During the 2008 elections, and all throughout Obama’s presidency, his opponents have been throwing all kinds of descriptive terms at him, hoping some would stick. He is either a Muslim, or a follower of a misleading racist Christian preacher. But the one that keeps coming back is the S word. Obama is a socialist. He will make America socialist. There is no turning back and we will lose all of our freedoms to socialism.
But three years into his presidency, I think it is fair enough to come to the conclusion that while Obama may be a lot of things, a socialist is not one of them.
Socialism – what is it? These days people seem to call everything under the sun socialism, and things have veered a lot from what I learned in school – that socialism is government-run, often -owned, and -controlled industry.
The problem? While I know there are plenty of touters of Friedman economics who believe that any type of government interference makes the possibility of a free market impossible, I think most practicing economists understand this to be a bit like the laws of physics – damn hard to apply to every day life due to gravity. What I mean is, if this is the defining characteristic of free market capitalism then all of our government consumer protection organizations are socialist.
This is a far cry from standard definitions of socialism and capitalism – this is extremism to the level of communism.
The problem is too many people confuse social services and social programs with socialism. Sure, if the government offers a service it can be difficult for private actors to compete. But that doesn’t mean they cannot.
I spent some time living in Sweden, often considered to be a bastion of socialism, and would you believe that five days a week I received two mail deliveries, one from the state run post office and one from the private run commercial post service. Private industry competes openly with government run business, is this socialism?
A government, voted by the people for the people, which sets laws and regulations to protect the people, is not socialist.
Passing a law that states every citizen must purchase health insurance or be fined, is not socialist. You can be fined. You can opt not to and pay the fine. You can opt to not pay your medical bills and have the taxpayers pay them instead. Sure, that is your right and your freedom.
Social Security is socialist because you cannot opt out, you pay into it automatically, and the government controls where your money goes. But let’s remember that Obama is not responsible for starting Social Security, and it has provided money for a lot of retirees over the years.
There have been no acts that Obama has passed in his three years in office that have changed the capitalist nature of the United States.
Even the buyouts of the banks, where the US took over part of the banks following the latest economic crisis, were not socialism. Just as according to plan, as soon as they had the funds, the banks bought themselves back. The purpose of the bank takeovers was to preserve capital so that the banks didn’t fail and people didn’t lose all their money, not so that the government could be active in the daily running of the banks. The purpose was purely capitalistic, not socialist.
Let’s also remember the initial TARP act, which lent money to the banks, was President Bush’s act, not Obamas.
Is Obama a socialist? No. Is America at risk to become a socialist country? No. Comparatively speaking the United States has fewer social programs than pretty much any other western nation in the world. Maternity leave, health care, standard practices in many democratic capitalist countries around the world are considered socialist by the people of the US and therefore do not pass through our system. Do you need any more proof?
(White House photo)
Thomas Jefferson
There are two parts. Be sure to read the 2nd part (in RED).
Thomas Jefferson was a very remarkable man who started learning very early in life and never stopped.
At 5, began studying under his cousin’s tutor.
At 9, studied Latin, Greek and French.
At 14, studied classical literature and additional languages.
At 16, entered the College of William and Mary.
At 19, studied Law for 5 years starting under George Wythe.
At 23, started his own law practice.
At 25, was elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses.
At 31, wrote the widely circulated “Summary View of the Rights of British America ” and retired from his law practice.
At 32, was a Delegate to the Second Continental Congress.
At 33, wrote the Declaration of Independence .
At 33, took three years to revise Virginia ?s legal code and wrote a Public Education bill and a statute for Religious Freedom.
At 36, was elected the second Governor of Virginia succeeding Patrick Henry.
At 40, served in Congress for two years.
At 41, was the American minister to France and negotiated commercial treaties with European nations along with Ben Franklin and John Adams.
At 46, served as the first Secretary of State under George Washington.
At 53, served as Vice President and was elected president of the American Philosophical Society.
At 55, drafted the Kentucky Resolutions and became the active head of Republican Party.
At 57, was elected the third president of the United States .
At 60, obtained the Louisiana Purchase doubling the nation’s size.
At 61, was elected to a second term as President.
At 65, retired to Monticello .
At 80, helped President Monroe shape the Monroe Doctrine.
At 81, almost single-handedly created the University of Virginia and served as its first president.
At 83, died on the 50th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Independence along with John Adams
Thomas Jefferson knew because he himself studied the previous failed attempts at government. He understood actual history, the nature of God, his laws and the nature of man. That happens to be way more than what most understand today. Jefferson really knew his stuff. A voice from the past to lead us in the future:
John F. Kennedy held a dinner in the white House for a group of the brightest minds in the nation at that time. He made this statement: “This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
“When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become as corrupt as Europe .” — Thomas Jefferson
“The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“It is incumbent on every generation to pay its own debts as it goes. A principle which if acted on would save one-half the wars of the world.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” — Thomas Jefferson
“My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government.” — Thomas Jefferson
“No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms.” — Thomas Jefferson
“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”
– Thomas Jefferson
“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.” — Thomas Jefferson
“To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.”
– Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson said in 1802:
“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.
If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around the banks will deprive the people of all property – until their children wake-up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered.”
Obama may not be a Socialist and America might not become a Socialist country anytime soon but if Radical changes are not made to Local and International governance then America will certaintly become a Greek country.