Is McDonnell a Socialist?

[theHawk]

This is going to sound partisan, but I still struggle with how you cons define Socialism. Our recently elected Republican Governor, Bob McDonnell yesterday announced that he has requested money from the Federal Government to assist Virginia with digging out of our recent snows. Virginia's annual budget for snow removal is around $79M. Before last weekend's additonal snow, Virginia had already spent $84M. So, by begging the Federal Government for money, is McDonnell a Socialist?

I don't think many people would classify snow plowing as welfare or income redistribution.

Of course it is, you are "stealing" money from snowless states and redistributing it to leaching blizzard states.

Feel free to urge your Congressman to not give federal tax dollars to states for their blizzard woes. Its not a big deal to me.

 

[Political Junky]

Republican lawmakers are asking for stimulus money for their states, even though they voted against it and call it Socialism.
Could cons be any bigger hypocrites?

 

[beowolfe]

This thread should put away any doubt you still might have that Rahm Emanuel was correct in labeling Democrats "fucking retards"

It's making me think he should have been talking to the so-called conservatives.

 

[beowolfe]

Let's not oversimplify things. There are definitely legitimate functions of government, and maintaining/clearing roads is one of them as the roads are paid for by taxes.

Not accordiing to some of the wingnuts here. Maintaining and clearing roads should be a community volunteer project.

 

[uptownlivin90]

McDonnell is doing what's neccesary. O'Malley will probably do the same thing, hopefully, as long as I pay taxes I expect to see the highways that I have to drive through every week to get to work are plowed. Plain and simple.

Kids have to get to school EVENTUALLY in and around the district. McDonnell is doing what he has to, you can't forcast these things sometimes. I remember in 2008 we had temps at 65 degrees around this time in the DC area, now we're in competition with Syracuse for the snowiest metro area in America. We don't have blizzard preparedness funds out here, because blizzards aren't a normal occurance, and really neither is snow.

I mean you can make an argument for anybody being a socialist, we live in a mixed economy, a miz of socialist and capitalist ideals. Can you make the argument for him or most American politicians being a Maoist totalitarian? No. There is a difference between socialist and totalitarian. Are there reasonable functions of government? Yes. Does that mean that the government automatically becomes a big brother welfare nanny state because we pay them taxes to maintain our roads, public transit, and schools? No.

 

[ihopehefails]

I would say that it is not because its not attempt to be 'communal' but just doing a needed government function. A constant need to take care of people as if they are the children of the government and an attempt to turn each of us into a giant family unit is what we are talking about.

Just read some of Hitler's writings about how a society should funciton and you will see that he believed that societies were like giant families. Well when you think like this then you see the state as father and the citizens as children and your neighbor as your brother. This might feel good but you just created a tribe out of your nation and lost your freedom because who dare tells dada "NO"?

We ARE one giant family, as dysfunctional as it may be. I believe that. And yet, I don't see government as father nor the citizens as children; behavior notwithstanding. So, that shoots your theory out of the water.

Really? Do you remember when Bill Clinton said "I care" and every liberal about thought that was the greatest thing about him. Its like their some childish need to have the government care about your needs like any parent should. What about the constant complaint about republicans that 'they don't care' as if that in itself no longer makes it a legitimate government. What about the constant demand that government enact acts of love and compassion to the people in the form of welfare and other kinds of public assistence. What about Hillary's christmas commercial where she, like a good parent, is wrapping up presents and then pulls out a bunch of presents intended for little kids and rattles of the democratic domestic agenda like health care, social security, jobs, etc, etc, etc and etc.

 

[PLYMCO_PILGRIM]

This is going to sound partisan, but I still struggle with how you cons define Socialism. Our recently elected Republican Governor, Bob McDonnell yesterday announced that he has requested money from the Federal Government to assist Virginia with digging out of our recent snows. Virginia's annual budget for snow removal is around $79M. Before last weekend's additonal snow, Virginia had already spent $84M. So, by begging the Federal Government for money, is McDonnell a Socialist?

He is not a socialist but a progressive that believes its the federal governments responsibility to babysit/parent his state. They need to run a short term defecit then cut spending over the next few years to compensate for the extra snow removal expense.

Another Progressive republican with his hand out to the feds.....vote him out!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry my thinking must be to far outside the pre-determined box for any response

 

[VaYank5150]

Let's not oversimplify things. There are definitely legitimate functions of government, and maintaining/clearing roads is one of them as the roads are paid for by taxes.

It is? Please show me where it states that in the Constitution.