There are two articles that I read about Obama’s connection to socialism (Whether he is indeed socialist). The gist of both articles was to say in the classical (I assume they meant the original sense of the word, not what it means in our time) sense of the term socialism, Obama wouldn’t be one (He does not ask for nationalization of the means of production, at least explicitly. Of course, ‘spreading the wealth around’ does refer to a socialist ring to it, but one could argue that it is behind most social policies). He definitely is a statist, but I suspect a sizable amount of Americans agree to Obama’s idea of state intervention.

Here is one of the articles I referred to:
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1030/p09s01-coop.html

The very fact that Obama has come this far represents an unprecedented triumph for radical Leftism in the heart of the largest state in the Western world.

@fundamentalist:

I do indeed think the next four years could be worse than the past four. In fact, I think it’s almost inevitable. Whoever wins the election, the new administration will only make things worse because it will not understand the fundamentals of liberty when applied to governance, economics, war, etc.

Buckle up!

Nearly three decades ago, I was impressed by the self-described libertarian and talk-show radio host Gene Burns, when he stated that neither candidate, nor party, will focus on the heart of the issues; i.e., “What is the nature and role of government?” And so it goes, and will go, into the foreseeable future.

Some socialists call capitalists “fascists.” Some capitalists call socialists “communists.” Some libertarians are minarchists; some are anarchists. And so the straw-man name-calling and insufferable, semantic sloganeering is employed to motivate political bases. And it’s all meaningless.

From my view, every adminstration in my lifetime has been socialist, including Reagan’s. Simple argument: No matter what the President or candidate said, under his/her watch, did the size of government (national, state, local) become larger and more intrusive, and were the executed policies, during those terms, designed to mitigate the plight of the poor and so-called disenfranchised?
Yes.
Consistently.
Repeatedly.
Successively, four-years after four-years after four-years….

Now I hear from the blundering talk show hosts of the right that. “Obama is a redistributionist!!!! Oh, my, whatever shall we do?!”

Redistribution via taxation, government favors, war-machines, contracts, statutes, lobbyists’ influence, has been a policy mandate and standard behavior for more than a century.

Now suddenly the radio right wing sophists are worried about redistribution? They have no credibility.

So, is the nature and role of government to move toward more redistribution (since redistribution is what we already have now), or less?
So where do the candidates stand? Which is more redistributionist than the other?

Unless the government is hands off with regard to my wallet, my bedroom, my property, my associations, my business, my kids’ draft status, then the answer is not clear.

This lesser of two evils mantra is also nonsense. Relative to how the candidates perceive of government and its nature and role, I can see no less political evil in one vs. the other.

Regards,
F.

Phillip Berg,Attorney from Philadelphia filed his complaint w/the Supreme Court,attempting to have Obama release documents, such as a vault copy of his birth certificate, that, at the very minimum would confirm any legal qualification questions to run for the U.S. Presidency. Obama and the DNC REFUSE to release or comply for such a SIMPLE request!!
The question begs;the American people need redress from tyranny,and may I please gather any of you intelligent readers to clarify WHAT/WHY there has been general stone-walling,which I am afraid will happen with any ideologues sitting on the SC,or their rejection of Berg’s lawsuit;other than a strict Constitutionalist,such as Scalia,will it fall on deaf ears? There is a Constitutional Crisis in the works;the message from on high is that the American people have no currency,therefore,ignore,throw it out or issue a “NIMB” statement.Prove us wrong!