Where does Communism begin?

[CaughtintheMiddle1990]

What I mean to ask is, where does the line between someone being a capitalist, and someone being a communist lay? We've had people in our history, presidents and others who were for what could be called "Big Government" yet opposed communism privately and publicly. Where is the dividing line between someone who is big government and someone who is a hardcore Marxist/communist/socialist.

I ask because the words ''socialist'', ''commie'', ''marxist'' are used so freely these days, and I ask because I look for example at the career and policies of, for example, Richard Nixon. Nixon made his career out of attacking communists, for example the famous Alger Hiss case, and was friends and supported McCarthy and HUACC. He was thought of both by those in government and generally as a strong anti-Communist in the vein of McCarthy and as a Cold War hawk, ''Only Nixon could go to China''...Yet as President he imposed wage and price controls, started or at least didn't contest the start up of the EPA, doubled the size of many Great Society programs and in February 1974 introduced a Universal Healthcare plan which would mandate all employers to purchase health insurance, and included a federal program like Medicaid that all could join on a sliding scale because on income. Yet even privately, as can be heard on the Nixon tapes he himself made, he can heard talking against communism while President and how he felt the Hippie/Anti-War movement was communist and being stirred up by the forces of the Soviet Union, and had the FBI investigate many individuals for that exact reason and even bugged many.

[Constitutionally Speaking]

Communism begins when we give government sovereignty over the individual. When we value the people over the person.

People who favor big government are simply unknowingly taking us along the road to communism

Nixon is a prime example of this.

[CaughtintheMiddle1990]

Communism begins when we give government sovereignty over the individual. When we value the people over the person.

People who favor big government are simply unknowingly taking us along the road to communism

Nixon is a prime example of this.

But I mean but where is the line from being a pure, capitalist society to an evil, communist one? Do you consider us a communist nation now?
How big is too big, in terms of government? Where's the line?
I don't think we're a communist nation, and I support many (but not all) of the New Deal and Great Society reforms because many of them help individuals, and a program such as Social Security for example isn't a hand out but a tax, for which a service is later given I think there should be a law against any government official taking from the SS candybox to fund other projects--it's the main reason why SS is in trouble, and LBJ started that. I agree with a form of 'Workfare' rather than Welfare--Job training programs.

But I don't support things like bank bailouts or auto bailouts because they are strictly business issues--Companies rise and fall, that's the nature of business, and certain companies shouldn't fuck up and be given a ''get out of jail free'' card because of their size or status. That's corrupt, it's corporatism, it rewards failure, and I'd say we're more on the road to Fascism, because the government doesn't 'control' those industries (Socialism being the 'people' control the means of production) but is friendly with them,than Socialism.

[OrganizedRadical]

Look at how long communist/dictator/monarch lead nations have survived. It doesn't look like this nation will make it to 300.
I'd say stop asking questions and play for a winning team.

[BadCat]

Look at how long communist/dictator/monarch lead nations have survived. It doesn't look like this nation will make it to 300.
I'd say stop asking questions and play for a winning team.

Oh look! A genuine communist. I bet he's an anarchist too.


Actually, I'd bet he's a spoiled rotten little pussy who has had everything in his boring life handed to him.

[OrganizedRadical]

Oh look! A genuine communist. I bet he's an anarchist too.


Actually, I'd bet he's a spoiled rotten little pussy who has had everything in his boring life handed to him.

Whining and name calling, typical. I work for my check, under collectively bargained wages, like a good American should.

[BadCat]

Whining and name calling, typical. I work for my check, under collectively bargained wages, like a good American should.

Oh a communist UNION PUSSY?

Go fuck a Chevy, asslick.

[ralph wiggum]

Whining and name calling, typical. I work for my check, under collectively bargained wages, like a good American should.

Collective bargaining...ROFL....I got my salary by negotiating. I didn't need some union hacks helping me. That's what adults do, they don't need their hands held by the union bosses.

[AlmostThere]

Look at how long communist/dictator/monarch lead nations have survived. It doesn't look like this nation will make it to 300.
I'd say stop asking questions and play for a winning team.

About all I can say in rebuttal is summed up in my sig line.

[AlmostThere]

Whining and name calling, typical. I work for my check, under collectively bargained wages, like a good American should.

Sounds like something straight from a party apparatchik.