Refuting Obama with Democrat quotes

Newsweek in a fawning article declared that We Are All Socialists Now. That Newsweek is a left-leaning magazine is no longer contestable. The article denigrated conservatives for getting their backs up at the idea of socialism in America. According to Newsweek, socialism is already flourishing in America and the right just needs to accept the reality and move on. Excuse me if I choose to disagree. Socialism is unhealthy. It is a cancer upon the liberties that Americans have embedded in their very Constitution. It raids those individual liberties under the guise of a collective good that it actually hinders by it's very nature.

Newsweek can go ahead and call me a twit for disagreeing with them. Firstly, I don't care what Newsweek thinks. I'd say more but I've already mentioned their Obama cheerleading magazine enough times to want to rinse out my mouth. But secondly and more importantly, I'm not the only one who questions whether or not America should be socialist or capitalist. And I'm not the only one who believes that democracy depends on capitalism. You'd expect those thoughts of conservatives, right? But what about a liberal Democrat proponent of capitalism and democracy? Would that get your attention Newsweek? Might that make you take off the cheerleader outfit, put down the pom poms and start questioning your illustrious leader?

In 2006, Robert Reich, former Labor Secretary under Bill Clinton, wrote an interesting little article on the CommonDreams.org website. In it, he argues that the world has answered the question about capitalism versus communism and capitalism has won, hands down. The real issue is that while democracy requires capitalism, it turns out capitalism doesn't require democracy.

China shows that when it comes to economics, the dividing line among the world’s nations is no longer between communism and capitalism. Capitalism has won hands down. The real dividing line is no longer economic. It’s political. And that divide is between democracy and authoritarianism. China is a capitalist economy with an authoritarian government.

For years, we’ve assumed that capitalism and democracy fit hand in glove. We took it as an article of faith that you can’t have one without the other. That’s why a key element of American policy toward China has been to encourage free trade, direct investment, and open markets. As China becomes more prosperous and integrated into the global market -- so American policy makers have thought -- China will also become more democratic.

Well, maybe we’ve been a bit naive. It’s true that democracy needs capitalism. Try to come up with the name of a single democracy in the world that doesn’t have a capitalist economy. For democracy to function there must be centers of power outside of government. Capitalism decentralizes economic power, and thereby provides the private ground in which democracy can take root.

But China shows that the reverse may not be true -- capitalism doesn’t need democracy. Capitalism’s wide diffusion of economic power offers enough incentive for investors to take risks with their money. But, as China shows, capitalism doesn’t necessarily provide enough protection for individuals to take risks with their opinions.

Contrast that with this from President Obama;

Our individual salvation depends on collective salvation. Thinking only about yourself, fulfilling your immediate wants and needs, betrays a poverty of ambition.

And this;

My attitude is that if the economy’s good for folks from the bottom up, it’s gonna be good for everybody … I think when you spread the wealth around, it’s good for everybody.

And lastly, this,

I ask every American to commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training. This can be community college or a four-year school; vocational training or an apprenticeship. But whatever the training may be, every American will need to get more than a high school diploma. And dropping out of high school is no longer an option. It's not just quitting on yourself, it's quitting on your country — and this country needs and values the talents of every American.

The first two point out that maybe President Obama hasn't read Reich's writings on who won the clash between collectivism and capitalism. Clearly those quotes denote a socialistic philosophical bent.

The last quote shows that he may indeed understand the point that Reich makes about capitalism not needing Democracy. How does the last quote indicate anything other than a desire to help the country? It's about expanding government powers. It's about mandating government service - in essence, it's a draft. Much like the President has drafted GM and banks into the government. He's expanding the reach and power of the government to dictate to the people. What the President is talking about in the quote above, isn't really all that different from the Brown Shirts of Nazi Germany. Keep in mind that the Nazi's were the product of a radical left party - National Socialists. It may be too early to call it that way, but better too early than too late.

Perhaps the President sees a period of transitional capitalism whereby the government can intrude on capitalism, leveraging the current China model, that will eventually lead to a more centrally planned society, and the underpinnings of capitalism can slowly be removed and replaced with a socialist state.

Were that to come to fruition we could see a truly ironic world where China may eventually 'stray' towards democratic capitalism and the United States lurches towards becoming a socialist state. Frightening, and sad.

Perhaps a growing number of Americans don't care if they are in a socialist country. Or perhaps they even want it. They shouldn't.