Republicans are Socialists Too

[runstowin]

Hey Tom, dig this!

2009-08-17 13:26:00-04

By Gary DeMar

Lawrence O’Donnell, the stand-in host for loudmouth Ed Schultz of “The Ed Show,” put Rep. John Culberson (R-Tex.) on the spot with a series of questions about Socialism. O’Donnell, sympathetic to Socialism himself, wanted Rep. Culberson to admit that Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare are Socialistic programs, and since they are, why do Republicans object to government-run healthcare; it’s just more of the same. O’Donnell was parroting the claim by Newsweek that “We are all Socialists Now.” The use of “now” is a misnomer. We’ve been Socialists for quite some time as the above wealth distribution programs prove. And you can add public education as well. So these thousands of town hall protestors who denounce government healthcare would burn at the stake any politician who proposed to phase out Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare and make them financially responsible for the education of their children.

When pressed by O’Donnell, Culberson would not admit that the above programs are the definition of Socialism. O’Donnell even got the history of these programs right. Otto von Bismarck proposed them, and Adolf Hitler and Franklin Roosevelt patterned their social programs after his. To be fair, O’Donnell would not give Culberson a chance to explain his position, but the question was simple: Are these present programs Socialism, and if you had been in office when they were up for a vote, would you have voted for them? The questions were simple and direct as the answers should have been: Yes and No.

It’s not hard to trace the history of the rise of social programs in America. There’s no hidden history. What O’Donnell didn’t mention was how Adolf Hitler National Socialism (Nazi) party patterned its social agenda after the Iron Chancellor. William L. Shirer, in The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, writes that a generation before Otto Von Bismarck’s policies gradually made the German people “value security over political freedom and caused them to see in the State, however conservative, a benefactor and a protector.”[1] Between 1883 and 1889 Bismarck put through a program for social security far beyond anything known in other countries at the time. It included compulsory insurance for workers against old age, sickness, accident and incapacity, and though it was organized by the State it was financed by employers and employees. Sound familiar? This is American-style Social Security!

[twyacht]

Considering O'Donnell acted like an a**hole, video gives more credit to this idiot.

http://newsbusters.org/node?page=1

    * Michael M. Bates's blog
    * 18 comments
    * Read more

Congressman Tells O'Donnell 'You're Illustrating Why MSNBC's Viewership Is In the Tank'
By Noel Sheppard | August 14, 2009 - 19:53

MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell for the second time in eight days bullied a guest he was interviewing, but this time the person on the receiving end really let him have it.

As NewsBusters previously reported, O'Donnell last Thursday, while subbing for Ed Schultz on that evening's "The Ed Show," continually talked over his guest Peter Schiff and basically never let him answer any questions.

On Friday, O'Donnell, who was sitting in for Chris Matthews on "Hardball," tried the same tactic with Rep. John Culberson (R-Tex.), but this time his guest struck back and struck back hard (video embedded below the fold with partial transcript, h/t NBer sic721 with a video assist from Jeff Poor):

Republicans didn;t invent Medicare, and I'm not defending any politician, because 99% of them "don't get it"

but the video shows the childish idiot that O'Donnell is.

[fullautovalmet76]

Rant on....
I saw the clips of that exchange. And I must say O'Donnell had him on the run. The sad truth is there are socialists in both political parties. Remember the uproar when W tried to privatize some of Social Security? And how about our senior citizens who will turn out in droves to protest any reduced benefits from either Social Security or Medicare?

I heard the other day protagonists for universal health care talk about how wonderful Medicare is when just a year or two ago they were talking about reforms in Medicare because of its exorbitant cost structure and how it was going to be the financial ruin of the nation!

The American people are very confused and are stupid on economic issues . Hell, they have to be in order for 50+ percent to vote for someone like Obama!

Rant off.......

[tombogan03884]

 Big deal, so some ass hole got a Republican to say that these three programs are socialist.
Whats your point ? They were enacted by Dem Presidents with Dem Congress's , FDR and Johnson.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Medicare_and_Medicaid_Services
More research, less tinfoil.
Of course you would not have these feelings of inadequacy if you did YOUR duty to God, Country, and the efforts of the founders by VOTING.
But you're to special for that.

[runstowin]

The big deal is that Republicans like the Dems support these socialist programs.

This from the Republican platform:

Social Security
We are committed to putting Social Security on a
sound fiscal basis. Our society faces a profound
demographic shift over the next twenty-five years,
from today’s ratio of 3.3 workers for every retiree to
only 2.1 workers by 2034. Under the current system,
younger workers will not be able to depend on Social
Security as part of their retirement plan. We believe
the solution should give workers control over, and a
fair return on, their contributions. No changes in the
system should adversely affect any current or nearretiree.
Comprehensive reform should include the
opportunity to freely choose to create your own personal
investment accounts which are distinct from
and supplemental to the overall Social Security system.
Medicare and Medicaid
As discussed in the health care section of this
document, we commit to revive Medicare by rewarding
quality care, promoting competition, eliminating
waste, fraud, and abuse, and giving patients and
providers control over treatment options. We envision
a new Medicaid partnership with the states,
improving public health through flexibility and innovation.

http://www.gop.com/pdf/PlatformFINAL_WithCover.pdf

[Sponsor]

[Pathfinder]

The reality is that the gummint and private industry have gone to great lengths to destroy private retirement that many people have no other option at this point than to use Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid. bho is working on putting the process in place to destroy private health care. This from the Shirer quote bears repeating:

"in The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, writes that a generation before Otto Von Bismarck’s policies gradually made the German people “value security over political freedom and caused them to see in the State, however conservative, a benefactor and a protector.”[1] Between 1883 and 1889 Bismarck put through a program for social security far beyond anything known in other countries at the time. It included compulsory insurance for workers against old age, sickness, accident and incapacity, and though it was organized by the State it was financed by employers and employees. Sound familiar? This is American-style Social Security!"

When the state is that powerful, that all-encompassing, then individual freedoms and liberties do not matter. And that has been the intent for a long, long time. Ike warned us against it, JFK got whacked over it, bho is expending a huge amount of money and political capital to make it a reality in his term. Dem or pubbie no longer matters, think of this - everything that is not about control and power (and money) is a smokescreen. Period. Swine flu, gay rights, name it, it is a smokescreen intended to keep us occupied and not paying attention to the man behind the curtain.

For those who continue to dabble in labels, wake up and pay attention. Your country is being stolen while you label everything.

[WatchManUSA]

Socialism is defined as a system of social organization in which private property and the distribution of income are subject to social control; also, the political movements aimed at putting that system into practice.

There is no doubt that these programs are socialistic.  O’Donnell must then conclude that we are a socialist country but that is too large of a leap.  Programs like Social Security and Medicare are social programs that are now considered entitlements.  To suggest that Rep. Culberson is a socialist because he has not voted out Social Security and Medicare is ludicrous.

Now Maximum Berry’s ideologically fits the definition of a socialist – one who advocates or practices socialism.

[tt11758]

runstowin:

Please indulge me for just a moment.  I ask the following question not to try and stir anything up, but because there's really something I don't understand about your position, and I'd really like to.


What, exactly, do you hope to accomplish by not taking part in the process (voting)?

[tombogan03884]

To expand on what tt is getting at if you do not ACT by voting, then not only does your opinion mean nothing in the debate, but YOU mean nothing because you are not acting to harm those who think you are a redneck asshole, you are also not HELPING those who might be allies.
How ever I realize I'm casting pearls to swine here.

[twyacht]

There was a bumper sticker around, I wish it was around more...

"Don't Vote?"
"Don't Bitch."

 Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."
Elie Wiesel

"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."
President Thomas Jefferson

Note: Until we get to Def-Con 1, the way you throw off such gov't is by voting.

"Cherish, therefore, the spirit of our people, and keep alive their attention. Do not be too severe upon their errors, but reclaim them by enlightening them. If once they become inattentive to the public affairs, you and I, and Congress, and Assemblies, Judges, and Governors, shall all become wolves."
Thomas Jefferson

"VOTE THE BUMS OUT"