Make up Your Mind

I tend to use the labels Fascism, Marxism, Socialism, Totalitarianism and Communism interchangable, and I think I've confused a few people. I thought I'd take a few minutes to actually define them, and then explain myself.
We'll go in alphabetical order, because I love words, and it would drive me batty to see them out of order :D

Communism (N):
1. a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state.


2. (often initial capital letter) a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party.

3. (initial capital letter) the principles and practices of the Communist party.

Fascism (N):
1. (sometimes initial capital letter) a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.


2. (sometimes initial capital letter) the philosophy, principles, or methods of fascism.

3. (initial capital letter) a fascist movement, esp. the one established by Mussolini in Italy 1922–43.

Marxism (N):
the system of economic and political thought developed by Karl Marx, along with Friedrich Engels, esp. the doctrine that the state throughout history has been a device for the exploitation of the masses by a dominant class, that class struggle has been the main agency of historical change, and that the capitalist system, containing from the first the seeds of its own decay, will inevitably, after the period of the dictatorship of the proletariat, be superseded by a socialist order and a classless society
 
Socialism (N):
1. 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.


2. procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.

3. (in Marxist theory) the stage following capitalism in the transition of a society to communism, characterized by the imperfect implementation of collectivist principles.

Totalitarianism (N):
1. the practices and principles of a totalitarian regime.


2. absolute control by the state or a governing branch of a highly centralized institution.

3. the character or quality of an autocratic or authoritarian individual, group, or government: the totalitarianism of the father.

So, as you can see, there isn't really a whole lot of difference in each of the "ism's", aside from totalitarianism, which would be a dictatorship-think Iran, Venezuela, Cuba...
I've chosen to use them interchangeably, because I don't see much difference between them, and I think our current administration is exhibiting aspects of all of them:
 
(C) Obama and his flunkies have gotten their hands in a variety of industries; bailed out, TARPed and variously regulated things the government has NO Constitutional authority to tinker with.
'...single self perpetuating political party.' Just look to the hypocrisy taking place in MA this week for evidence.
Don't forget the looming health care exravaganza, the take over of 1/6th of our economy.
 
(F) 'forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.'
They may not be forcing the suppression of opposition just yet, but it's coming. The Fairness Doctrine, which is a violation of our freedom of speech, will be attempted through back door dealings; the Internet grab "in an emergency"; calling those who disagree with their policies radicals, and people who need to be silenced, crying racism as a way to distract from the real issues; regimenting industry in the name of the climate hoax; it's all there.
Don't forget campaign finance reform that takes away your First Amendment rights of freedom of speech, this goes back farther than Obama, and is wrong regardless of whose watch it is.
 
(M) Class struggles, and pitting classes against each other. Vilifying those who are successful; when small businesses are taxed ruthlessly; when "wealthy Americans" are taxed at a higher rate, thereby punishing the successful; redistributing income to make things "fair". This is Marxism, and it's rampant in the left-wing.
 
(S) '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.'
This one is a little trickier. "We the People" now own GM, and some banks, and pretty soon some newspapers (won't that be nice, when we can more fully trust the news coming from THOSE sources?). However, we'll never get a dime in dividends, or reimbursements, and I'd bet a milkshake, those various companies never get out of the deal they made with the devil. So, we can't say it's true Socialism I suppose, but I don't think the people of the USSR got so much out of their collective ownership either, and it was still Socialism.


(T) As the government continues to take over industry after industry, we may just see a dictator arise. They already revere Obama as a sort of messiah, and this kind of messiah is one step away from a dictator. We don't have "absolute" control by the state yet,  but if we don't make some noise, and make sure our representatives know we are unhappy, it WILL come to that, the groundwork is being laid now.
 
The Constitution is hanging by a thread, it is being trampled on by people of all persuasions, all races, all religions, both parties.  These "ism's" are all parts of Obama's agenda, he's exhibiting traits from each definition, so when I use them interchangeably, you'll know why; each one cuts a little deeper into the fabric of the Constitution, cuts a little deeper into the "American Way." It's no accident that I rarely use the same one twice in any sentence. I encourage you to use these words often and vociferously in your conversations.
If we don't, we'll get all of them, in one neat, tidy, well-spoken man.