In "Psycho Talk," O'Donnell "take[s] on a word. That word is socialism"

Heck yeah. Good idea, Lawrence.

If the Republicans are serious with all the socialism talk, let's see some legislation that repeals SS and Medicare. Let's find out how much their congressional careers are worth to them.

In addition to Medicare being a 'socialist' program (as being what we might otherwise call PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE or maybe National Health Insurance), and in addition to Social Security being a 'socialist' program (a Public or National Retirement account), there's also...

The PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, which is of course the 'socialist' program of Public Education, where Public funds are spent to achieve the Public good of a formal education for all children, regardless of their circumstances to pay for that education.

And of course, no one is forced to accept a Public School Education, but they may elect for private school education, if they so desire and if they can find the money to pay the tuition: and in this sense, both the PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM and PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE are similar, in that Public or National Health Insurance is meant to achieve the Public good of health insurance for all children (and their parents too), regardless of their circumstances to pay for that coverage... and of course, no one is forced to accept Public or National Health Insurance, but they may elect for private health insurance, if they so desire and if they can find the money to pay the premiums.

Of course there is a narrow and slim minority of the American People who are against any Public funds being spent on the PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, and that minority rants against (and works against) the Public Schools and the ideal they are set up to achieve... it's the exact same minority of people who are against PUBLIC or NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE, and call it 'socialist'.

Of course this minority knows they're in the minority, and so they never actually say they are against Medicare (because most Americans are for it, and even that minority may be for it too, when and if they find themselves needing it), and that same minority rarely if ever speaks aloud how much they hate the other 'socialist' programs of Social Security and Public Education, for the same reasons (that most Americans are for these things and the ideals they are meant to achieve, and maybe that minority would be also, when and if they need those 'socialist' programs).

These people know they're in a narrow and slim minority: it's why they resort to playing tricks with words, and call these things 'socialist'... or at least why they call PUBLIC or NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE 'socialist' (and why are they mostly vague about their 'socialist' rants, why don't they speak specifically as to what exact Public programs it is they fear)... if they were not in such a minority, then they could speak more plainly and directly (and specifically) about these matters, but they don't, do they.

Mr.Lawrence"Pit Bull"O'Donnell,was chewing new ones in his (2)"torture works" guest yesterday.Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!

From 5 PM thru 9 PM my wife and I frequently watch MSNBC.
I don't know how many times we saw General McCafferty expound as an invited "MSNBC MILITARY ANALYST". What we didn't know and now do, is that Gen. McCafferty, as part of a Pentagon planned group of ex-military, was given access to and spoon fed Pentagon colored views of the war specifically to spread on TV and that while he advocated NOT leaving IRAQ early, he was lobbying the Pentagon and Iraq Generals on behalf of a company lobbying for for a 4.5 billion dollar contract to supply linguists to our forces in Iraq.
MSNBC, NBC, CBS and ABC as well as CNN and the other cable channels were complicit in foisting propaganda on the American Public thru the use of these ex-militray analysts without investigating their personal interests and revealing that to their aufienceson their audiences.
I shall be sure to warch only PBS in the future!

If we are going the socialism route I vote using the France model:

On average they live longer than we do.
Their education system (K thru 12 equivalent) is better than ours.
A smaller percentage of their population is in jail.
Their health care system is arguably the best in the world and available to everyone.
They have fewer TV channels - as a result some even go outside and talk to neighbors.
They stayed out of the stupid Iraq war.
They eat better than we do !!!

O'Donnel always gets to the most basic underpinnings of these hypocritical positions. And he does the most damage.

Hey Pat Robertson: When were we really still a free-market economy ? Why don't we have a middle class any more? Define a socialist country and tell me why if would harm our country right now?

I would add our military in the socialist mix. Medical care,PXs,room and board, housing, transportation--you name it.

The point here to me is that in Sept of 2008, Obama was talking of Govt accountability and fiscal responsiblility and earmarks and all the crap that got him elected.

Since he has been in office ALL OF IT has gone out the window, therefore the rise from 8-20%, I think that the right wing talking points hasn't had as big of an effect as some on here would hope.

As the sayings goes "actions speak louder tha words"

by carlileb5935 (May 09, 2009 10:51 pm ET)
"Socialism is when the government runs the whole show-- employee, employer, the works."

It's a problem when people post stuff they really don't know anything about.

Here is the Dictionarty definition of Socialism: "a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole."

Does it say anything about "government" ? No !! The definition is talking about "ownership and control of the means of production and distribution ...." America is the prime example in the world of "Corporate Socialism". Corporations CONTROL the means of production and distribution. Corporations pretty much pay no taxes. The Government lets Corporations get away without paying any taxes. The people wind up paying for the Corporations. The GOP, believe it or not, have been the chief proponents of "Socialism" in America through their use of deregulation so their corporate friends can control everything and pay no taxes and then get free money in the form of bailouts when their profits erode.

O'Donnell might be the best media mouth on the air right now. Only because he really knows what he is talking about and pulls no punches.

What we've had in America during the Bush years is more akin to Facism. Facism occurs when the Government, the Corporations & the Military conspire against the people to dominate. Sound familiar ??