Socialism? It's Everywhere!

Right here in the good ol' USA.

Two recent columns in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review discuss the creeping socialism engulfing our country.

First, from Colin McNickle, two weeks ago:

Some of my staunchest critics say I bandy about the term "socialism" and shout warnings of its manifest dangers -- that, to them, aren't so evident -- far too indiscriminately.

A frequent and bombastic criticaster (look it up -- and, yes, it's derogatory) likes to cry that what I say is "socialism" actually is "the American way." Thus, he says, my criticism of this government subsidy and that is "un-American." Oh, how utterly twisted.

Even one of the cognoscenti (look it up -- and, yes, it's complimentary) has asked more than once, "Do you really think socialism is the threat you say it is? Certainly, you are employing just a smidgeon of hyperbole to better make your point," he observed. I might add he kept the inflection at sentence end a bit ambiguous -- not quite a question, not quite a statement. For even he wasn't quite sure of his grounding on the subject.

Well, I do think socialism is a dire threat to this nation. It's a creeping crud. And it's all around us; it permeates the very fabric of society....

Second, from Sean Eckenrod today:

Recently, a matrix of ideas came together which gave me pause and a nervous laugh. You see, the two items which occurred were reading Colin McNickle's June 1 column on socialism (creeping or sprinting), and reading the book "Catch-22" while on vacation.

McNickle's column offers that people question his use of the word socialism, implying that he is just being flamboyant, reactionary, or employing a heavy use of rhetoric. In order to address this claim, one should simply look up socialism in the dictionary:

"Socialism: Any of various theories or systems of social organization in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralized government that often plans and controls the economy."

That said, McNickle is absolutely right that there is socialism everywhere, and yes, it is rather frightening since that goes against every fiber of an individualist's being. But, how does this relate to the book "Catch-22"?

For the uninitiated, "Catch-22" is written in an amusing style where people are described in contradictions. What led me to put McNickle's piece with this book was the following description of a character: "He was a long-limbed farmer, a God-fearing, freedom-loving, law-abiding rugged individualist who held that federal aid to anyone but farmers was creeping socialism."

I hope you can understand my chuckle. In other words, this guy loves socialism when he is the one receiving the plunder of others, but hates it otherwise. This could be applied to people across nearly all demographics and political issues....

Lane Core Jr. CIW P — Sun. 06/15/03 06:06:58 PM
Categorized as Social/Cultural.