Why do Republicans refer to the Democrats as Socialists or Communists when in reality they are not?

Question

I live in Australia and it happens here too, but I get confused when I read anything American and I see right-wingers calling the Democrats and their policies Socialist and that they want a big state and re-distribution of wealth when in fact by world standards the Democrats would sit on the Right of the political spectrum?

They may want to increase taxation but they are not advocating a revolution, which would categorise them as communists!
Taxation may move them further to the left than republicans (which wouldnt be hard), but the fact is they are Centre-Right, not socialists!

Answer 1

You are right - Dems pretty much align with Center-center right in most nations.
They do not advocate state control of capital nor nationalization of industry - merely concepts taken for granted everywhere else - ie government involvement in market failures and progressive taxation.
Why do so many conservatives call them socialists or communists? - I guess name calling comes easier to them than informed rational debate.

ltthrs - that is exactly where you don't get it. Yes Howard was a conservative - but you would call him a liberal socialist if he was running for office in the US. I mean with 12 years in power the Howard government did not dismantle universal healthcare, subsidized college education or try to end progressive income taxation did they?

Answer 2

in case you want the "political scientist" answer, it fairly is with the aid of linear political scale that each and every social gathering leans in direction of. All political theories or varieties of government could be placed a linear scale from left to suitable. the fundamentals are that the left area of the line have faith in extra government help and courses for its voters. The far left is communism, wherein the government grants (and likewise controls) each and every thing. This philosophy is reminiscent of hippie communes...all of us helps the team and the team helps all of us. As you progression closer to the midsection you detect extra very own independence and shortage of reliance on government. the main suitable may well be fascism reminiscent of what replaced into considered in Italy and Germany for the time of WWII. Social courses weren't cutting-edge yet government did have organisation administration of regulation and order. Republicans call democrats socialists with the aid of fact democrats help usual well-being care, a super government software reminiscent of socialist international locations in Europe. The irony is that the far left (communism) and lots suitable (fascism) are so comparable in nature that the political "line" could truthfully be a circle.

Answer 3

The words "Socialist" and Communist" come from the root words society and community. Most people freak when they hear or read the word communism, because they connect it with the old U.S.S.R communist regime. The big differnce was that U.S.S.R consisted of communism under dictatorship. Big difference!

The idea behind socialism is not about speading wealth. It's about developing a country civilized enough to take care of all its citizens as equally as possible. The tough part is that in order to create this civilized world, you have to tax the citizens at a rate that will support such social services.

One of the fundamental differences between democrates and republicans is their wallets. Rebublicans are only interested in fattening their own wallets without a bit of concern for the welfare of fellow citizens, whereas democrates are willing to accept somewhat higher taxes for the equal good of everyone. It's like the old saying of "many hands make light work".

It's hard for me to understand why Americans are so afraid of a national health insurance. Heck, they already pay for a kind of national health insurance known as Medicare and Medicaide. They also pay for or contribute to a lot of other "social benefits" for the good of everyone, like public roads, public school, the police, the fire department, public libraries, state universities, state and national parks, medical research, environmental protection, and national security, just to name a few. So, why are Americans so bloody afraid of spending an extra $5 a month to provide some level of healthcare for all U.S. citizens? The greed and selfishness boggles my mind!

Answerer "A Bush Family Member" makes some farily good points, albiet very one-sided. For example, America does in fact hold the record for inventions and innovations, but one must consider the fact that the precentage of those innovations and inventions have much to do with the fact the America has over 300 million citizens. Commen sense tells me that inventions and innovations per capita might produce another figure, although I admit I didn't take the time to research it.

By the way - the plasma TV screen was NOT invented in America, as A Bush Family Member wrongly claimed. It was invented in Sweden, but Canon bought the patent. Check out the Swedish inventions link, below.

Another myth is that countries with a more civilized social care system suffer from bad economy simply doesn't hold water. I live in Sweden, where no man, woman or child is denied healthcare (unlike America), thanks to the national healthcare insurance. I won't claim that the system is 100% perfect, but it's a lot better and more civilized than what America has to offer its citizens...AND Sweden's economy is doing just fine, thanks.

America is without a doubt a world leader, but it sure could learn a thing or two if it climbed off its high-horse and started looking at other, successful countries.

Answer 4

KEVIN RUDD has been calling for a education REVOLUTION and human capital REVOLUTION this is a socialist word itself revolution=the forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favour of a new system, or the replacement of one ruling class by another in marxism in which a class struggle is expected to lead to political change and the triumph of communism. You sure you are from Australia? our deputy leader Julia Gillard was a socialist forum manager for years, and Kevin Rudd has been reported to describe himself as a "christian socialist". If you are really from australia you should open your ears a bit more=====================:(

Answer 5

Our Dem's running for President support the re-distribution of wealth though higher taxes. They all want Socialized medicine, the government taking care of your medical needs. They will not support changes in Social Security that will give people a choice weather or not they will continue being FORCED to pay into a fund that they will never get to use.
They want use to conform to their reality "For the greater good".

Answer 6

Ditto Barry, Ditto Uncle Ben.

Answer 7

Those that do so are mostly ignorant people who are just repeating what they hear on talk radio or from right wing talking heads like Ann Coulter who use hyberbole, exaggeration and obfuscation to demonize the Democrats. They don't understand the definitions of the words or the platform of the Democratic party. They are incapable of analytical thinking. There are plenty of intelligent republicans who don't make this mistake.

For example take "A Bush Family member" who thinks taxation equals Communism.

or "The party has been hijacked by left wing extremists" (Dead Marxist isn't so bad just blows everything out of proportion, there are very few left wing extremists in the US and none of them are in the Democratic Party)

Or the many people who think that because some dems favor national health care that this means that all of them want to control every aspect of a persons life, nationalize all industry, etc.

PS Your comments are correct, but these people aren't interested in rational thinking on this subject

Answer 8

I don't care about "world standards." This is the USA, not Australia. We have been the envy of the world. Our capitalism is what made our country so powerful and free. The Democrats have been trying everything they can to turn the clock back and lead us towards Socialism. They want to take from the hard-working people and give to the lazy. The Democrats need to leave us alone.

Answer 9

Because they are. And I'm not a Republican.

To pull, by coercive force (that's at gun-point, honey), 61% of a government's budget for redistribution from productive citizens and give it to non-producers is socialism.

It eliminates any one's profit margin and capital that they would use to create a new idea, a new invention, or new jobs.

Start a new business in the People's Republic of California and you'll understand my concerns about the issue.

Me, I've either got to get a State job or get packed for Re-Education camp in January of 2009. (Gave up hiring employees several years ago -- too costly.)

Those of us in the free world who can still vote, I suggest that we all vote wisely.

Answer 10

Our republicans/conservatives are the party of the rich and pampered!Look at their icon Bush.He was born into a well to do family(His gramps dealt with the nazis).He skirtted service in Vietnam by joining the national gaurd..where his final disposition from service records disappeared(daddy was director of the CIA as well as Vicee president and president. It would have been easy to make those records disappear).He had several failed businesses before entering politics.
Also keep in mind one of his biggest supporters in the 2000 election was Ken Lay of Enron fame.Bankrupted the company millions of people lost huge amounts of money.His wife went on national television pleading poverty while sitting in a hundred million dollar mansion wearing more in jewelry then the average America makes a year!
So they are like spoiled children about taxes! Saying liberals want to take everything from them to re-distribute among the lower classes!