I see the term Socialism tossed around a lot on gun forums, usually as part of an anti-Obama posting or thread.
So let's look at the term socialism. According to Wikipedia, "Socialism refers to a broad set of economic theories of social organization advocating public or state ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods, and a society characterized by equality for all individuals, with a fair or egalitarian method of compensation. Modern socialism originated in the late 19th-century intellectual and working class political movement that criticized the effects of industrialization and private ownership on society. Karl Marx posited that socialism would be achieved via class struggle and a proletarian revolution, and would represent a transitional stage between the capitalist and communist modes of production."
With that said, socialism that we have seen during the 20th century was not socialism at all but authoritarianism or at worst totalitarianism. Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, Castro, Kim Jong-il, Kim Il-sung, Mao, Pol Pot, Ho Chi Minh, to name a few, all claimed to be socialists. They were not. They were all despots, dictators, who at least suppressed those they ruled and at worst denied many of them, who exhibited free thought or other crimes against the regime, the basic right of life. These terribly evil men were not socialists. They were power hungry dictators. They used any means to gain power and stay in power. At first, they gained support by giving people the hope of equality and fair compensation. Once in power, they installed themselves as supreme rulers above those that supported them. So much for equality. None of these regimes were ruled by law. They were all ruled by men, usually a single man. So don't toss the term socialism as though humanity has experienced it before. Because it has not.
All those regimes, except the Third Reich, mentioned above had another thing in common, they did not lift up the masses to be equal. They tore down the rich and made everyone poor. Hitler did not last long enough for the world to see how his economic plan would work. The problem with extreme forms of socialism and communism is that it does not acknowledge the human spirit, the yearning for more, the wanting to be better, economic competition where the best rises above the ordinary.
The United States is ruled by laws and the supreme law of the US is the Constitution of the United States. All our laws are judged by it. Anything not judged to be in compliance with the Constitution is no at enforceable law. We have all the different strata of social classes in the US, And we are a nation that rewards a person for his efforts. That is how Dale Carnegie, Bill Gates, Henry Ford, to name a few, became successful and wealthy. And we still stand by that way of doing things. Nothing has changed with the election of Obama.
Obama is no socialist. If he were he would sound like Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. He would have our Constitution amended beyond recognition. Declare himself President for Life and we all now how that would go over with the masses. Why? Because we had the experience of being lorded over by a despot, George III, before 1776. We never forgot that lesson and our Constitution is a document based upon lessons learned. An example is the Bill of Rights. Many of our rights are protected by the Bill of Rights because they were violated by our British masters. Look at the 3rd Amendment. Another example is the separation of powers between the Executive Branch, Legislative Branch, and Judicial Branch. The idea was to prevent a single branch or worse a single man from grabbing power over the others.
This post has become long enough. I'll just say that Obama is not a socialist or a Marxist, or a communist. He may have ideas that some people do not agree with or even dislike. That only makes him human. One thing humanity has taught me, we all cannot and will not ever agree about everything. And I thank God for that.
So, if you don't like Obama, if your choice for President failed to get elected, then have the intestinal fortitude to say so. The only thing name calling does is reflect poorly only the person calling names. It does not impress anyone.
And if you are wondering, yes I voted for Obama. Do I agree with everything he says and does? NO. Will I get mad when I think he or the Congress does something I dislike greatly? YES, I already did and voiced my opinion to them. But, I do believe in the Constitution, all of it, not just the 2nd Amendment. We, all of us must defend and protect it. As Theodore Roosevelt said, "No man is above the law and no man is below it, and we do not need any man's permission to enforce it," including the President, whoever that may be.
