As the presidential campaign stumbles to a close, the Republicans have made "socialism" into the bright shiny new word that symbolizes their fears about Barack Obama and the Democrats.
But all of this talk about socialism can have the secondary effect of encouraging discussion of formerly taboo proposals like nationalizing health care. All the scare talk about socialism might make socialism less scary and start encouraging practical talk about socialist ideas.
Is that what the Republicans really want?
After all, the government could even nationalize the leading banks.
Wait a minute!
The Bush administration has already nationalized the banks. They've also nationalized the biggest insurance company (AIG) and are now providing guarantees for 80-85% of housing loans through government control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
In other words, the Republicans are not just talking about socialism, they're doing socialism.
One of the most important writings in American socialism is Edward Bellamy's Looking Backward. If the U. S. becomes a socialist country one day, people may be amused to "look backward" at the irony of the Republicans doing so much to move the cause of socialism forward in 2008.
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2 comments:
the ed bellamy association fits great here. I do think that this repeated use of the word will open it up to cultural and political analysis... bring that shit in!
The computer you are using while typing this blog is a product of capitalism, so do you really want a revolution?
Here's an example of why I like capitalism. I go to the document center at MSU (very much a non-capitalistic enterprise)and ask for 30 copies...and they say we can't do it today, it will be ready by 4pm tomorrow. I leave and go to a printing shop (capitalistic enterprise), they have my documents ready in 30 minutes. There needs to be a profit-incentive. Communism would stink in its best form (which would be quite different than its theoretical form).
I am quite the liberal, but socialism would be horrible. And of course Obama is not a socialist. He's very much a capitalist proponent. Calling for regulation and progressive taxes is not socialism...
The socialist-like measures that the Bush admin have taken seem very necessary given the lack of adequate regulation of Wall Street and the banking industry. If they'd took control of common stock in these banks, then we could talk more about socialism.
I think this mess on Wall Street will give rise to a new era of capitalism with strong regulation. And that will be a good thing...
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