Is being called a socialist an insult?
Monday, April 18, 2011 at 8:10 am
- 11 Comments
Democratic members of Congress balked at being called socialists during a debate on Friday over the Republicans’ proposed budget and the Progressive Caucus’ proposed budget. Republican Rep. Mo Brooks of Alabama accused the progressives in Congress of being socialists who are putting America “at risk.” Rep. Keith Ellison asked that Brooks retract the word “socialist” from his remarks.
“Folks we are here today forcing this issue because America is at risk,” said Brooks. “We are at risk of insolvency and bankruptcy because the socialist members of this body choose to spend money that we do not have. They believe in wealth transfer programs.”
Rep. Ellison interrupted. “Point of order. My point of order is I would like the gentleman’s words taken down referencing members of this body as socialists.”
After some discussion, Ellison asked, “Does the gentleman withdraw his word or not?”
Brooks did, but he didn’t do so without some complaint.
“Ladies and gentlemen of America, we all know what we are talking about here and we all know the what the definitional terms are, and I’m more than happy to resume this discussion off the House floor, but for whatever reason I’m not permitted to use one word,” he said.
Friday was a day of budget battles on Capitol Hill. The Republicans put forward their budget, authored by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, with massive changes to Medicare, deep cuts to social safety net programs such as Medicaid and food stamps, and lower taxes on the wealthy and corporations through reforms the tax code.
Progressive Democrats put forward the People’s Budget which would raise taxes on the wealthy and propose deep cuts to defense and military spending mainly be ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
After backing off his socialist claim, Brooks slammed the progressive budget proposal. “To the United States of America now, this progressive People’s Budget I submit to you is nothing more than a Trojan horse. Why should anyone believe that the folks who have wracked up these massive deficit that is put America at risk are now going to change their stripes?”
California Rep. Maxine Waters of California had a different view of history.
“The gentleman from Alabama evidently has amnesia,” he said. “The Clinton administration eliminated the deficit and left a balanced budget; it was the Bush administration that created the deficit. I rise in strong support for this the Progressive Caucus’ alternative balanced People’s Budget.
She continued, “During the last administration, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle maxed out our nation’s credit card for wars and tax cuts for the rich all while saying that deficits don’t matter. Now they are in an identity crisis as a rationale to undermine programs they have never supported and push a divisive social agenda that’s a sideshow to our budget debate.”
Ellison and McCollum were the only two member of the Minnesota delegation to vote in favor of the People’s Budget, which failed with only 77 votes.
Rep. Paul Ryan’s budget passed the House 235-193 with no Democrats voted for it. The Minnesota delegation was split between the state’s four Democrats and four Republicans.
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Comment posted April 18, 2011 @ 8:18 am
Socialism—A political and economic theory of that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.
No one is suggesting the takeover of production.
-fas·cism
1. An authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.
2. (in general use) Extreme right-wing, authoritarian, or intolerant views or practice.
sound familiar?
Comment posted April 18, 2011 @ 10:03 am
Using the word “socialist” as an epithet is an insult to those of us who really are Socialists–especially when used by the anti-democracy fringe in a rhetorical attempt to mis-label liberal Democrats.
Comment posted April 18, 2011 @ 4:12 pm
production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole…..
Oh no, not working together as a whole for the better good for everyone! what a terrible liberal idea it is to gather food and feed the masses, to think of the hungry, poor, young and old as you are thinking of yourself.
What a liberal idea it is to gather a few loves of bread and fishes and figure out how to feed all.
What a terrible idea it would be to build, farm, and medically take care of everyone equally.
What a liberal idea it is to insist that everyone contributes to life,a and to be responsible for community. Shame on the liberals for being so conservative that way.
Comment posted April 18, 2011 @ 4:35 pm
Thank you for reporting this story objectively and factually. Cong. Mo Brooks (R-AL) is correct about “Socialists” and Rep. Ellison (D-MN) (Muslim) was wrong to have had that word stricken from the USA House Record. Ellison’s and Obama’s agenda includes destruction of America to usher in our enemies. It is closer than most people know or want to believe.Ellison must be defeated at the polls and held accountable, as well as Obama, for committing “high crimes and other misdemeanors.”
My current article is online (also published via Canada Free Press and African Press International). It discloses how dangerously close this nation is to destruction at the hands of Obama and how and why. Links are included which document the veracity of the report. America has its new “Watergate” right now, as Obama pushes to benefit himself & Muslim pals.
It is all about how “Obama Advocates For the The United States of Africa and For The Total Destruction of The United States of America” (c) 2011 by Rev. Lainie Dowell.
Website url: http://www.voiceink.blogspot.com
Please look into it. Contact me. Thank you.
/s/
Columbia, MD
Comment posted April 19, 2011 @ 8:35 am
I think “concerned” has it wrong re “right wing” there can be fascism from the left… according to Merriam-Webster…
Socialism… 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.
Can you recognize opressive taxation and property confiscationby governmental entities????
Fascism… a political ohilosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible supression of opposition.
Can you recognize”Autocratic” dozens of “czars” who take over large protions of economic control WITHOUT being approved by Congress… or… a president who chooses to ignore court rulings on the constitutionality of Judicial Rulings regarding laws on the books?
Comment posted April 19, 2011 @ 9:59 am
@Rev- I think your Jesus goggles are little too tight.
Praise Jebus, God hates whatever you don’t understand, Amen.
Comment posted April 19, 2011 @ 11:56 am
@Led
So calling people names in congress is OK.
Utilities have been controlled by government for decades. Universities as well right alongside colleges that are not and they all seem to be doing well.
Every single industrialized country in the world is a hybrid of capitalism and government controlled institutions including this one.
Not very christian of you to advocate name calling in your neighborhood or your government.
Comment posted April 20, 2011 @ 2:31 pm
@Rev LED; Credentials please! You cannot be a graduate of an accredited seminary – they usually teach you to be a reasoned thinker, and, most of the time, you learn about Jesus and God’s message of love for all. Maybe you missed those classes.
Comment posted April 20, 2011 @ 4:38 pm
Who says anything “socialist” would be destructive of anything “American”? Socialism is as “American” as apple pie! You only think calling someone an “apple pie” is an insult if you don’t like “apple pie.”
Comment posted April 22, 2011 @ 11:24 am
@RevLED Facts, please, not paranoid-schizophrenic fantasies that your right-wing buddies have been pimping since before our first black president was elected.
Comment posted May 25, 2011 @ 6:39 pm
Well I guess I’d rather be called a socialist and people are able to take care of themselves and their families then to see our beautiful country slowling turn into a nightmare … where people starve and die in the streets from lack of healthcare all for the sake of “party” and “politics” Shame on all of you worrying about if your “party” is being heard when in the end its the people that need to be heard. All people, of all colors, origin, economics .. ALL PEOPLE! Hey here is a thought for once can we focus on what is right and good rather than if “we win” because brothers and sisters I see us all losing with all this petty arguing over big issues.
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