We must defuse the "socialist" label!

[mandyky]

It happened again on the Guy James show this past week. It's the third or fourth time, and I fume for days afterwards.

Rush Limbaugh and the rest of the uber capitalist right wing talk show hosts have their "dittoheads" convinced that social programs = socialism. There are things like education and health care that need to be rights because they are necessary. Both of these contribute to national security. A progressive tax system is not socialistic.

We also need to go on the attack - all these folks who are against paying taxes and claim it is redistributing wealth need to be called out as greedy and selfish, and not Christ-like behavior.

[LisaLynne]

1. I know the term is tainted (just as communism is) in our culture, but ...

there really isn't anything wrong with socialism. Not that I expect the dittoheads would be capable of understanding that.

[bowens43]

3. I agree.

I never did understand why being called a socialist is an insult.

Jesus was certainly a socialist.

[liberalmuse]

2. I have no problem with the term socialism.

it's practiced in most civilized countries that provide affordable health care and a much higher standard of living for more of their citizens than we do here in America.

People who equate 'socialism' with 'communism' or 'Nazism' are mindless, fucking dolts. They're going to lie and try to twist the meaning of 10,000 years of language to suit themselves, anyway. We just need to keep hammering the truth.

[kentuck]

4. Support the 'decriminalization" of marijuana..

That should do it.

[MI Cherie]

5. Most red states benifit more from tax money redistribution!

http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxingspending.html


Blue state taxes are more often redistributed to the red states! Most blue states are "giving" more than they receive. Most red states are "receiveing" more than their fair share!

[kentuck]

9. Excellent point, MI Cherie !

If the "social" programs are socialistic, it is the red states that are socialist because every single one of them get more than they give as opposed to the blue states.

[Sara Beverley]

6. Why, it works for me. Are you proud of what the "capitalists" are doing

and have done? The only thing that works for "people" in the capitalist economy that we have are the so-called "socialist programs:" Headstart, Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, and think about all those "subsidies" to farmers and corporations. Somebody likes socialism. They just don't want you to know it.

[mmonk]

7. Wrong approach

We need to redefine them. We need to make "conservative" into a bad word and permanently link it to their party. We need to call ourselves liberal (whether we all are or not) to re-establish the word into something positive. We need to paint them as extremists and radicals.

[rucky]

8. "commie" is just a code word for "sharing"

but you can't really hurl that word as an insult, can ya.

[Romulus]

10. but . . but . . it's THEIR money!!!!!

:eyes:

We need a sound bite to counter that one . . .