# MSNBC: Socialist is the new 'n' word **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 12, 2009, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171 "2009-08-12T13:35:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/41 "2009-08-12T17:38:50Z")
> [@Anduril](#): > > As Obamabot central, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind if people begin to associate the charge of socialism with racism in the same way that they are **trying to associate just about every criticism made against Obama as racist**. The fact that you believe they are doing this says little for your powers of observation and analysis. ---
**Author:** ![Anduril](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Anduril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduril)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/42 "2009-08-12T17:43:30Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > The fact that you believe they are doing this says little for your powers of observation and analysis. It’s hyperbole. Check it out some time. ---
**Author:** ![Anduril](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c0e974/32.png) [@Anduril](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anduril)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/43 "2009-08-12T17:44:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > A far more intelligent and defensible approach, at any rate, than usage of the word “Obamabot.” How so? ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/44 "2009-08-12T17:55:58Z")
You accuse a group of utilizing sweeping generalizations, while at the same time using the term “Obamabot”, presumably to paint supporters of the president as mindless automotons … and there is no ringing of the irony bell in that pointy little head of yours? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/45 "2009-08-12T18:55:00Z")
> [@Lightnin](#): > > Here’s an interesting experiment. Starting with Obama, and working backward, see how far back you can get before you find a Democrat President who _wasn’t_ called “socialist”. I got back to Woodrow Wilson before I stopped Googling. > > It’s been a boogeyman word for a long time, apparently. With a little googling, I found [this book excerpt](http://books.google.com/books?id=Hb2mrW5gDbYC&pg=PA152&lpg=PA152&dq=socialism+antichrist&source=bl&ots=-LPL8bC-Zq&sig=fHmhzx3kY2p24Lj8BmEC6RMNW34&hl=en&ei=fQ6DSobYLaWEmQepz6yhDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#v=onepage&q=socialism%20antichrist&f=false) mentioning socialism being considered an aspect of the Antichrist as far back as the 1870s ( an attitude common on the Right today ) : > [@](#): > > It was considered common knowledge in premillenial circles that worldwide socialism was masterminded and financed by Jewish bankers, who schemed to use socialism as a means of destroying the world economy and thereby setting the stage for the Antichrist’s rise to power. So yes, it’s been a bogeyman for a very long time. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/46 "2009-08-12T19:11:50Z")
Funny. Obama doesn’t _look_ Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/47 "2009-08-12T19:15:47Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Funny. Obama doesn’t _look_ Jewish. He’s one of those sneaky _Muslim_ Jews. ---
**Author:** ![Sinaijon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Sinaijon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinaijon)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/48 "2009-08-12T19:42:21Z")
> [@Jack\_Batty](#): > > Funny. Obama doesn’t _look_ Jewish. \He must have shifted his shape!\ ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/49 "2009-08-12T19:45:34Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > He’s one of those sneaky _Muslim_ Jews. And they all look alike, anyway, so what’s the diff? ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/50 "2009-08-12T20:00:13Z")
Say it loud - “I’m Red and I’m proud!” ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/51 "2009-08-12T22:36:31Z")
Interesting poll - only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism: > **[Just 53% Say Capitalism Better Than Socialism](https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/april_2009/just_53_say_capitalism_better_than_socialism)** > > Only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 20% disagree and say socialism is better. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure which is better. Scary… ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/52 "2009-08-12T22:42:59Z")
Threats to one’s ideology usually are. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2009, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/53 "2009-08-12T23:19:03Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > No. Palin’s not a Socialist. Wait I’m confused. I thought she believed in redistributing corporate oil profits to the people of Alaska. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/54 "2009-08-13T00:28:35Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Interesting poll - only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism: > > [Just 53% Say Capitalism Better Than Socialism - Rasmussen Reports®](http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/april_2009/just_53_say_capitalism_better_than_socialism) > > Scary… Part of the problem here is that as the definition of “socialist” expands beyond “government control of production” and into “government use of public funds (usually raised via taxation) for public goods”, you’re going to find more people willing to label themselves socialist because the latter sounds not terribly unreasonable (especially since all governments at all times do it to some degree). The problem with expanding the definition of socialism is it makes more people WILLING to be socialists. The original intent, I’m sure, was to label increased taxation and services as “socialism” in order to tar it with the negative associations of public ownership of industries and production. Instead, it seems like the people doing this have managed to make socialism more attractive by tying it to an idea that has a lot of perceived good things going for it (like roads, public schools, national parts, etc). Welcome to the dark side of redefinition of words to get your way. Suddenly you have a lot of people saying “hey, if ‘socialism’ means the government pays for more public services from taxes, they have a pretty damn good track record of that if you don’t cherry-pick failures. I guess I’m a socialist.” Don’t even argue that. I point at the military, the interstate highway system, the post office, etc. I don’t care that they might not be perfect or as good as privately funded operations might be, because I’m Joe Average and what I see is that they’re working smooooth and AOK for the most part–I can drive anywhere, I can mail a letter across the country in two days for less than a buck, etc. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/55 "2009-08-13T01:23:22Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Interesting poll - only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism: > > [Just 53% Say Capitalism Better Than Socialism - Rasmussen Reports®](http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/april_2009/just_53_say_capitalism_better_than_socialism) > > Scary… As noted in post #4, for the past 40 years the American right has been dishonestly redefining “socialism” to mean not only public ownership of the means of production, but also public provision of public goods. And all they have achieved thereby is to make the word “socialism” less odious to the American people. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/56 "2009-08-13T02:36:38Z")
> [@Olentzero](#): > > Say it loud - “I’m Red and I’m proud!” As someone who spent the Reagan years insisting that I was a liberal, and that liberalism was a perfectly valid U.S. political tradition, I suppose that I’m now going to have to start doing the same with socialist. If UHC is socialist, then, by golly, I’m a socialist. I figure that by the year 2160, or possibly a bit later, you and I will be in sync. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![adhay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@adhay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhay)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/57 "2009-08-13T15:57:22Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Can’t be the new “n” word because you don’t get your ass kicked for saying it. > … Try running on the Socialist ticket. The biggest lie ever put over on the American populace is that the n word was is race based. It’s been my opinion that we’re all pretty much n’s. The epithet was handy in the prewar South as a way for poor whites (who were often worse off than the slaves) to think of themselves as better off than _somebody_. Keep dem tenant farmers full 'a pride. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2009, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/58 "2009-08-13T16:56:34Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > I figure that by the year 2160, or possibly a bit later, you and I will be in sync. 😃 In that we will both most likely be dead, yeah. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/59 "2009-08-14T00:44:20Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > If UHC is socialist, then, by golly, I’m a socialist. Not sure if I’d strictly define it as socialistic. But it is certainly anti-choice and anti-freedom. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171/60 "2009-08-14T01:03:05Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Not sure if I’d strictly define it as socialistic. But it is certainly anti-choice and anti-freedom. Yeah, i know that if i were poor and without health insurance, i’d hate to lose the choice and the freedom to go bankrupt over a minor injury. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/msnbc-socialist-is-the-new-n-word/506171.md?page=4)