A CNN story about minimum wage perked some thoughts. Here’s the line. “Raising the minimum wage is one of the new Democratic Congress’ top priorities. The wage floor has been unchanged for 10 years. The bill would increase it to $7.25 in three steps over 26 months.”
How is minimum wage socialism?
Doesn’t that make socialism a top priority of the Democrat-controlled congress? Take this Wikipedia definition as an example. “Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage an egalitarian socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to social control. This control may be exercised either directly through popular collectives such as workers’ councils or indirectly on behalf of the people by the state.” Property and distribution of wealth are subject to control by the state. Somebody tell me how making a business “distribute wealth” in the form of federal-mandated minimum wage isn’t socialism?
A Final Thought.
CNN will never call it what it is because it’s what people want to hear. The media is a business.
The problem with it isn’t the idea; it’s the principle.
15 comments ↓
If congress is increasing spending on social programs which are existing programs then how is this anymore socialistic than the structure of our government affords? These programs exist plain and simple. People starved to death in the 1930s while the US was nearly on the brink of a socialist revolution since hands off associationalist principles of the Hoover Administration didn’t believe in interfering with the distribution of social aid. (I guess when push comes to shove and capitalism faces its greatest test, in reality it should have folded if it were not for your “socialistic” New Deal policies that saved this nation from its end.) Re-read your history books that aren’t censored by the past 50 years of political administrations to gain a better understanding of what you are trying to argue against. America today is based upon socialistic practice of the New Deal.. Get used to it otherwise participate in the wave of “terror” and fear which allows for the growth of the National Security State which results in the dissolution of our civil liberties (such as enjoying arguing points of economics over the internet).
Yes, the media is a business, 43% or so is owned by about 3 companies worldwide. The media doesn’t bother to emphasize the point that we live in some semblance of a welfare state (though the so called liberal minded Clinton dismantled a great deal of it). Calling this “socialism” is a rightwing rhetorical tool to wage war on the poor and to avert social spending to more immediate concerns like upholding and profitting from the American Military Industrial Complex. We aren’t living in the 16th century anymore. The founding fathers are dead and there is nothing you can do to change that.
You highlight a serious problem with our government. It\’s socialistic in many ways.
I don\’t think this has anything to do with \”right wing\” anymore than it has to do with \”left wing.\” The point is, forcing a business owner (and minimum wage is force) to \”distribute wealth\” fits the definition of socialism very well. No socialistic society has ever survived. Governments always move toward capitalism because it is the nature of man to seek after his own self-interest.
Amen, Brother Page
As if my blood wasn’t boiling enough w/ the agenda of the new Congress… First the Senate attempts to stifle free speech and enforce Orwellian censorship on the masses with their very first bill, and they later go on (as you point out) to lay out other socialistic legislation.
Not only is it socialistic, but as the JBS points out, it’s also unconstitutional.
[...] Changing the conversation I received a comment on my blog the other day where someone basically accused my minimum wage line of thinking as a right wing rhetorical tool to wage war on the poor. (Laugh!) [...]
aren’t government subsidies and bailouts of corporations also socialism? Yet, I don’t see Republicans or other non-Democrats speaking out about those…
Yes
[...] I’ve chimed in on the minimum wage issue before with “Socialism is one of the Democrat congress’ top priorities” [...]
[...] This is true, but it doesn’t do anything to increase or perpetuate a person’s ability to increase or boost their individual ability to earn more. It rewards them for doing the same. Salary caps reward people for doing the same (which might be not much at all). It takes production out of the equation. It takes performance out of the equation. It removes that element that nudges a person to say, “I don’t want to make $5.15 an hour,” when the truth of the matter is every day they do the same thing for the same wage they outwardly suggest that they are completely fine with $5.15 an hour. (I went off on this in another post at another time: Socialism is one of the Democrat congress’ top priorities). [...]
Great post, Russ.
Yes, it is socialism. Regardless of who enacts this type of legislation in an attempt at “social justice” - whether left wing or right wing - it’s still socialism. After spending the better part of the last year studying Fabian socialism and communism and its steady and pervasive influence/control in our system of government for the better part of the last 100 years, we are quickly losing our “free institutions” in this country. Socialized medicine - again, regardless of political party - is another area of concern that seems right around the corner with both parties at the forefront. It seems that both major political parties have a definite problem with “creeping socialism” - it’s really just a matter of degree to how far each will go…
Have we not progressed into an educated society that we can think outside the box enough to relize that socialism and capitalism are ideals of the past. We live in a new and very differnet globalized society that must imbrace both a free market for FAIR trade as well as protect basic human rights. I love to hear people complain about welfare states and blame dems for being socialist. Wait until you get into and accident and can’t walk, you loose your job, you get a cronic illness that you insurance cap won’t cover the expense of, and the ONLY peron that will hire you only pays $5.15 an hour so you end up loosing your house, etc….then we will see how you think about programs such as welfare, medicade, and unemployment. This country exists because of such programs, the middle class is the heart and soul of America, with out it we have rich and poor, end of story.
Everybody in this country has the same OPPORTUNITY to get rich as the “rich” people you seem to deplore. On the ladder of success some people may start at higher rungs than others but the same ladder exists for everybody nevertheless. That is the beauty of capitalism. All it takes is 5yrs to change your life in my opinion. If you don’t like your current economic situation then with persistent, consistent, and focused effort you can substantially improve it in a 5yr window.
How can you tell someone who used to be on Beggar Street…who pulled themselves up by the bootstraps, through consistent, persistent, and focused effort to dramatically improve their position in life (6figure)…without even paying the high education cost of getting a degree… that now he has to subsidize those with his taxes those are afraid of making the same commitment to themselves because “it’s too hard”.
Not everybody rich was born rich.
Some people have told me “I tried”, but did they really go all out?
Some people just aren’t ambitious.
When you do nothing but raise taxes and use those taxes to pay for the lifestyles of those who ABUSE programs… then you are creating a Socialist society. This is because it robs the incentive to produce. Why make 6figures if half of it goes to the lazy in the form of taxes? It’s easier to just sit there and make excuses while eating government cheese
Socialism is in essence a blend of capitalism and communism. There are some things that need to be socialized/regulated…but when the scale starts tipping away from capitalism… then it starts to lead toward communism.
Do NOT hate the rich… You can become one too in this country… The Land of Opportunity.
As far as losing your job… this is America. Start your own business for crying outloud before that even happens. Anyone who depends upon a job for financial security is inviting a situation like that.
People should be like The Cinderella Man. use the government assistance when needed and have the decency to pay it back once you are back on your feet. That should be REQUIRED. I’d vote for a law like that… one where like a student loan you can’t claim it in a bankruptcy
Leave a Comment