Here's a pretty extensive quote from a well-known world leader. It appears to be - by today's standards - an example of someone who clearly harbors what the McCain campaign would call "socialistic tendencies". Here's the quote:
“We will continue to fulfill the obligations that spring from our national conscience. Those who through no fault of their own must depend on the rest of us, the poverty-stricken, the disabled, the elderly, all those with true need, can rest assured that the social safety net of programs they depend on are exempt from any cuts.”
Can you name that socialist?
That socialist is Ronald Reagan, my friends. The man who has been given credit - more than any other man - for winning the Cold War against what Reagan called "The Evil Empire" of the communist Soviet Union. That's the poster boy for capitalism speaking. Specifically that quote is taken from his first State Of The Union address on the 19th of February, 1981.
The republican party sure has changed a lot in the last 28 years. I don't think Reagan - an actor from a very blue state - would have received the republican nomination this year.
Chain of Attribution: The quote in question was brought to my attention this week by Christopher Buckley in his column at The Daily Beast. His column says better and more eloquently what I am trying to say in this blog entry. It took me a little careful googling to place the quote in the 1981 State of the Union.
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"Socialist" programs of note in American government:
• Social Security
• Medicaid
• Medicare
• Interstate highway system
• Public sidewalks
• Public swimming pools
• The Chrysler bailout of the '80s
• The Wall Street bailouts of today
And, by definition, all taxation is "redistribution of wealth" from more affluent to less affluent areas of the nation. It's how we provide things like the above, as well as our military forces, the voting apparatus, etc.
There's a big difference between "socialism" and "social programs." I suspect "socialism" has simply become the new code word for "welfare benefits."
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