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Conservatives ratchet up a time-honored tactic: Name-calling
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There’s a lot of blather about “socialists” these days from Republican politicians and the talk radio crowd. Remember Rep. Spencer Bachus’ list of 17 socialists in Congress (a list that never actually materialized)? Others have called Obama a socialist. And my close personal friend Michele Bachmann wants to have some members of Congress investigated for their un-American (socialist) views.
Lacking ideas that work, the fall-back position for Conservatives is to barrage the opposition with their limited but time-tested repertoire of electroshock buzz words and phrases: Un-American, unpatriotic, communist (back in the day), liberal, appeaser, terrorist sympathizer, blame America first, Tax and spend Democrats, and, God help us all, socialist.
It’s been an effective approach, not because it furthers constructive dialogue on the important topics of the day, but because it distracts people from what really matters. Pickpockets have used this technique for centuries. A thief’s partner creates a commotion drawing the mark’s attention. While preoccupied, the mark’s wallet is easily lifted from his pocket.
Socialism means handing over our souls to an inherently evil government, according to the Limbaugh’s and Bachmann’s of the world. The agonizing irony is that the same people who believe this were all too happy to let George Bush and Dick Cheney chip away at our rights and freedoms as American citizens for eight long years. Afraid of Big Brother? Heck, we elected him twice.
The family unit is a socialist enterprise. Everyone (in an ideal world) works together for the common good when Dad cooks the dinner, daughter clears off the table, son takes out the garbage and Mom has a cocktail (just kidding). But it’s a group effort that only functions well when everyone does their part. Cowboys do not make for family unity.
Let’s look past the hot-button ravings of angry people whose past accomplishments include invading a sovereign nation, crippling the American economy, prying into our private lives, and tarnishing our image around the world. Why should we take any advice from these people seriously? We can do better, and we already are.
