Socialism Is Not A Dirty Word

Nicholas Kristof's column the other day recounted a conversation he had with a woman in Beijing regarding the election of Barack Obama. It summarized the perception that many people abroad have of the United States and the state of our race relations. The point made was that the election of Barack Obama will send a sorely needed signal to many corners of the world that the United States is capable of electing someone besides a white man to its highest office. I am also hoping that it will signal a new era of change in the United States.
The word that has been tossed around on the campaign trail in the last week is Socialism. John McCain has done his desperate best to paint this as a dirty word that Americans should avoid at all costs. Barack Obama has not made such a strong statement, but it is clear that he does not want the word associated with his economic plans. I disagree. Maybe it is wrong of Mr. Obama to use the word Socialism because of the connotations that it stirs in the American mind, but Socialism is something this country needs, and now more than ever. With the gap between rich and poor growing ever wider and the apparent abandonment of moral principles that Wall Street has demonstrated in the pursuit of ever higher bonuses, the trickle down theory of ecnomic redistribution has shown itself to be a flawed idea.
The idea is simple but its effects would be profound. The redistribution of wealth would give the poorest among us added security. It would allow them to secure a better future for their children. Even if money is not given directly to people, it should be allocated to towns and cities on the low end of the economic scale for civic improvements, resulting in better schools and community facilities. There is no reason why millions of people should have to live a tenuous existence while others are paid ridiculous amounts and contribute nothing to the overall welfare of society. It's time for America to fulfill its promise to all its people and show the world that we have the compassion and the courage it takes to shine as an example of equality. I just hope that Mr. Obama can demonstrate the kind of vision it will take to return America to the position of moral leadership that it so easily abandoned in the past 30 years.