Obama a Socialist?

I made a statement that I believe that Obama is a socialist. That was not meant as an insult to him, nor was I trying to throw verbal firebombs. I am only obectivily classify his belief system.

I will attempt to explain why I say that, but first, let us start with the definition of Socialism. According to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, Socialism is.

1. any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods


2. (a:) a system of society or group living in which there is no private property
   (b:) a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state


3. a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

It is in the manner of definitions 1 and 2b that I refer to President Obama as a socialist.

Since being in office, he's

• taken effective control over many banking companies (Through TARP)
  
• taken control over GM and Chrysler.
• attempting to eliminate surface mining in WV by having the EPA endlessly review mining permits that have already been approved.

These three steps shows governmental control and ownership over the production and distribution of goods.

If the Health Care legislation goes through, nearly 1/6th of the economy will be under either direct or indirect control of the government.



Birds of a Feather
Obama's goal is to make the U.S. like European powers, which are uniformly socialist. The Euro-style socialism is less insane than the Easter European model (U.S.S.R style), and less totalitarian and brutal than the Nazi National Socialists.

This is a telling quote from a communist group

"This group is for self-proclaimed Marxists/Communists/Socialists for the election of Barack Obama to the Presidency. By no means is he a true Marxist, but under Karl Marx's writings we are to support the party with the best interests of the mobilization of the proletariat." from http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/group/MarxistsSocialistsCommunistsforObama

Or another socialist group seeing Obama as a candidate who can move the nation towards their goals.

DSA believes that the possible election of Senator Obama to the presidency... represents a potential opening for social and labor movements to generate the critical political momentum necessary to implement a progressive political agenda. We know that a proactive and progressive government can come only on the heels of a broad coalition for social justice united against a reactionary Republicanism as well as a Democratic neoliberalism. Democratic Socialists of America Statement on the 2008 Election

The ten points of the Communist manifesto sound a lot like the DNC national platform. Here are seven of them. Remember that Communism IS socialism but taken to its logical extreme. USSR stood for United Soviet Socialist Republics

1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes. (EPA routinely goes after private land for 'environmental' purposes)
2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax.
3. Abolition of all right of inheritance.
5. Centralisation of credit in the hands of the State, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly.
6. Centralisation of the means of communication and transport in the hands of the State.
7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State; the bringing into cultivation of waste-lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan. (Read GM)
10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labour in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production.[8]

I believe that Obama has good intentions, but what was the statement about the pavement on the road to hell?

Some other good links
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/10/why_obamas_socialism_matters_1.html
http://www.fff.org/blog/jghblog2008-06-12.asp