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ACPS65 Donating Member (217 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:37 AM
Original message
Democrats are Socialists?
Some RW'r brought this up to me, how do you respond to that? Don't most liberal governments adopt a "socialist'' approach without calling for the end of capitalism?
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Michael Harrington Donating Member (304 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:41 AM
Response to Original message
1. RWers
Don't know Socialism from Shinola. Anyone saying that is an ignorant ass.
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M0rpheus Donating Member (264 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:46 AM
Response to Original message
2. Must be a new talking point...
I just heard that on another forum just a few minutes ago...
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Elwood P Dowd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:48 AM
Response to Reply #2
5. Republicans are corporate socialists
Edited on Wed Jan-28-04 03:49 AM by Elwood P Dowd
Look at all the sleazy deals their corporate backers get from
Washington.
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bryant69 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 08:54 AM
Response to Reply #2
19. Nothing new about it
They called FDR a socialist. It was a way of suggesting that the progressive movement was an alien thing brought over from the corrupted Europe. In some ways it still is.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com
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Skidmore Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 09:01 AM
Response to Reply #2
20. Several RW callers on C-SPAN kept putting this line out
Edited on Wed Jan-28-04 09:02 AM by Skidmore
and one of them went so far as to screech away at something like it was time to drag all the liberals out in the streets and "beat their heads in". He also went on to say that it's about time for another civil war.
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prolesunited Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 09:44 AM
Response to Reply #2
25. Several callers brought it up on CSPAN this morning as well
Rove must have faxed out new talking points this morning.

Frankly, I don't think their is anything wrong with programs that could be labeled "socialist." Social security, public education, subsidized housing, Medicaid, etc. — programs such as these have certainly benefitted society as a whole.

I think they do this because there are so many negative connotations to the word. It is a shame when you have lower and middle class people arguing on behalf of a corporate oligarchy that would ONLY benefit the upper echelon and leave no way for people to enter that system. Feudalism was a BAD thing. I think that's why we got rid of it.
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Gore1FL Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:47 AM
Response to Original message
3. There are aspects of socialism,but hardly enough to equate the two
A tiered tax rate, social security, universal healthcare are certainly socialist ideas.


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NIGHT TRIPPER Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:47 AM
Response to Original message
4. if Dems are socialists then Right Wingers are facists
Those are extremes.
Depends on where you stand.
i'd rather be associated with socialists thatn authoritarian facists!

Send your friends to this site:
if you can take this test to see where you stand politically
Pretty Cool

http://www.digitalronin.f2s.com/politicalcompass/questionnaire.pl?page=1
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La_Serpiente Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:50 AM
Response to Original message
6. Nothing wrong with being a socialist
n/t
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0rganism Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:53 AM
Response to Original message
7. Really? Ask the RWr which Democratic candidate....
Edited on Wed Jan-28-04 03:53 AM by 0rganism
...wants to nationalize means of production.

Chances are the RW'r won't even know what that means. He just hears limbaugh say it and assumes it has some important meaning.

Stupid fucks.
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tjwash Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:53 AM
Response to Original message
8. Ask them if they are aware....
...that socialism is an economic system and not a form of government. Meanwhile, while they choke on that, ask them how they themselves can be so candidly be against capitalism by supporting companies such as walmart, and intel, that are against the very principles of competition and diversity that mark a great capitalist system.

On second thought, just tell your RW buddy to go screw himself...
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bobbyboucher Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:58 AM
Response to Reply #8
10. Nice, and welcome.
Good to have you. Don't be fooled by the DU monicker, it is plenty tough to be liberal around here.
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newyawker99 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 02:51 PM
Response to Reply #8
26. Hi tjwash!!
Welcome to DU!! :toast:
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aquart Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 03:58 AM
Response to Original message
9. Ask them to define "socialism"
They may have a whole other meaning to the term than you do. Find out before you continue the conversation.

On Free Republic I've read that, as a "liberal" Democrat, I favor Bush's immigration plan, I want American jobs to go overseas, and I've never loved my country.
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POed_Ex_Repub Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 04:02 AM
Response to Reply #9
11. Wait a minute...
If RWers equate favoring Bush's immigration plan to being a liberal... wouldn't that make Bush a liberal (as it would make sense that Bush favors his OWN plan)

Oh wait a minute, it's Free Republic... logic doesn't apply.

Nevermind.
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dpibel Donating Member (898 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 04:38 AM
Response to Reply #11
12. About that logic
If logic ever got in close proximity to the rabid right, it would be a terrible mess.

I mean, all those heads exploding would be a dreadful sight.
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EV1Ltimm Donating Member (831 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 09:32 AM
Response to Reply #12
24. oh they have logic alright...
Every decision they make, they have to think to themseleves: "How can I handle this situation so i can be the biggest self-serving asshole possible"?
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buckeye1 Donating Member (630 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 04:54 AM
Response to Original message
13. Republicans are criminals.
They steal and call it capitalism. Republicans are anti-social and they adore crime. It is always easier to steal than work. Anti socialism is pathetic disease( noted in medical journals).
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Piperay Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 05:09 AM
Response to Original message
14. Democrats are capitalists
just the same as repukes are only not as crooked. :argh:
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rman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 08:01 AM
Response to Original message
15. would a majority of society vote for pro-social policies?

To the extent that this is the case, democracy (principle of majority vote) amounts to socialism, and vice versa. Modern socialism is sometimes called radical democracy.

From another perspective: the opposite of democracy is despotism (lack of the principle of majority vote). Monarchy, totalitarianism, fascism etc are forms of despotism, all opposite to the interests of society, for the benefit of the ruling minority.

Now probably someone will argue that fascism = socialism (and hence socialism does not jive with democracy) because Hitler's party was called "national socialists", but i'll talk about nazi propaganda, censorship and lies if and when appropriate.
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onecitizen Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 08:02 AM
Response to Original message
16. Really, I've been wondering if.......
I might BE a Socialist. I need to do research before I commit.
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blondeatlast Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 08:11 AM
Response to Original message
17. Works for me.
Edited on Wed Jan-28-04 08:21 AM by blondeatlast
Edit: Political Compass results

Economic Left/Right: -5.75
Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -5.64

Right there with Mandela and the Dalai Lama.
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ElsewheresDaughter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 08:53 AM
Response to Original message
18. public schools =socialism .......police protection=socialism .....
hi-ways & roads = socialism.........military = socialism .....fed & state judicial systems = socialism ..... FDA (food safety)=socialism....fire protect = socialism......CDC= socialism.....health care = socialism.....EPA = socialism.....


nah there ain't no fucking republican socialist!!!!!
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EV1Ltimm Donating Member (831 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 09:11 AM
Response to Original message
21. Right wingers are really stuck on this.
Alot of them like to say that "lefties" are going to do away with private ownership and private property. We would advocate such things if we were really socialists.

They get all bent out of shape whenever we talk about supporting welfare, social security and universal healthcare.

I'll admit, to the untrained eye, we may appear to be socialist. but for the most part, we're all a bunch of capitalist pig-dogs just like everyone else -- except we like to share.

If anything, we're the socialist equivalent of o'douls: we may remind you of socialists, but we are inescapeably not.

Whenever my dad breaks out the socialist line, i always respond: "Yeah, that whole 'caring for my fellow man' is a real handicap of mine".
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ElsewheresDaughter Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 09:13 AM
Response to Original message
22. hmmm.......drive-by
:shrug:
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KG Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Wed Jan-28-04 09:17 AM
Response to Original message
23. one can only hope....
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