Is Obama a Socialist ?
By HHR | September 29th, 2009 | Category: Featured, General, HHR Contributors, Politics | 8 comments
by Travis Frey
Conservatives, or so called “conservatives” wail on and on about how big the government has gotten. They constantly tell us how universal healtcare would cost too much, be too instrusive, is “socialist” and so on and so forth.
Well I do agree to some extent with them, the government is too big, it’s bloated, inefficient, and out of control. There are aspects of the government that smack of socialism. Where we diverge is what we believe is socialism. “Conservative” Republicans believe that helping out those in poverty, education spending, universal healthcare, and the like is socialist. I think corporate welfare, and police state spending is socialist.
The place that the government is the biggest and most intrusive is a sacred cow of “conservatives” or rather neoconservatives who have hijacked the GOP and are masquerading as true conservatives. The fact of the matter is I don’t believe “big government” is a little welfare spending and some education spending, I think that’s common sense and compassionate. I think big government is the billions, if not trillions we are floating to Wall St. and the bailouts of big business, and I believe the Bill of Rights stomping “Patriot” Act is big government.
If people truly want a smaller government the first thing we need to do is repeal the Patriot Act. We need to end un-Constitutional warrentless wiretaps, we need the government to stop spying on it’s citizens. That’s big government. I don’t see how anyone can support a government with the power to “sneak and peek” at my library records. I don’t see how that concept is consistent with small government. It’s not, it’s huge government, is there anything more big government. The idea that only wrongdoers need worry is fallacious. It’s big brother government and Republicans lose credibility when they support these ideas out of one side of their mouth and wail about big government out the other side.
Another big government idea “conservatives” have is the idea of regulating marriage. Any government that has the power to tell a person who they can and cannot marry is a government out of control. It’s fascist. It’s inconsistent with the idea of limited government. How can we claim to live in a free society when the government can tell us a person can’t marry someone they love. That’s not freedom, that’s big government run a muck.
If conservatives were serious about scaling back spending one huge money pit they could do away with are both the Wars we are currently engaged in. The War in Iraq was wrong, and unconstitutional from the get go and now it’s a huge boondoggle money trap. We can never win that war and it’s time to stop wasting our precious resources there. Afghanistan was a legitimate war at first, but now we’ve let it deteriorate to the point where we are throwing our money away there. We should have never invaded Iraq, we should have stayed in Afghanistan until the job was done and left. Now almost eight years in there is no end in sight. Simply ending these wars and scaling back defense spending would instantly save hundreds of billions of dollars. There’s money to fund healthcare right there, and what’s left over could be sent back to the taxpayer.
Here’s a grand idea, we could stop bailing out these giant corporations. The mainstream Republican party believes that poverty spending and social welfare programs are immoral and socialist, yet they had no problem going along with corporate welfare. You know why? Because the GOP and the Democrats as well are corporate candidates. If you ever take the time to follow the money trail you will see that these corporations spend billions buying politicians on both sides of the aisle (if you pay attention you will see the same corporation buying two “competing” candidates in one race, talk about stacking the deck huh) at every level of government to insure their interests are pursued and we the people are forgotten. The social welfare spending the government does is but a drop in the bucket compared the bailouts and the boondoggle wars we have going on.
The truth is neither party as they stand are really for small government. They both are for large bloated government. If the Republicans could go back to their roots, of small, efficient government we could win in landslides. We as moderates and progressive Republicans need to stand up for ourselves. We can no longer sit around and wait for the idiots who run this party to get it right. We need to take it back! Britian just didn’t hand over America to the colonists, we had to fight for it. We will never win nationally with our message of hate, narrow mindedness on religion, anti-gay, pro-big government. We must move to tolerance, peace, sound foreign policy that is humble but still strong, and small efficient government
Travis Frey is a guest contributor to HHR Blog he writes over at Republicans United a Progressive Republican Organization.
HHR NOTE: Obama is nothing more than a hedge-fund Democrat — one of a generation of neoliberal politicians firmly committed to free-market policies.
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You sound almost like Ron Paul…..
But the problem is you are essentially selling a small “l” libertarian message, which is a message that conservatives/Republicans don’t want to hear right now. Why buy into philosphy or actual principles when you exist in a two party system where the biggest losers are the American People. Think about it….no term limits in Congress, the Parties get to set the rules for debates, and third party entry, not to mention billions of dollars in contributions from corporations, and everyother special interest that wants some sort of advantage in our “Capitalist” System.
http://mises.org/books/TRTS/ for what it’s worth. Does any of this look familiar?
Sample paragraph based on Olive Schreiner story of the “Hunter:”
“But where I lie down, worn out, other men will stand, young and fresh. By the steps I have cut will they climb; by the stairs I have built will they mount. They will never know the name of the man who made them. At my clumsy work they will laugh; when the stones tumble down upon them they will curse me. But they will mount, and on MY work; they will climb, and by MY stair! They will find her [truth], AND THROUGH ME!”
I got the paragraph above from this article http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772072-1,00.html
The problem is folks, great men built a great foundation. (The United States of America) The greatest ever built. Unfortunitely, we’ve done a poor job of keeping men of similar strength of character, moral principal and vision in power. If falls to us, the PEOPLE, to do something about it.
We put these people in office, then we bitch about it. I’m guilty too. However, this is the day of the internet, Blackberries and cable TV. What excuse do we have for the poor decisions we make? Do we vote straight down the party line because our parents do? This mentality is no longer applicable. You pride yourself on being intelligent and street smart enough to know when you’re being played right? When a dude on the street tries to borrow $5 for buy food, you know he’s going to get a pint of booze. (Or a rock…whatever.) But, you believe our politicians and take them at face value. (Notice the lack of a question mark. You know it’s true.)
Back in our parents and grand parents day you did what you were told. You BELIEVED what you were told. Not now. Now, in 2009 and soon to be 2010, you fact check on the web via many sources, watch multiple TV channels and can have educated discussions with many, many people. There is no excuse.
The party lines are defined in shades of gray as they pander for your votes. Their morals and principles are in question and we’re becoming more and more aware of the many ways they can control us. Do we lie down and take it? Or do we hold them accountable and make ourselves heard. I see the folks involved with HHR are better in tune with real time events than in my own area. I would love to see my own “local yocals” develop this level of urgency and involvement.
I’m from North West Arkansas, home of Wal-Mart and many other large corporations. We’ve enjoyed the successes of our benefactors and have been protected against many of the issues effecting the urban populations. Between the three primary towns and subcommunities there is approximitely 250k population. I think 1.5 million in the whole state.
However, urban life is coming. I would love to see HHR where I live. Our kids already emulate the urban community in many ways. From music, art, clothing and speech. They adopt many of the liberal ideas as well. I think HHR movement would be a great counterpoint. How can I bring HHR home? Keep in mind, I’m broke, living paycheck to paycheck but, my hear is there.
God bless. Thanks for doing what you do.
wow. Where is spell check! No doubt you’ll believe I’m from Arkansas now! =)
So I take it my original post didn’t pass the test? Would appreciate you deleting both this one and the one above as your censorship is creating a break in the flow of information.
many thanks
Likes it’s been said many times in the past, our system has many problems but it is the best in the world, if you don’t believe me I invite you to visit the caribean paradise that is Cuba……..
@Burkhart: If you included a lot of links in your original comment, it was likely to be automatically rejected. It’s not censorship, but an attempt to curtail spambots.
Health Bill Raises Economic Concern For Real Estate
Sen. Harry Reid’s state, Nevada has the nation’s highest number of foreclosures. Ironically Reid has the power when bringing together different health-care proposals for a vote, to either help or destroy future home ownership for millions of Americans.
All current health care proposals mandate taking 8 to 10 percent of middle class income: that lost income would no longer be available to the middle class to qualify for loans to buy homes or other kinds of property. The costs of government-mandated health insurance may cause many home buyers not to qualify for home mortgages. Nevada already suffering from foreclosures might have its housing market decimated. More homeowners would have difficulty paying their mortgage and credit cards if government takes 8 to 10 percent of their income for forced health insurance and penalties.
Historically, fewer home-buyers, have lowered home selling prices and caused a reduction in property taxes collected by county governments: the current drop in home values and property taxes has forced many county governments to ask federal agencies for money, further increasing federal deficits: that may worsen if home buyers are thwarted by the costs of forced health insurance and penalties.
C. Burk: ….” Keep in mind, I’m broke, living paycheck to paycheck but, my hear (sic) is there.”
This posting would be Hysterical if it wasnt so prevalent in the “Ignorance Belt”.
My brother, you are supporting the very ppl whose game plan it is to make sure we become a nation of sharecroppers! The Ruling Elite, for their fun and PROFIT [(at the expense of working class folks) almost treasonous IMO] have shipped mfg and service sector jobs overseas to fatten up “ShareHolder” value; read my Golden Parachute, at the expense of us, the working class!
God forbid you or your kin should come down w/a long term illness, how many “Bake Sales” will it take for your church to pay for long term….chemo therapy or experimental treatment at the Mayo Clinic? We are slaves to the LEECHES who run Health Care, the CEO of UnitedHC took home a $1.5 paychex, how many ppl dont you think died due to the treatment they denied to make sure his “shareholder” value was fat?
This hogwash about the “Rugged Individual” fending for himself are just Madison Ave Spin preached by the well paid SHILLS and Charlatans who could give a good god damn about some DUPE in AR so long as they can use it to bamboozle you into their column!
We’re in a CLASS WAR and you have been Conscripted into the enemies camp!
read these, they’re free at the Library (unless your’n has been privatized?) 1. SCREWED: the Undeclared War on the Middle Class, Thom Hartmann 2. SHOCK DOCTRINE: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klien
3. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins