There’s No Socialism in America – Except Where There Is (And That’s Why We Should Want More?)
Projo columnist Froma Harrop provides what I think is an excellent snapshot of contemporary liberal logic on the subject of “is the government turning socialist?”
You see, according to Ms. Harrop, there really isn’t any move towards socialism in American government…
Princeton economist Alan Blinder reasons: “Socialism means public ownership and control of business, right? So which industries does the president propose to nationalize?”And besides, socialism is already here in certain sectors of the economy…
None that anyone has noticed. Obama’s economic team won’t even nationalize the broken banks. But that doesn’t matter. The S-word can signify anything conservatives want it to.
By the way, socialized insurance has already established a beachhead on our shores. Ever hear of Medicare?So we needn’t fret about creeping socialism, because nobody wants it and because it’s already here even though it doesn’t really exist.
Got it?
Or “This is not the Socialism you are looking for. You can move along now”
Obi-Wan Harrop
Socialism’s just a McGuffin. It’s a political scare tactic. Americans appear to see through it.
Rhody’s right, socialism is just a conservative boogeyman…except fot the $700 billion of TARP money, $787 billion for the ERA, subsidization of the auto companies (really the UAW), a treasury secretary that uses anger at AIG bonuses as a diversion to power grab for control of private industry, part ownership of the mortgage industry, and the impending threat of the Employee Free Choice Act..there is no socialism.
Whew. Thanks, JP. I was worried there for a minute …