zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz On Aug 9, 12:54 am, cheech <[email protected]> wrote: > "A socialist government takes the side of working people, and stands > with everyone assaulted by racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, > and > bigotry of any kind". > > What a steaming pile. > > On Aug 5, 4:29 pm, "\"Lone Wolf\"" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Why Obama is no socialist > > > by Steven Strauss > > > Obama's no socialist. Socialism is a not-for-profit economic system > > under workers' control, whose purpose is to meet the needs of the > > majority of people. Everyone shares the abundance they produce. > > Decisions are made democratically, through genuine participation from > > the producers. > > > The new U.S. president would be the first to agree this is not what he > > stands for. In this time of economic crisis, Obama's job is to rescue > > the profit system. He calls for "more competitive" U.S. corporations. > > In other words, autoworkers and others should give up even more of > > their pensions, wages, health insurance and retiree benefits, in order > > to be "competitive" with anti-union, low-wage companies at home and > > abroad. > > > Obama's economists find billions of taxpayer's dollars to bail out the > > bankers and brokers, but have no plan to provide universal employment > > and retirement security. His healthcare plan is the same as today's — > > profit-based for the welfare of insurance companies. He is silent on > > the racist U.S. justice system, and on Mumia Abu-Jamal, the radical > > Black journalist framed for murder during the Reagan era. > > > Obama wants to leave 50,000 U.S. troops in oil-rich Iraq and expand > > military operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. > > > What socialism is not. Socialist-haters and skeptics typically > > proclaim that: • Socialism is big government — by definition > > inefficient and invasive. • Socialism's aim is to "redistribute" the > > wealth, by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. • Socialism > > leads to widespread loss of democracy and personal liberty. • > > Socialism is impossible because it's against "me-first" human nature. > > > This is not what socialists stand for. > > > The big government myth. Capitalist politicians, whether Republican or > > Democrat, have no problem with "big government." Their trillion-dollar > > war budgets and bank bailouts are as big as it gets. > > > The real question isn't size. It's whose side is the government on? > > > A socialist government takes the side of working people, and stands > > with everyone assaulted by racism, sexism, xenophobia, homophobia, and > > bigotry of any kind. > > > A socialist government's job is to create full employment by building > > excellent schools and hospitals, safe and efficient public > > transportation, affordable and comfortable housing, and inventive > > cultural and recreational facilities. In a socialist society, there > > would be no corporations destroying the environment for profit. Labor > > saving technology would reduce the workday, not the standard of > > living. > > > A socialist government, because it does not depend on profit to exist, > > would never turn off anybody's gas and electricity, tolerate > > homelessness and hunger, or deny medical care for lack of insurance. > > > This advanced way of life has not yet been realized anywhere > > > Redistribution of wealth. All social wealth is created by working > > people. But capitalists own the giant factories, mines, farms, banks, > > and transportation and communication systems. So after wageworkers > > produce cars, food, buildings, and computers, owners take possession > > of them, sell the products on the market, and pocket the income. > > > The owners and CEOs then pay workers as little as they can get away > > with. What they call their legitimate profit is produced entirely by > > the workers. > > > According to the AFL-CIO, Bank of America's "CEO Kenneth Lewis > > collected nearly $10 million in 2008, more than 400 times the average > > amount a bank teller is paid each year." Socialists call for returning > > this stolen wealth to the producers. > > > Thus, it is the capitalist class that "redistributes" the wealth, away > > from those who produced it, to the parasites who didn't. > > > The question of liberty. Capitalism is built on the denial of liberty > > to the majority of human beings — working people. This begins in the > > workplace itself, where wage earners are told what to do by a > > management they never voted for, and which certainly does not > > represent their interests. > > > This profit-driven economic dictatorship is the reason bosses have > > employed barely-paid six-year-olds to work nearly 20 hours a day. It's > > why we have forced overtime, speedup, and poverty wages for women, > > people of color and immigrants. It's why bosses dump their toxic > > wastes in rivers and lakes, just so many toilet bowls to them. > > > In a socialist economy, the working class will determine, from the > > workplace on up, what needs to be produced and how to fairly > > distribute it. Economic plans will be proposed, debated, carried out, > > critiqued, and improved. > > > This is economic democracy. Had it been in place, the levees in New > > Orleans would have been repaired long before Hurricane Katrina hit! > > > It was in place in the early days of the Russian Revolution, when > > workers' councils (soviets) made decisions about working conditions. > > Cuba has one of the world's most advanced healthcare systems precisely > > because the Cuban majority demand that their medical needs be met, and > > no private healthcare profiteers can stand in the way. > > > Is human nature innately selfish? Capitalist apologists say that > > socialism can't work because it flies in the face of human nature. > > People are inherently greedy, selfish, and downright nasty. > > > To think that human beings are biologically incapable of creating a > > world without wars, poverty, and bigotry must make one wonder where > > such genes came from. Perhaps we are all mutants, since > > anthropologists have long pointed out that the earliest of human > > societies were communal, generally peaceful, and shared all they had. > > > Try asking yourself this question: Am I basically hungry for money, > > self-indulgent, and insensitive to the suffering of others? Or do I > > want friendship, loving relationships, and to contribute to the common > > good? > > > Money lust and egotism appear normal only in the world of big > > business. Outside that, U.S. workers are exceptionally generous, > > giving what little they have to a variety of "good causes." People > > march to raise funds for cancer and AIDS. Neighbors help each other > > through earthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes. > > > This is called solidarity. And that's what is inherent in human > > nature, emerging spontaneously every day, everywhere. Socialism > > thrives on it. As pioneer socialist feminist Clara Fraser said in the > > dedication of her book Revolution She Wrote, "the act of fighting > > injustice is full of hope and joy when it is viewed as a slice of an > > innate historical tradition, an ancient reaching out for universal > > human fulfillment." > > > Americans display solidarity with each stand against U.S. wars. > > Solidarity built the unions, and fueled victories in the civil rights, > > feminist, and gay rights movements. > > > Imagine a world where all children can discover and develop their > > talents, where free and critical thinking is applauded, where all the > > sick receive humane care, where the planet and all its inhabitants are > > not choked, but thrive. > > > That's what socialists stand for. And what we fight for.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. 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