But Obama Is a Socialist

by Jacob G. Hornberger
Sep. 24, 2010

Liberals supporters of Barack Obama become really upset when people call him a socialist. They say that such an accusation is so outrageous that it falls within the category of “extreme” or “fringe.”

Let’s see.

Consider the following four countries: Cuba, China, North Korea, and Vietnam.

Wouldn’t everyone concede that all four of those countries have socialist systems?

Let’s list some of the key programs and policies that are common to all four of those socialist countries:

1. Government provided retirement pay to senior citizens (i.e., Social Security).

2. Government provided health care (i.e., Medicare and Medicaid).

3. Government-provided, mandatory education to people’s children (i.e., public schooling).

4. Government-provided unemployment compensation.

5. Government-provided welfare payments.

6. Government central planning of monetary affairs (i.e., a Federal Reserve).

7. Government management of the economy.

8. Government-issued licenses for occupations and professions.

9. Government central planning over immigration affairs.

10. Government control over trade.

11. Government equalization of wealth among the citizenry.

12. Government-mandated wage rates.

13. Government control over prices.

14. Government-provided subsidies.

Now, which of those key programs and policies in those four socialist countries does Barack Obama disagree with?

Answer: None. He supports them all.

If a person embraces the key programs and policies of socialist countries, why doesn’t that make him a socialist?

A question naturally arises: If liberal Barack Obama is a socialist, what does that make conservative George W. Bush?

Isn’t the answer obvious?
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Jacob Hornberger is founder and president of The Future of Freedom Foundation. Send him email.