Stupid Right Wing Nut!

We reached self-actualization as we read these two recent articles.

April 22, James Taranto, WSJ Best of the Web, commenting on AP's favorable comparison between Obama and Gorbachev. His analysis concludes:

Gorbachev was a communist who presided over the disintegration of the country he had been chosen to lead. There are those who say the same thing about Obama, but most of them are right-wing nuts.

April 23, Allahpundit, HotAir, RNC Members to Steele: When are you going to call Obama a socialist? His professional opinion:

Stupid.
...
If you’re going to drop the S-bomb, I think, you should be very, very sure that that’s the way we’re headed. How lucky (or unlucky) do you feel?

So two leading conservative (?) commentators use labels to convey the inappropriate nature of... using labels.

We offered our brilliant retort to the "Obama is not a Socialist" defense last month - here. And despite our request for clarification from the Princeton economics professor, Alan S. Binder, we have not heard back.

The difference between the lefty professor and the Taranto/Allahpundit pair is that the professor offered a definition of socialism, albeit a weak one. The two righties, who obviously don't want to be seen as righties, offered no definition. So we do not know how they came to their decision not only to not categorize Obama's policies as socialist, but to go the step further and attempt to intimidate anyone who does connect those dots.

Taranto has good analysis of the silliness of the Obama-Gorbachev comparison. It doesn't fit, and if AP had anything to be proud about, they'd be embarrassed. One future comparison Taranto didn't mention: Gorbachev's popularity at the end of his term was at 5%...

Nor did Taranto clarify the "presided over the disintegration of the country he had been chosen to lead" comment. The Soviet Union disintegrated from the bottom-up. If unchecked, this right wing nut foresees an Obama that will do as much top-down damage as his envy and communist-inspirations will allow.

Allahpundit's warning that the "stupid" ones within our ranks will be embarrassed if our "alarmism ... doesn't pan out" if the government intervention in the banks becomes temporary as Obama promises. This is intellectually lazy, as nearly every decision in Obama's first 100 days is the same decision Karl Marx would make under the same conditions. Obama agonizes, thinks deeply, and weighs all the options - then decides the most socialist option he can get away with.

The problem with calling Obama a Socialist or even Communist is that it does shut down discussion. It is the ultimate in name calling and should be reserved for cool places like Ushanka.us.

However, it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to educate those around us to what socialism is and how it will impact our lives. Then let others draw the connection between socialism and firing a CEO, taking ownership in a public company's stock, giving money to banks that don't want it then dictating salary caps, taxing bonuses at 90%, refusing the payback of money from banks, identifying political opponents as terrorist threats, and offering government health care. To name a few.

Just because they are liberals doesn't mean they are not smart. If you wanted to convert the US into a socialist country, you wouldn't - you couldn't - require government healthcare, take full ownership of banks or auto companies. But, you could create an environment where private health care would collapse if faced with an artificially-supported government option. (See WSJ Editorial) Or you could keep banks in a near-death state if you tell them they cannot pay back their TARP money until they pass a stress test of your choosing. Or you could take over an auto company if you choose to decline their restructuring plan and instead suggest converting the bailout funds to common stock. See the trend?

The awareness of Obama = Socialist is gradual. Some of us see it now. Some will figure it out soon. Others won't believe it until they are declined an MRI, a hip replacement, a life-saving treatment, or a tire rotation on their GM vehicle.

To see some people that get it now, watch our March 15 Cincinnati Tea Party video.