What is a socialist? Why do some people accuse President Obama of being a socialist?

[Hans olav Sletnes]

Socialism used to mean that the means of production would be in the hands of the workers (workers would run the factories). That's why Lenin dismantled Socialism when he dismantled the worker's councils.

Other than that I pretty much agree with the answer Jess gave. I would just add that a socialist society needs to have powerful (preferably democratic) unions through which workers can make demands on the state. Without organized labour you can't really have Socialism.

The countries that come closest to having this system are probably the Scandinavian countries, although they do have a significant private sector as well.

The word Socialism is used as a scare word because people have been propagandized into associating Socialism with the totalitarianism and brutality of the Soviet Union (and similar autocratic states), which of course had little to do with Socialism as described here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzvStfDHkG8

Edit: Those who think the USA has a free market economy should check out my answer to this question: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...004AAXPbOZ

[Twix Twix]

I am sorry, I thought the USA was already pretty much a socialist country in many ways. Don't all people pay into the same pot for things like fire services, police, ambulances, schools, road maintenance, welfare, Medicaid etc? The main thing that is missing from the whole socialist picture is universal health care.

[Truth Dealer]

Because most Americans would not know a true socialist if one were to walk up and shake their heads. They (Americans) are all to happy to sit at home in front of their TV and let different news talk shows fill their heads with dribble. If that wasn't bad enough, they then take it on board as the truth and start to repeat it.

[Pancho Bobo]

A socialist is someone who believes the wealth of their country should be shared in a more equitable fashion. Social Security is a moderately socialist program, although some would call it an insurance program not a socialist one. We all pay into it.

Obama is far from a socialist. He is a corporatist who's policies are more supportive of the wealthy ruling class than average Americans. By any measure he should be considered to be a plutocrat. Although he speaks about democracy, his actions have proven to be more supportive of the American kleptocracy--which is a system that allows for the transfer of wealth from the poor to the wealthy.

[college_girl0813]

Socialism is pretty much the government being in control of everything and handing them out equally to people. It has happened in the past and smothers creativity due to the inability for improvement of life. People accuse Obama of being a socialist because of the healthcare reform and all of the recent companies the government now owns (like GMC). This display of power by the government during his time in office and his pressuring of most of it, (almost all of which oversteps the boundaries of the government) has earned him this accusation. Whether or not Socialism is his intention is debatable, but it seems to be the inevitable outcome whether he meant for it to be or not.