I think people who call the Clinton's "socialist" don't have a clue about what socialist means.
It is ignorance and cheap shots that are used to get an emotional, knee jerk reaction, as is calling conservatives fascists.
2007-09-27 08:52:56 · answer #8 · answered by maxmom 7 · 2⤊ 4⤋
Yes socialized medicine, speech barred, gun control limitation and seeking to bar that right also. They are shreading the US Constitution into toilet paper.
2007-09-28 09:26:53 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gee, did you miss an "ism"?
I don't think half of them have any idea what they are talking about, in fact, if people make the language then the meanings have been so skewed over the years that, practically speaking, they have no meaning.
Its a free for all with names being thrown on a grown up version of the playground.
On both sides, or all sides.
2007-09-27 08:50:53 · answer #10 · answered by justa 7 · 5⤊ 3⤋