Monday, August 31, 2009

How Close to Communism Are We?


In the recent debate over socialized medicine, those of us who believe in liberty and the power of the free market system have been labeled "Communists" for speaking out against a massive power grab on the part of the government. But do we really understand what constitutes a Communist nation? I, for one, really didn't understand EXACTLY what that meant: until now. And it scares the crap out of me.

My perception of Communism was limited to my experiences growing up as a teenager in the 80's when the Soviet Union exemplified Communism. We knew that people waited for hours for bread and other basic necessities and that the media was controlled by the State. Little did I know that now, in my adult years, my beloved country is on the brink of becoming a symbol of everything the Founding Fathers abhorred.

In 1848, Karl Marx published The Communist Manifesto, which gave specific criteria outlining what Communism is and what it takes for a country to be considered Communist. The following is a list of what are considered the ten "planks" of Communism. As you read them, think about what we've seen transpire since January.

  1. Abolition of private property and the application of all rents of land to public purposes -- I'm no expert, but for some reason, the terms "zoning laws" and "eminent domain" come to mind.
  2. A heavy progressive or graduated income tax -- Remember this one on April 15. We are taxed on everything from vices to merely existing. What's that? There is no such tax? Oh, yes there is. It's called the per capita tax.
  3. Abolition of all rights of inheritance -- When a loved one passes and you inherit their property, you pay a tax on it despite the fact that the taxes on that property have already been paid. If you don't pay it, the government will take it. By making the "death tax" onerous, it could potentially ensure that the government gets the deceased's estate.
  4. Confiscation of the property of all emigrants and rebels -- This one could come down to interpretation of words. Who's to say that a "rebel" isn't one of us bloggers or the average American who doesn't agree with the government? And how many times has the IRS been used against political enemies? If necessary, Google "Billy Dale" or "Clinton Travelgate."
  5. Centralization of credit in the hands of the state, by means of a national bank with State capital and an exclusive monopoly -- The Federal Reserve is a PRIVATE banking entity regulated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), another privately-owned entity. All local banks are members of the Fed system, which practices fractional reserve banking and sets the standards that the government follows like blind sheep.
  6. Centralization of the means of communication and transportation in the hands of the State -- One only has to look to the recent legislation introduced by Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) to know that control of communication is a real possibility. Couple that with the capitulation of the MSM and you've got state-run media. With regard to transportation, any trucker will tell you about all the restrictions placed on them depending upon the load. At the very least, there's the DOT. The government has taken complete control over who can drive and who can't through the licensing process. Sounds centralized to me!
  7. Extension of factories and instruments of production owned by the State, the bringing into cultivation of waste lands, and the improvement of the soil generally in accordance with a common plan -- Department of Agriculture regulations regarding what can and cannot be used in farming would, in my opinion, fall under this heading.
  8. Equal liability of all to labor. Establishment of industrial armies, especially for farming. -- Affirmative Action and Obamacorps, anyone? How many times have we heard the call from 1600 for America's youth to volunteer, especially in the "green" industry? And all Affirmative Action does is take away the right of an employer to hire the best of the best regardless of skin color. It's forced integration and reverse discrimination.
  9. Combination of agriculture with manufacturing industries, gradual abolition of the distinction between town and country, by a more equitable distribution of the population over the country. -- For now, we do have the Tenth Amendment to protect states from the federal government overreaching its powers. Without it, I'm almost certain this administration would have already erased state borders, creating one huge state. Population redistribution has already been done. A recent ruling in Federal Court dictates that Section 8 housing MUST be built in the predominantly affluent area of Westchester County, New York. Hope the Clintons enjoy living in the small microcosm of the world that they've wanted to create for years.
  10. Free education for all children in public schools. Abolition of children's factory labor in its present form. Combination of education with industrial production. -- Those of us who don't send our kids to private schools have no option other than government-run indoctrination centers. Homeschooling, you say? While parents have the option of homeschooling their most precious gifts from God, the government still has a hand in it. In most states, students are still required to take government-created standardized tests. And Heaven forbid we teach the kids of today about work. No wonder the vast majority have NO work ethic whatsoever and a complete disregard for any structure within a business. Half of them don't care about being on time or doing the very best job they can. Just ask anyone who has worked with them in the fast food industry as I have.
Now that you may have a more clear understanding of what Communism truly is, only one question remains: To what lengths will you go to to defend the sanctity of the principles put on paper by the Founders?

We now know our enemy, and he took office January 20, 2009.

18 comments:

LL said...

I think that Dear Leader has it in his mind to follow more of a National Socialism model than pure communism. Under National Socialism, an elitist core steals money from more or less everyone else. It works out the same as it does under a Leninist approach to Marx but without the annoying philosophical underpinnings.

blackandgoldfan said...

LL: I agree that Socialism is definitely on the mind of BHO and all of the other Alinsky students occupying seats of power. But is that only a stepping stone? I pray not. We can still stop the train either way. Thanks for stopping!

KOOK said...

WOW. Good one. I think I will repost and add a few comments. That is if you do not mind, Nice Lady.

Opus #6 said...

It's all bad.

Except your poster, btw. That is AWESOME!

blackandgoldfan said...

KOOK: Repost away, my friend! :-)

blackandgoldfan said...

Opus: I really liked that too! If things don't change next year, we will be screwed more every day.

Teresa said...

Excellent article!!! It really informed me more of what makes a country communist. Yes, I believe we are on the brink of disaster. Obama does seem like an elitist. I agree with LL. But, I think more and more people are waking up and realizing how power hungry and freedom hating Obama really is and are rising to the challenge of stopping this enormous power grab. We might be headed for days like that of Martin Luther King Jr.

Andrew33 said...

I posted this on KOOK's blog in response to this. It was an excellent post and broke weeks of what has been "writer's block" for me ever since my concussion/knee injury.

We are in reality, much closer than our media and storytelling would admit. Historically, the way communism has worked has been to first cause anarchy through dislike of the older corrupt system of governance, then when dissatisfaction reaches a certain point, said government is thrown out in favor of new government without giving thought to what government is put in place. Then relatively small groups of true communists and larger followings of backers who have no clue what communism truly means have overthrown existing powers such as China and Russia. That's why we as protestors must TREAD LIGHTLY OR WE WILL CREATE A MONSTER THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. The newer way towards communism is been an "incremental" or "socialist" pattern where bits and pieces of established freedoms have ben shaved away gradually such as in Western Europe and Venezuela. This pattern was first instituted by Adolph Hitler who after being elected, gradually nationalized the Weimar Republic and began a gradual transition to the 3rd Reich. Do you think the 33% or so of people who voted for Hitler really wanted what they got? Thie diference between those countries and America is the vastness of the country that will have to be subjugated and a socio-religious structure that is against the freedoms already being taken here. The Catholic church has supported totalitarian governance since Constantine in the 4th Century A.D. The Catholic Church is predominant in both western Europe and Latin America. I am not trying to start a raging religious debate here, just speaking historically. I have nothing against Catholics but those of you who are reading this and are strongly practicing Catholics, which Christian group in America most strongly supported Obama? America is not a predominantly Catholic nation, and protestant Christians are much less in favor of taking of freedoms than Catholics overall. Proposition 2 and 8 in Florida and California restricting marriage to being between a man and woman are a good example of how mostly Protestant Christians regardless of race put a big stop to a huge point in the agenda of those trying to shave away our freedoms by promising the reverse. Promising health care for all is another such reverse promise. The promise that will be kept is a little health care for all but in return control over our lives will be handed to the government. Just ask these big companies that received bailout money (that was another reverse promise in itself to "help the people affected by the economic downturn") and now cant pay it back fast enough or at all because of the unseen strings that were attached. In 2008 Americans voted for "change" without knowing what the "change" was they would get. WE THE PEOPLE in reality have between now and the 2010 elections to figure out what change we really want or we will get the same changes Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro, Kim Jong IL, Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin, all political figures who were made out to be "messianic" figures in their given societies but were in reality something far more insidious. Early media comparisons of Obama to the "messiah" were the most frightening thing to me about his campaign. Not as much that the media would say it, but that half of America would BUY IT.
Thanks B&G Fan for giving me something to say. I have had a "writer's block" or something ever since I hurt me knee.

blackandgoldfan said...

Teresa: Thanks! It most definitely is going to be a turbulent time if we don't stop it now. It won't be easy, but it can be done. :-)

blackandgoldfan said...

Andrew: Glad I could help you! And thank you for the background on this. :-D

LandShark 5150 said...

Dear Komrad, the Red House and the 10 sq. mile known as DC( distrikt Communism) has been leaning that way slowly since the founding of the Federal Reserve.Mao,Stalin and Lenin are rolling in their tombs to be out done by Dear Leader Chairman MaObama (AmeriKenyan).Great post. sharky

The Rattler - III said...

I give no ground. OBAMA IS A COMMUNIST!

Timeshare Jake said...

Just got back from McCaskill's town hall meeting, and it was scary what I asw on the left today. They don't want to talk about the Constituion. They want to talk me, me, me even if it means a strong central government controlling their lives.

We are on path and I am looking at two options--revolution or just get up and leave.

Left Coast Rebel said...

#4 - Being the Left Coast Rebel I say, come and get me. Great post, your stuff keeps getting better and better!

blackandgoldfan said...

Sharky: Thanks!

blackandgoldfan said...

Bryan: I second that emotion, pal. Like Sharky said, BHO is making Lenin, Stalin, Mao, and Marx turn in their graves. Of course, Karl is beaming proudly from below...

blackandgoldfan said...

BB: You have to remember that it's because this whole mess is what THEY want, thus the "me" speak. Please tell me you gave that bag the two-finger salute! :-)

blackandgoldfan said...

LCR: Too kind, but much appreciated for the compliment. I've learned much from you, BBCW, and many others along the way!

And don't worry: they'll come get ya! Who knows? We may even be in the same internment camp for dissidents!