Is there a racial undertone to the "socialism" claims by the McCain campaign, or

ClarusVisum, Just exactly when did welfare become a program predisposed to the black race? I always thought it was a "safety-net" for people who had fallen on rough times! But I had wondered when the race-baiters would get into action in this campaign. I guess McCain closing in at the polls pushed them over the top! I have known quite a few people in my time of ALL races and genders who have been helped by welfare and conversley I have also known those who have abused it and let it become a crutch and an enabler for them to excuse not having the drive and ambition to get up, get out and find work.

"... is he just throwing words around...." In respect of the socialist tag, yes, clearly, because Obama is nothing like a socialist, and I say this as someone from a country currently ruled by a semi-socialist party. Thank the Gods. I can see your point about the racism, but I suspect that it is, as Adrenochrome has pointed out, aimed as much at the total underclass, not just the black element of it. Lash

So blacks are the only people who receive welfare? When did this start happening? I agree with McCain that handing out all those "tax breaks" to people who don't even work or pay in taxes amounts to welfare checks. I also disagree with Obama that taxation of the haves to give to the have-nots is just "neighborliness" or "doing one's patriotic duty." The truth is neighborliness had nothing to do with forced giving and patriotic duty has nothing to do with taxation. Obama just likes to use honorable words to try and describe his dishonorable plans for the USA. McCain is telling the truth about all this, and I say more power to him.

Of course! All who oppose Obama are racists! Everything we say is some secret White Person CODE for racism. That one, Joe Sixpack, Hockey Mom, welfare, and now, Socialism, are ALL racist codewords designed to attack black people. Give me a f%cking break Clarus. I can't believe anyone is stupid enough to believe that talking about socialism is somehow racist. Now I'm not an expert on Africa, but exactly how many African nations are Socialist? Last I checked socialism was primarily practiced in European nations that were predominately white.

The democrats want to set up government agencies to "monitor" (read MANAGE) the big industries in our country...that is the VERY DEFINITION of socialism...I don't think there are any racial intentions there at all...I think it is more a fact of knowing what the democrats plan to try and do... Taking money from hard-working people and giving it to those too lazy to work is EXACTLY what the welfare program does. The DEMOCRATS thought the welfare program up too by the way. I went to back to school for two years and earned a degree so that I could try to get a better job making more money so that I could try to get a better house for my family to live in...one with better insulation and more room than the 16'x40' 1960's model mobile home we were living in. I earned my degree...I got my better house (nothing fancy, but it is twice as big as the place we were in and it has better insulation and A LOT more room)...AND as an additional reward for my two years of hard work and determination...I got to pay MORE TAXES...I get the "pleasure" of watching even more of the money I work hard to make being taken from me knowing they are giving MORE of my money to those who are too lazy to work. I get this pleasure of seeing my money taken from me, and I have something else that goes along with it...I have a physical handicap. However, I can't get disability, because I have a little pride in myself and I get out and try to help myself instead of sitting on my A$S waiting for a handout. So the price I pay for not being a deadbeat is that I can't even get partial disability to help pay the bills, even though the handicap I have severely limits the types of work I can do. My wife and I "make too much money" for me to get any help paying my bills, even though the only job I can find is one that is part-time in a restaurant. SO, I get to work what few hours they give me, AND I get to come home at night barely able to walk because the physical limitations I have make it hard for me to stay on my feet for long periods of time. I get to wake up every morning barely able to walk when I get out of bed. In order to get disability, I would probably have to completely quit working for several months while I tried to go through all of the red tape the government throws at you when you apply, even though it is MEDICALLY DOCUMENTED that this is a permanent condition that is only going to get worse. I am still not sure I would get it if they looked at my wife's income, and even then, I don't know if it would be enough to live on. During this time, I would probably also lose my house, my truck, and my credit cards would probably all try to sue me because I couldn't pay them...SO I really can't even afford to try to get help, especially not knowing if I could get it to begin with, and I surely can't afford a lawyer to help out... I told you all that to tell you this....I am TIRED of money that I bust my A$S for every day being taken from me and given to people who are too damn lazy to work. I have no problem at all paying taxes to pay for things like national security, better roads, better (and hopefully CLEANER and GREENER) electricity and water, etc. These things are necessary and they make our lives better. What I DO mind is my money being taken from me and given to some low life that lays around getting drunk and high all day while my welfare dollars pay their bills and buy their groceries. What I DO mind is people getting welfare checks, while at the same time working "under-the-table" (in other words...getting paid in cash off the record so they pay NO taxes on what they earn) and driving 30-40 thousand dollar cars, while my hard earned money buys their groceries.

Everything that happens that isn't to your liking in this world IS NOT racism. When it comes to the "spreading the wealth" scenario, I can tell you that there are plenty of people of all races in this country who are living off the tax dollars of the working middle class.

I don't know that any racism sent out by McCain is intentional, I think it might be taken as racist by some. Opponents to Obama's plan do point to welfare a lot, but for them it isn't about race, it's about freeloading.