Godwin's Law, Revisited.

     The latest McCain campaign argument/rebuttal/smear tactic is the pronouncement that Obama is a socialist. At the risk of sounding naive or idealistic, my response on hearing this for the first time was “So what?”

     OK, back up. That’s a bad place to start. Before plunging headlong into centuries of socio-political debate over the virtues and pitfalls of socialism, a better beginning would be to investigate the evidence and logic behind Joe the Plumber’s statement--and the McCain campaign rallying point--that Obama’s tax plan “sounds more like socialism.”

     Firstly, so few of us have a solid understanding of socialism to begin with, that to incite this claim is to call on Cold War fears, still lingering in the American imagination, or perhaps to conjure images of "terrifying" South American leaders who flex their dictatorial muscles by trying to use their countries' natural resources for the benefit of their own people. Whichever of the many definitions of socialism floats your boat, Obama is not really a socialist. Yeah, he’s more liberal than some, which means he will raise taxes, and he used the phrase “spread the wealth,” which, lest we forget, is a basic principle of a progressive tax system such as the one we currently enjoy. Perhaps some of Obama’s policies like tax and health care are in danger of appearing *gasp* European, but would the likes of Warren Buffet really be advising and associating with Obama if he was likely a socialist?

     The fact is that, regardless of the label put to Obama’s tax plans, McCain’s are hardly different in the effect that they will have on the country. The Tax Policy Center’s analysis of both candidate’s tax and health care plans show that “without substantial cuts in government spending, both plans would sharply increase the national debt” (emphasis added).

     But all of these are practical considerations; let's really focus on the theoretical. If Obama did indeed harbor some socialist tendencies, I refer to my opening statement: “So what?” Ignoring for the time being the nuts and bolts daily operation of socialism, we can all agree that some of its aspects “look good on paper:” namely, the programs enacted in order to level the playing field to try and give the underprivileged a fighting chance and to close the ever-widening gap between the haves and the have-nots. Surely we can agree that if Obama brought a socialist perspective to the U.S. government, some of the resulting programs would be worthwhile if added to our current social structure. Where taxation is concerned, it seems ludicrous for individuals to complain about being taxed for earning over $250,000 a year when some can't afford health care for themselves or their families. We've seen the effects (or rather we haven't) of trickle-down economics, and the current economy cries for something different: now, in this time of recession, the hardest hit will be those who are already struggling for subsistence.

     Conservatives will always argue that liberals will have too big a hand in government. But with this most recent claim, they should really stop to turn the microscope on their own ranks. For all their bluster over the nationalization of our banks undertaken with the recent bailout, and the big show they put on over rejecting the plan, they let the (fascist) Patriot Act slip through Congress with barely a peep—in some cases even with great applause. I’m not sure I’m comfortable in a society where citizens are more protective of their economic interests than of their lives and basic human freedoms. And Obama is just one man. Even if he were the most radical of Marxists, he himself would not be able to fly in the face of the prevailing economic trends and overhaul our fundamental socio-economic structure. That is the beauty of the American democratic republic—checks and balances. At the most, Obama might be able to turn a few of his more strongly held ideals into law, such as universal health care. Please stop me if I'm starting to scare you...

Maybe a pinch of socialism in this melting pot will improve the flavor.