Why do people keep saying that Obama is a "socialist" when his economic plan embraces the free market?

Question

His economic plan embraces the free market moreso than any democrat before him. And why do people think certain regulations that improve quality of life (in the case of health insurance) are bad? His economic plan also involves big tax cuts for almost everyone, with a roll back of Bush tax cuts for the ultra-rich. so why do you people keep saying that you won't vote for him because he'll increase your taxes?

Answer 1

Because it doesn't.  Do you think that a small business making over 250K a year that employs people can survive with even higher taxes?  Think again!  

He's an economic disaster in the making!

Answer 2

Because they are drones, and that is what they have been told to believe.

Answer 3

1) because he is.

2) no, it doesn't

Answer 4

Because it is a scare tactic. The government has grown by 2 million employees over the last 8 years. Who do you think is paying for that? We have had CORPORATE SOCIALISM in this country for years and they don't want that to end.

The relentless expansion of corporate control over our political economy has proven nearly immune to daily reporting by the mainstream media. Corporate crime, fraud and abuse have become like the weather; everyone is talking about the storm but no one seems able to do anything about it. This is largely because expected accountability mechanisms -- including boards of directors, outside accounting and law firms, bankers and brokers, state and federal regulatory agencies and legislatures -- are inert or complicit.

When, year after year, the established corporate watchdogs receive their profits or compensation directly or indirectly from the companies they are supposed to be watching, independent judgment fails, corruption increases and conflicts of interest grow among major CEOs and their cliques. Over time, these institutions, unwilling to reform themselves, strive to transfer the costs of their misdeeds and recklessness onto the larger citizenry. In so doing, big business is in the process of destroying the very capitalism that has provided it with a formidable ideological cover.

"Corporate socialism" -- the privatization of profit and the socialization of risks and misconduct -- is displacing capitalist canons. This condition prevents an adaptable capitalism, served by equal justice under law, from delivering higher standards of living and enlarging its absorptive capacity for broader community and environmental values. Civic and political movements must call for a decent separation of corporation and state.

In 1938, in the midst of the Great Depression, Congress created the Temporary National Economic Committee to hold hearings around the country, recommend ways to deal with the concentration of economic power and promote a more just economy. World War II stopped this corporate reform momentum. We should not have to wait for a further deterioration from today's gross inequalities of wealth and income to launch a similar commission on the rampant corporatization of our country. At stake is whether civic values of our democratic society will prevail over invasive commercial values.

Read the whole article:

http://www.essential.org/features/corpor...

Answer 5

My husband was switching the TV channels once & had to grab the phone while Fox was on & I noticed the using that word & I thought "uh huh, they don't even know what it means".

Answer 6

scare tactics...

sadly they work pretty well according to history...

if you spread enough lies/disinformation....and you repeat it often enough... people start to believe it.  The more lies you tell, the harder it is to spread the truth to confront those lies.

Rove playbook....

Answer 7

A couple reasons. He supports MORE taxes for the wealthy. They are doing more than their fare share. Under Bush, the top 1% paid 40% of taxes, yet only made 20% of the total American income. So further taxing them is definitly leaning toward socialism.

You cant have health care without raises taxes substantially. How do you think he will pull that off? More unfair taxes to the wealthy?

Clinton promised not to raise taxes on the middle class too. How did that work out?

Answer 8

They're afraid of a Nationalized Health-Care System.

Answer 9

Cause marketing needs "One word impact" for propaganda

Answer 10

Because Rush and Hannity have brainwashed and programmed them to say it!

Answer 11

The people that say that are always dumb as rocks. They have no idea what socialism means. These are dumb mouth breathing red necks who hated by the rest of the country.  

Answer 12

Some believe that redistributive plans - i.e. those that take income from some and give it to others - are a form of socialism. Others object less to this on principle, and more to the fact that the redistribution system tends to penalize each marginal dollar earned more than the last - i.e. the more you earn, the less you keep as a percentage of what you earn. One final note would be that money not taxes is used - either invested or spent, and thus circulated, and in times when credit is short, extra money injected into the economy broadly (vs. the more limited spending of government via social programs, etc.) might not be a bad thing.

Ultimately, it depends on what socialism means to you. A firm definition of a centrally planned economy he probably doesn't support; but he appears to be more open to extensive government involvement in the economy than the alternatives (e.g. the FAA air traffic controller contract dispute; the bailout of Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac; the bailout of people experiencing foreclosure on their houses; etc.).

In short, whether or not he's a socialist is moot; but he certainly appears to be MORE socialist than anyone else I've heard about running for president here.

And as good and beneficial as any of these plans may be, there is a case to be made that they generate unforseen consequences and negatives that may outweigh the good that they intend to and actually do accomplish.

If the issue was merely about taxation, Obama wouldn't get my vote, not only because i think he'd end up taking more of my money. Ultimately, I think tax policies like tarrifs and others mentioned above will reduce the ability of the economy to shed the malinvestments accumulated and tolerated in boomtimes. In other words, I think he'll slow down real economic growth while encouraging people and businesses to make riskier decisions than they otherwise would.

And in general, I would correlate higher rates of economic growth and development with standards of living.

If you're a single-issue voter, Obama's policies aren't beyond question or reproach. But who says that's the only thing to consider?

Answer 13

Jimmy Carter tried the same BS and almost buried this country,And everyones taxes will be raised, Wake up

Answer 14

People don't.  It's the unevolved that have no F'ing idea WTF socialism even is, other than that it's something their handlers tell them to be afraid of.

Answer 15

Obama's stated purpose is to increase government control, taxes, and spending.

He favors the elimination of our national borders.

His adulation of Che Guevara is made apparent by the Guevara poster and Cuban flag in is Houston office.

We do NOT need to be the United States Socialist Republic.

The _last_ U.S.S.R. failed miserably due to the inherent flaws in socialism and all other attempts to implement this incorrect economic system onto groups of more than one individual(s) will fail.

EDIT:

Someone said that few people know just _what_ socialism is.

From the dictionary:

Socialism

An "economic, social and political doctrine which expresses the struggle for the equal distribution of wealth by eliminating private property and the exploitative ruling class. In practice, such a distribution of wealth is achieved by social ownership of the means of production, exchange and diffusion."

Unfortunately, while it looks good _on paper_, the "equal distribution of wealth" ALWAYS ends with those who 'redistribute' being the exploitative ruling class.

See the history of U.S.S.R., ChiCom, etc.

Answer 16

it is not a good idea to smoke crack just before posting a rant. Obama is a socialist, as is every democrat.

Answer 17

Well, it embraces some free market principles, However, government regulations only work to stifle and slow down the free market. A free market that is controlled, is not a free market. Obama is basically saying, "I wont raise your taxes", what we really need is a massive deduction in all taxes, across the board, however Obama has no interest in that.  

Answer 18

Most people don't have any idea what "socialism" is.  Socialism is government control of industries.

Nothing Obama is suggesting is Socialist.  The word however, has been deemed something bad, so even though people don't know what it is, they know they're supposed to be against it.

As far as the comment about raising taxes on a business making 250K... the taxes being raised of personal taxes, not business taxes.  This is another example of the level of information that people bring to these discussions.

Answer 19

i don't know but i just think some people are incapable of thinking for themselves and vote republicans in because they would rather be popular than be smart.

Answer 20

First, why should the "ultra rich" have tax cut rollbacks? Furthermore, everyone will suffer financially beacause in order to fund his health "care" plan, he will have to raise everybody's taxes, and subsequently, nobody will be able to afford their own health coverage... Furthermore, regulations and government funded health coverage is NOT THE GOVERNMENT'S JOB... They can't run ONE hospital-Walter Reid, but magically will be able to provide excellent coverage to MILLIONS of citizens? I'll believe that when I see it (and I pray I never will have to see it).

And he WILL have to raise everyone's taxes because otherwise big brother won't be able to pay for health coverage for everyone...

The government providing health care is not the answer. One of the biggest problems that faces our health care system is trial lawyers/frivilous lawsuits which force insurance rates to go up. Furthermore, by private hospitals being REQUIRED by law to not turn anyone away, that also drives our costs through the roof. By fixing those two elements and keeping the government OUT of the health care industry, we will resolve MUCH of the problem. I can't understand why that is such a complex issue when it is SO SIMPLE!

And redistribution of wealth and driving taxes throught the roof (which IS a huge part of his plan) is ANYTHING but capitalistic and does NOT encourage the free market. It will drive shareholders to sell, it will force people to stop spending money in the marketplace, and will only hurt, not help our economy.

Answer 21

Because they do not think for themselves but listen to Fox propaganda;-p

Answer 22

A free market cannot exist if you are going to tax to death the investors and the rich. Money for research and development comes from investors, not from Uncle Sam. And if you know before hand that you are going to be taxed into poverty, the thing to do is sell out and move your wealth overseas until such time that the government softens their stance. That process cause massive unemployment, lost tax revenue and a certain death to a second term in office. Ask Jimmy Cater how it felt. He caused 17% inflation and double digit unemployment. I know, I was there.

Answer 23

A great Y!A response I got to a question once was, "Facts did not inform their decision, nor will facts dissuade them." It's a frustratingly bitter pill to swallow, but it answers a lot of questions, this one included.

Answer 24

Any more "embraces" like Obama is proposing and I'll look in to setting up shop in Guatemala.