Is SOCIALIST a dirty word?

[nickshepDEM]

Some of the neutral or right leaning boards I go to slam Democrats by calling us Socialists. Am I suppose to take it offensive as if they are calling me a bitch something?

[nickshepDEM]

1. ???

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. they think so

My answer to them would be, "What? Your'e an anti-social person?"

[TankLV]

3. Not to me.

I think socialism is one of the more noble political aspirations.

Who can find fault a group of citizens looking out for the welfare of all of the group, but especially for the least of their membership?

[Bouncy Ball]

4. No.

Why would it be?

You might want to remind them we have a few programs in place in the US that have been around for quite a while, which are socialist in nature.

They are retards. They hear a word being used as a slur, they don't know what it means, but they use it, too.

Ask them what socialist means. And ask them to name some countries that have socialism as part of their economy. Then tell them some. They might be surprised.

[DireStrike]

5. The funny part is that our big elected officials are so far to the right.

And they still call them socialists! Most of their positions are "well, we should basically do it like the republicans, but with a little less corporate ass-raping of american consumer- uh, I mean citizens."

Every time I heard Kerry insulted as a socialist, I just gave up on the conversation.

[Liberal Veteran]

6. My response to those people is to suggest we privatise the military...

...completely. Let it be run by corporations.

Also all roads, police forces, firefighters, and the justice system should be totally privatized and run by corporations and entrepreneurs because SOCIALISM is EVIL!!!!!!

That usually shuts them up.

[oneighty]

7. No.

Humans by nature form into social groups. My community is a commune as are all United States communities.

We 'Tax' each other for the benefit of all. One for all and all for one it can be said.

It really does "Take a Village".

Have your antagonists divorce themselves from their community and have them become rugged individualists, be an island unto themselves.

They will fail. They will come to believe in socialism.

Yes they will.

180

[PowerToThePeople]

8. Heck NO..

Say "Thanks for the compliment you scum sucking, greedy, self absorbed, capitalist pig."

[Canuckistanian]

9. Only in the US, it seems

Here in Canada we just voted for our "Greatest Canadian" - Tommy Douglas - a true socialist in every sense of the word.

I'm not denying that there are conservatives around the world who denounce socialism. it's just that in the US it's become an absolute pejorative.

[Trajan]

10. Calling Democrats 'Socialists' is a form of insult ....

It is a strawman fallacy .... it is ad hominem fallacy ....

And it is intentional ...

While Democrats have ruled in the past with a healthy agenda formed of social legislation .... it is false to call that agenda, it's intentions OR it's results 'socialism' ....

How one defines 'Socialism' can lead to misstatements or mischaracterizations ....

Here are some examples of Socialism defined:

Definitions of SOCIALISM on the Web:

a theory or system of social organization by which the major means of production and distribution are owned, managed, and controlled by the government, by an association or workers, or the community as a whole
www.imuna.org/manual/app_a.html


an economic system in which the means of production are controlled by the state
www.wwnorton.com/college/econ/stiglitz/glosss.htm


An economic and political system in which private property is abolished and the means of production (i.e., capital and land) are collectively owned and operated by the community as a whole in order to advance the interests of all. In Marxist ideology, socialism is considered an intermediate stage in the inevitable transformation of capitalism into communism. A socialist society is envisioned as being characterized by the dictatorship of the proletariat; the existence of a high degree of cooperation and equality; and the absence of discrimination, poverty, exploitation, and war. With the non-existence of private ownership, the private profit motive is eliminated from economic life. Consequently, market forces do not play a role in organizing the process of production. Instead, large-scale government planning is employed to ensure the harmonious operation of the process of production.
www.indiana.edu/~ipe/glossry.html


A social system in which the means of producing and distributing goods are owned collectively and political power is exercised by the whole community.
www.northland.cc.az.us/Pos221/resource/definiti.htm


A term covering many belief systems that oppose the concentration of wealth and power that is a natural part of capitalism. Whereas capitalists emphasize freedom for the individual to possess private property, socialists emphasize the well-being of the community. They strive to achieve this through many methods, including public ownership, regulation, and state-sponsored social programs. Socialism has taken on many different forms throughout the world, with varying degrees of success. Some socialists favour a gradual move away from unrestricted capitalism and the maintenance of a democratic society; others favour force to overthrow capitalism and distribute wealth.
www.heritage.nf.ca/confederation/glossary.html


The view that the government should own and control major industries
pittsford.monroe.edu/jefferson/calfieri/economics/EcoGlossary.html


government ownership of the means of production; leads to economic stagnation due to a lack of competition, innovation and productivity (examples: postal service, transportation, civil courts, education)
www.stormy.org/defin.htm

-snip-

The section outlined in italics is a prime example of how the right attempts to demonize the Democrats by false associations with the term and meaning of 'socialism' .... THAT is strawman bullshit .... THIS Sentence is revealing: "Some socialists favour a gradual move away from unrestricted capitalism and the maintenance of a democratic society;" .... so: One DOESNT have to want the state to own and control all or most forms of production to be a socialist in this view: one need only wish to 'restrict capitalism' while maintaining a 'democratic society' to be coined 'socialist' .... Hence one cannot even ATTEMPT to bring regulation into the marketplace, even the treacherous markets prior to the Great Depression, lest one be considered a 'socialist' ... It's a bunch of malarkey ....

Democrats have never nor will they advocate state ownership of the means of production ...... THAT is the basic definition of Socialism ...

[mitchum]

11. Not in my house

[scarletwoman]

12. Only for those who are enormously ignorant and paranoid to boot.

I would either ignore it, laugh it off, or demand that those who use the word "socialist" define it. (They won't, of course.)

Many European governments incorporate some socialist features, and there are extant socialist parties in many countries of the world that are as mainstream as any other political party.

Right wingers either equate socialism with communism (they are NOT synonymous) -- which, even with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, still manages to remain a favorite bogeyman to the right -- or with the Nazi party; Hitler's misnamed "National Socialist Party".

The National Socialists were NOT socialists, it was a bit of Orwellian propaganizing designed to disguise the true fascist nature of what they were about. Socialism was popular with many people, so co-opting the term was just for p.r. purposes, there was absolutely NOTHING socialist about the Nazis.

Most right wingers prefer not to be confused with facts. They may think they're hurling an insult, but all they are really doing is demonstrating their profound ignorance.

sw

[RainDog]

13. no

but Americans are too stupid to know that Europe's social democracies have created better lives for their citizens and so you get the sort of ignorance you talk about.

Look at stats for quality of life issues for Canadians and western Europeans and weep to know that Americans are too stupid for vote for their own well being.

When George bankrupts the U.S. with his unsound corporate kleptocratic polices, maybe THEN enough people will realize what they have supported.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

14. Jesus was a socialist. That should set them straight. Someone here

has a sig line that goes something like, "When I give bread to the poor, they call me a saint, when I ask why the people are poor, they call me a communist".

That pretty much sums up the system in which mammon is the lord and master.

[vlad]

15. NO_ but I guess it's

a very bad word(to them) if by socialist you mean, I care for human life, and have empathy!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

16. Jesus was a Socialist

[mr blur]

17. Nope. Wear it with pride, I do.

Here in Europe we have a proud and wide history of Socialism although here in the UK the government has moved about as far away from Socialist ideals as Labour government possibly could. I have to say that a dose of Socialism would do the people of the US a power of good - after all, it's about looking after PEOPLE and not greedy warmongering bastards.

[nickshepDEM]

18. Thanx for the responses.

[Telly Savalas]

19. Strangely enough...

most people who loudly denounce socialism seem to have no problem with it when it's applied to issues like roads, highways, schools, and fire departments.

[Cleita]

20. No it's not and neither is liberal.

However, racist, sexist and homophobe are offensive words and anyone who is called these words should be offended. It's time to start taking the language of propaganda back and expose it for the lies it tells.

[JanMichael]

21. Only to the ignorant (No harm meant) and the rich.

The "Ignorant" know that a boot is kicking their ass, they just don't know what leg it comes from and how to stop the ass kicking. They get fucked constantly by employers and the "system" but there's little there to give hope or light other than people like Peter Popof. Who exist to defraud the weak, ill, and depressed.

The rich are happy, mostly, with the system that has left them where they exist, rich.

Obviously there are exceptions to these rules however the Corpo Media and Corpo Schools are unlikely to enlighten anyone.

[Mike Niendorff]

22. It's a specific political label, and is rarely applied accurately.

Its precise meaning is: "state ownership of the means of production".

Anything short of that is not socialism, and should not be misidentified as such.

That being said, wingnuts like to throw this label around like candy because they think it scares people. And the more they can play off people's fears, the less time they'll have to spend trying to weasel their way around the legitimate arguments of their political opponents.

Also, by constantly trying to force their opponents onto the defensive -- forcing them to repeatedly deny whatever charges the wingnuts pull out of their asses today -- they've found they can successfully keep the focus off their own blatantly fascist tendencies. This has real political value to them, and we need to learn to stop playing into it by taking their bait. The fact that they've made a bullshit claim doesn't mean that we need to waste lots of time pointing out for the thousand-and-first time why it's bullshit. Getting us to do that is precisely their aim, in fact, because it takes the spotlight off of them. We need to put that spotlight back on them, then crank that sucker up to the max.

</.02>


MDN

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. It isn't to me. I consider myself to be one. And a liberal too.

[radwriter0555]

24. Oh HELL no... I'm personally VERY proud to be a liberal socialist feminist

democrat.

There is nothing wrong with being a socialist.

There is nothing wrong with being a communist either, not that one has anything to do with the other.

When being called either label, ask what's wrong with being a socialist or a communist.... they won't be able to answer, because there IS nothing wrong with being either.

You can always explain that socialism is far better for a society than capitalism, since the emphasis is on the best things for our society. Sweden is a great example.