The reason why the right and the press have jumped on this 'Obama is a crypto-socialist'
meme is that without an actual American socialist left (destroyed in the 40s-50s by both Stalin and Sen. McCarthy) there is no one around to stand up and say, uh...he's not a socialist like we are.
One comment, "spread the wealth around..." by Barack on the rope with Joe the ditto-head plumber-boss wannabe. Right. McCain later wailing "spreading the wealth around is a tenet of socialism" like he half believes it... American Social-Democracy was lost long ago and while Obama may bring back some nostalgic bits as President (bless him anyway) he will soon have to face the reality of managing the struggling American corporate state/empire. Socialism means nationalizing...everything, not just Amtrack and the Banks. I used to joke that I wanted to have a bumper sticker on my car that read "I'd rather be nationalising private property." While writing this, I've been enjoying Michael Moore (as close as we have to a socialist gadfly on the air these days) talking to Larry King on CNN while the Plumbers for Obama work on a sink in the home of low-income senior citizen. Red.....White'nBlue baby. Forget socialism, the meme should be how we reinvent capitalism in this time of crisis so that it includes some of the better bits of socialism so that together we can create a truly human system that can provide for everyone; underclass, workers, middle-class, and yes, the brilliant entrepreneurs who get rich and then understand the need to share and save the planet.
Have a good weekend and do everything you can to win this election!
Shinpath in Shanghai