Barack Obama has been called many things. Among them are Muslim and terrorist. Many of them were used to shy people away from supporting him. However, even now that he has been elected (sort of), people are still calling him names. Now, people are akin to calling him a socialist.
Barack Obama is not a socialist, and I have four different points to prove so. First, a progressive tax (a higher tax on the higher-paid) was supported by Adam Smith, one of the founders of modern Capitalism.* It is by no means an exclusively socialist idea.
To those of you who say, "Well, he supports redistributing wealth," that is his goal. He is aiming to give to the poor something off of which to live through this progressive tax. He isn't going to simply steal hard-earned money from the well-off and give it to the unemployed and underpaid.
My third point is that 52% of high income voters (>$100,000 a year) voted for Barack Obama.^ Many of these people, no doubt, will not receive a tax cut under Obama's plan, but they most likely realize that their sacrifice is a small one and goes toward the greater good.
Finally, let's say, just for kicks, that there are socialist aspects of Obama's plans. So? Our education system is socialist. The health care systems of Canada, England, and France are socialist. Socialism isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it would probably be worse if our entire system was capitalist.
These accusations should have stopped when Obama won. Quit blowing everything out of proportion and listen to reason.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Cutthroat Politics: A Competitive America is Tearing Itself Apart
A while ago, I had a revelation: Professional sports are a partial microcosm for the political world. The teams are political parties, or candidates for office. Once spectators (citizens) associate themselves with teams, generally they are reluctant, if not completely unwilling, to switch, no matter how skilled that team is. Some spectators choose not to associate with any teams, seeing sports in general as pointless and dumb. The broadcasting of games represents the media. The commentators are the analysts and Rush Limbaughs. Even steroids represent scandals. All the major components are there, except perhaps for the effects on the spectators.
Recently, I had another revelation. What's the main aspect that sports and politics have in common? Competition.
I'm sure most of you readers have been keeping up with the presidential race. (P.S. How fitting that it's called a "race.") The most recent controversy is the McCain ad linking Barack Obama to former terrorist William Ayers, and the subsequent shouts of "Terrorist!" and "Kill him!" from fervent McCain supporters. This took the competition to a whole new level, and people saw just how ugly the campaign was getting. After that rally, we all finally woke up.
But we're still in the groggy-half-asleep-where-am-I-five-more-minutes phase. Yeah, things got ugly, and yeah, McCain's campaign is now close to doomed, but if we don't learn anything from this experience, it'll just happen all over again, and we'll be as numb to it as we have been to the rest of this election.
First, why did McCain run these ads? Well, he was desperate. He knew he was almost doomed, and the Ayers ad was his attempt to salvage his campaign. He wanted--and still wants--to win, and he would have done--and will still do--anything to win, even if it meant detracting everyone from the crucial issues at hand and playing dirty.
Quite frankly, it worries me that the presidency has become so little about issues and so much about winning. It makes me question whether or not the candidates, or the president, even care about the people. I even question the candidate I support. In a country where all the authority figures are shoving each other down the ladder in order to get to the top, I wonder who I can trust, especially as someone on a very low rung.
So, is there a flaw in the system that our founding fathers created? Could it be that they might not have known what they were doing, after all? Should we scrap the 200-year-old system and opt for a Greek democracy instead? Well, the short answer is, no. But we have to be extremely careful with the system we have. It was created so that we could choose the best leaders possible. We need to make sure it stays that way. Though they do have similarities, the political world isn't a sport. It's real life. It's your life, and the lives of hundreds of thousands of others. Treat it as such.
Recently, I had another revelation. What's the main aspect that sports and politics have in common? Competition.
I'm sure most of you readers have been keeping up with the presidential race. (P.S. How fitting that it's called a "race.") The most recent controversy is the McCain ad linking Barack Obama to former terrorist William Ayers, and the subsequent shouts of "Terrorist!" and "Kill him!" from fervent McCain supporters. This took the competition to a whole new level, and people saw just how ugly the campaign was getting. After that rally, we all finally woke up.
But we're still in the groggy-half-asleep-where-am-I-five-more-minutes phase. Yeah, things got ugly, and yeah, McCain's campaign is now close to doomed, but if we don't learn anything from this experience, it'll just happen all over again, and we'll be as numb to it as we have been to the rest of this election.
First, why did McCain run these ads? Well, he was desperate. He knew he was almost doomed, and the Ayers ad was his attempt to salvage his campaign. He wanted--and still wants--to win, and he would have done--and will still do--anything to win, even if it meant detracting everyone from the crucial issues at hand and playing dirty.
Quite frankly, it worries me that the presidency has become so little about issues and so much about winning. It makes me question whether or not the candidates, or the president, even care about the people. I even question the candidate I support. In a country where all the authority figures are shoving each other down the ladder in order to get to the top, I wonder who I can trust, especially as someone on a very low rung.
So, is there a flaw in the system that our founding fathers created? Could it be that they might not have known what they were doing, after all? Should we scrap the 200-year-old system and opt for a Greek democracy instead? Well, the short answer is, no. But we have to be extremely careful with the system we have. It was created so that we could choose the best leaders possible. We need to make sure it stays that way. Though they do have similarities, the political world isn't a sport. It's real life. It's your life, and the lives of hundreds of thousands of others. Treat it as such.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
An introduction to Subversive Thought
"Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man."--Bertrand Russell
About me:
I am known by many names, but on this blog, I shall be known as George Albert Russell. This name comes from three of my favorite political philosophers: George Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, and Bertrand Russell. Despite the fact that I am a high schooler, I consider myself rather intelligent and informed when it comes to current issues. Generally, I have liberal views, but I do not by any means practice blind party association.
About Subversive Thought:
Subversive Thought is my space for waxing political and logical on all sorts of current issues, from economics to war to human rights to environmentalism, and everything in between. I consider it a public record of my attempt to make sense of the world as it currently exists.
Rules for comments:
Far too often, people let their emotions get in the way of logic when discussing politics. People start attacking each other's views, then people start attacking each other personally, and things go haywire. I have witnessed this happen way too many times, and in an effort to prevent it, I will lay down a number of rules for posting comments and delete the comments that violate those rules.
1) Personal attacks are strictly forbidden. Focus on the issues, not the people discussing them.
2) Everyone's opinion is valuable, so don't condemn another's views.
3) Stay on topic. Make sure your comment has a point.
4) Try not to be facetious.
5) I have the right to add rules as I see fit.
NEW RULE:
6) If you know me in person, please do not refer to me by my real name. Call me George.
About me:
I am known by many names, but on this blog, I shall be known as George Albert Russell. This name comes from three of my favorite political philosophers: George Bernard Shaw, Albert Einstein, and Bertrand Russell. Despite the fact that I am a high schooler, I consider myself rather intelligent and informed when it comes to current issues. Generally, I have liberal views, but I do not by any means practice blind party association.
About Subversive Thought:
Subversive Thought is my space for waxing political and logical on all sorts of current issues, from economics to war to human rights to environmentalism, and everything in between. I consider it a public record of my attempt to make sense of the world as it currently exists.
Rules for comments:
Far too often, people let their emotions get in the way of logic when discussing politics. People start attacking each other's views, then people start attacking each other personally, and things go haywire. I have witnessed this happen way too many times, and in an effort to prevent it, I will lay down a number of rules for posting comments and delete the comments that violate those rules.
1) Personal attacks are strictly forbidden. Focus on the issues, not the people discussing them.
2) Everyone's opinion is valuable, so don't condemn another's views.
3) Stay on topic. Make sure your comment has a point.
4) Try not to be facetious.
5) I have the right to add rules as I see fit.
NEW RULE:
6) If you know me in person, please do not refer to me by my real name. Call me George.
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