Why Republicans are resorting to anti-socialism hysteria

[Nevilledog]

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Jennifer 'the election is over' Rubin
@JRubinBlogger
If the alternative is national destruction, then what’s the problem with a little narcissistic excess, you see? Likewise, if Biden and company are “socialists,” then any lie and any act of obstruction in defense of “real America” are justified.

Opinion | Why Republicans are resorting to anti-socialism hysteria
Conservatives will say anything to justify backing a racist, loony president.
washingtonpost.com

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/12/03/why-republicans-are-resorting-anti-socialism-hysteria/

When Republicans — especially 2024 presidential aspirants — describe President-elect Joe Biden and his nominees as “socialists," they practically spit out the word. Their unhinged tone reveals a level of desperation to paint the incoming administration as an affront to America. It does not take much to see this, at least in part, as a mechanism to justify their ongoing support for a downward-spiraling president and the MAGA movement he spawned.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a prime propagator of Russia’s anti-Ukraine propaganda, has hysterically warned about a Democratic victory. “America would change forever,” he said in October. “This election is for all the marbles. The Senate Democrats would pack the court. They would get rid of the filibuster so they could enact all these crazy socialist … policies.” Since the election, he has cynically supported election conspiracies he knows to be false, but what’s the harm in playacting for the masses when you think Biden is one step from a socialist takeover? As Johnson put it in a recent interview: ”Bernie Sanders and AOC want to fundamentally change our country. And you can’t love something you want to fundamentally change.” He’s starting to sound like Joseph McCarthy, another Wisconsin Republican demagogue who railed against the Red Menace.

Likewise, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), the Harvard-educated Trump sycophant, has been screeching about “socialism” for months. “Socialism has taken over the Democratic Party," his ads declared. “Socialism has devastated countries like Cuba and Venezuela.” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) incoherently shrieks that Biden and his colleagues are both “Marxists” and “corporatists.” These are people who think they should be entrusted with the presidency, mind you.

Why has “socialist” become Republicans’ go-to insult for middle-of-the-road Democrats? On one level, their antics are simply a carryover from President Trump’s election strategy that desperately wanted to paint Biden as Bernie Sanders’s puppet. (In the final debate, Trump seemed nonplussed when Biden disavowed Medicare-for-all and the rest of the far-left agenda. “He’s a very confused guy. He thinks he’s running against somebody else,” Biden said. "He’s running against Joe Biden. I beat all of those other people because I disagreed with them.”)

*snip*

[gratuitous]

1. Ask for a definition of "socialism"

I'd practically guarantee that the conservative definition of "socialism" boils down to any program, proposal, or policy that makes government work better for more people who aren't already fabulously wealthy.

[Laelth]

2. This is nothing new.

-Laelth

[scarletwoman]

4. That's perfect! Thank you for posting that!

[theaocp]

5. Yea, sure, but Republicans scare people, so obviously

Change the terms more acceptable to Republicans. I’m sure they’ll be nice. Someday.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Because they are anti-social...