Posted on 02/22/2010 12:53:33 PM PST by Kaslin
Recently, President Barack Obama addressed a gathering of House Republicans at their annual retreat in Baltimore. This effort at cross-party outreach was somewhat marred when Obama accused the gathered Republicans of maliciously poisoning the public against his health care plan, complaining that they had portrayed it as a "Bolshevik plot."
Obama's address to the GOP retreat was a philippic, an accusatory and condemnatory speech. Obama said in essence to his political adversaries:
"The public would like my plan and it would succeed - if only you would stop lying about it." One common feature of these kinds of addresses is hyperbolism, the deliberate exaggeration of your opponent's point of view so as to paint it with ridicule.
"Bolshevism" is an antiquated term almost exclusively associated with the events and persons surrounding the 1917 October Revolution in Russia.
However, the political and philosophical fellow travelers of Bolshevism, socialism and Communism, are still very much with us: the United States even has a self-described 'socialist' serving in the Senate (Bernie Sanders of Vermont). And certainly, the President's health care plan has come under criticism for being socialist in intent and scope.
And not for nothing, one might add. In 2003, then state senator Obama was videotaped telling an audience "I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care program...A single-payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. That's what I'd like to see." Of course, now that he is president of a country half the population of which are virulently opposed to any such thing, Obama has wisely refrained from repeating such extreme sentiments.
"Single-payer" of course means "government payer." Universal health care by definition can only be imposed by government fiat; in a free market, there will always be some segment of the population who are unable to afford or unwilling to purchase private health insurance. Only government can afford to be a 'single payer' ¬ with public monies, of course. And it must be noted that the health system instituted by the Bolsheviks under the Soviet Union was a 'single payer,' and like most such systems was a bureaucratic nightmare characterized by shortages, rationing, and substandard care.
So how do you get to a single-payer system in America? Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) was singularly honest when he confessed, "I think that if we get a good public option it could lead to single payer and that is the best way to reach single payer." Both the House and Senate versions of ObamaCare contained a public option (though this was stripped from the Senate version at the insistence of moderates). Barney Frank knows, as the President surely must, that a public option would squeeze private insurance out of existence until government is the only game in town. ¬ Voila single-payer!
When discussing Obama's health care plan, it is wise to recall the President's economic philosophy as explained to Joe Wurzelbacher on the campaign trail in 2008: "When you spread the wealth around, it's good for everybody." Obama here clearly revealed his belief that "wealth" is not private property earned and owned by individuals, but the government's ¬ the collective's ¬ to distribute as they deem fit and fair.
If this is not socialism, then what is?
A Bolshevik is an early 20th century Russian revolutionary; a plot is a plan hatched in secret. Obama is not the former and has not engaged in the latter. However, the President and his allies have openly strived to socialize significant aspects of American society through health care reform. By fabricating a bogus "Bolshevik" charge, Obama cleverly avoided addressing the actual - and legitimate - charge of socialism.
Amen to that! Obama has done two things well: Awakened the sleeping Conservative Giant that is Patriotic America and tremendously helped Guns n' Ammo sales across our great Republic! Hey Chuckie, what do you think of that?
I tried calling today and only got a message recorder. I am going to call again tomorrow and I will give the poor intern on the other a rant to give back to Scott Brown....basically that he owes his election & campaign funding to Tea Party members, conservatives & FReepers. Most of his funding came from outside MA from these concerned citizens (myself included) who were all very much anxious to put a halt to the 0bozo healthcare debacle & rampant, uncontrolled Federal gubmint spending by Obozo & the socialist demoRATs. Brown does NOT owe his election to moderates. So I hope & pray that Scott Brown will wake up and not squander the incredible reservoir of conservative goodwill that is in his favor, the way the dumbo GW Bush squandered his conservative base. Brown can become a great Senator if he pulls his head out of his ass and just for once, it would be great to see a moderate break to the Right, not to the socialist-commie pig left.
Way to go Steve King. And now there needs to be rising groundswell & chorus of Repubs who are all saying the same thing over & over again. It is time to carry the battle to the enemy 0bozo the commie pig and the socialist demoRATs.
They limit the calls they can take in DC....call local offices when ever possible for your state. Brown doesn’t have a web site up yet.
While I share your anger, we must fight smarter not harder.
The first step of resistants will be active and determined nullification.
Just curious...did James Madison write the Federalist Papers?
Thanks much! This is an excellent source of historical data, key documents & information. I will bookmark this as a favorite document.
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