Rep. Steve King has made me a socialist!

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Same-sex marriage is a "purely socialist concept" and is part of a broader push by progressives to turn the United States into a socialist country, an Iowa congressman says. Although his argument was not entirely clear, US House Representative Steve King, a Republican, seemingly told Radio America that, in order for a socialist agenda to be carried out, the "foundations" of marriage would have to be destroyed.
Rep. King said: "If there's a push for a socialist society, a society where the foundations of individual rights and liberties are undermined and everybody is thrown together living collectively off of one pot of resources earned by everyone, this is one of the goals they'd have to go to, is same sex marriage, because it has to plow through marriage in order to get to their goal."
King concluded: "Not only is it a radical social idea, it is a purely socialist concept, in the final analysis."
Linky. (http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/09/iowa-congressman-same-sex-marriage-a-purely-socialist-concept/)

His logic is foolproof, I guess I better start undermining the bourgeoisie.

[Eddie Dane]

Linky. (http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/09/iowa-congressman-same-sex-marriage-a-purely-socialist-concept/)

His logic is foolproof, I guess I better start undermining the bourgeoisie.

Are politicians like this really that dumb, or are they just pandering to idiots?

This is a serious question I ask myself more and more these says.

[Darat]

Are politicians like this really that dumb, or are they just pandering to idiots?

This is a serious question I ask myself more and more these says.

False dichotomy! :D

[Beerina]

Wait, I thought the left started busting up marriage decades ago, leading to an inner city culture of government dependency.

Or maybe it was because the Southern Democrats hated blacks so agreed to these policies knowing what would happen over decades.

Is this an additional reason to pour grease under the skids of sliding marriage? Can someone merge these multiple CTs for me?

[Ziggurat]

Is this an additional reason to pour grease under the skids of sliding marriage? Can someone merge these multiple CTs for me?

Gay marriage... grease... do you really need me to draw you a diagram? :p

[INRM]

It's not a socialist concept. You don't have to believe in socialism to believe in the legitimacy of same-sex marriage

[headscratcher4]

Wouldn't heterosexual marriage (one woman/one man) promote homosexulality too...I mean it limits people to one person which ultimately must focus the individual on self gratification and self gratification is just a stone's throw away from outright homosexulaity.

[Nosaj]

So according to Rep. Steve King (http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/60007-congressman-same-sex-marriage-part-of-push-for-socialism), same sex marriage is part of a socialist agenda to undermine "the foundations of individual rights and liberties"? And here I was thinking it was about marriage equality.

Damn socialists. Always running around undermining individual rights and liberties by fighting for the individual rights and liberties of minorities and victims of discrimination. ****ers.

[oldhat]

Farm subsidies for money losing farms are socialist.

How about we cut those first?

[ServiceSoon]

Gay rights expands individual rights and liberties. That is on the opposite spectrum of socialism. King makes no sense.

[Tsukasa Buddha]

Gay rights expands individual rights and liberties. That is on the opposite spectrum of socialism. King makes no sense.

Odd, someone better tell our Socialist Party then.

The Socialist Party recognizes the human and civil rights of all, without regard to sexual orientation.

1. We call for the end of all anti-gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBTQ) restrictions in law and the work place, the repeal of all sodomy laws, and the legalization of same-sex marriage.


Linky. (http://socialistparty-usa.org/platform/humanrights.html)

[Nosaj]

Gay rights expands individual rights and liberties. That is on the opposite spectrum of socialism. King makes no sense.

Actually it's not. You obviously know very little about socialism. Even the Bolsheviks — after the 1917 revolution and before Stalin's rise to power — decriminalized homosexuality, as well as legalized abortion and no-fault divorce. In fact, a Russian court even recognized a same-sex marriage (http://www.workers.org/ww/2004/prideseries0819.php) in 1927:

One of the most famous of these individuals was the soldier Evgenii Federovich, born Evgeniia. While posted with a regiment, Federovich married a woman postal employee in a provincial town in 1922. When Federovich's birth sex was discovered, local authorities charged the marriage was a "crime against nature." But the Commissariat of Justice found that the marriage was "legal, because concluded by mutual consent."

[ServiceSoon]

Your right, I don't know much of anything about the socialist party. I construed/extrapolated that opinion based on what I thought I knew. It feels very awkward to me-saying the socialist party believes in freedom is like saying right is left and yes is no. Are you sure if I visit your site I won't be put in the secret government terrorist watch list?

I'll risk it for my insatiable appetite to continue my education. I did read a few passages from the link you gave me. Like any philosophy, political party, ideology, etc, I agree with some points and disagree with other points. I try not to let anybody do the thinking for me. It's hard sometimes.

[The Painter]

Linky. (http://rawstory.com/blog/2009/09/iowa-congressman-same-sex-marriage-a-purely-socialist-concept/)

His logic is foolproof, I guess I better start undermining the bourgeoisie.

Who are you kidding? You were a socialist long before this.
Don't be fooled by this. I'm pretty sure there are a lot of socialists who don't like gays.

[uk_dave]

I'm pretty sure there are a lot of socialists who don't like gays.

I mean, there's gotta be, right?

Apparently, the Germans had a political party called National Socialists who didn't much like gays.........

[ponderingturtle]

Actually it's not. You obviously know very little about socialism. Even the Bolsheviks — after the 1917 revolution and before Stalin's rise to power — decriminalized homosexuality, as well as legalized abortion and no-fault divorce. In fact, a Russian court even recognized a same-sex marriage (http://www.workers.org/ww/2004/prideseries0819.php) in 1927:

One of the most famous of these individuals was the soldier Evgenii Federovich, born Evgeniia. While posted with a regiment, Federovich married a woman postal employee in a provincial town in 1922. When Federovich's birth sex was discovered, local authorities charged the marriage was a "crime against nature." But the Commissariat of Justice found that the marriage was "legal, because concluded by mutual consent."

Well this case seems more complex as it involves transexuals and not purely homosexual mariage. Some transexuals can get married as the gender of their choice instead of based on their birth sex.

[Toke]

Examples of homophobia in eastern Europe suggest that communism were not too fond of gay rights.
The western European socialism is more relaxed on the subject.

It looks strange that a politician would try to label a large number of voters (5-10%?) as opponents.

[ponderingturtle]

Examples of homophobia in eastern Europe suggest that communism were not too fond of gay rights.
The western European socialism is more relaxed on the subject.

It looks strange that a politician would try to label a large number of voters (5-10%?) as opponents.

Depends. If you can cement in a solid 40% through such retoric, then losing 5% is not going to hurt you. And they most likely would not have voted for him anyway.

[Toke]

Depends. If you can cement in a solid 40% through such retoric, then losing 5% is not going to hurt you. And they most likely would not have voted for him anyway.

It looks a bit strange that such bigotry does not scare away/disgust a majority of voters. Rather embarrassing if he can keep getting elected.

[Cleon]

Uh, most socialist groups are pro-gay rights and pro-gay marriage. The Socialist Party, DSA, Socialist Workers Party, etc. Workers World Party was involved in the gay rights going as far back as the 60s. Hell, the gay rights movement was largely founded by a guy named Harry Hay, who was a longtime member of the Communist Party.

AFAIK, the only exceptions to this are some of the more extreme Stalinist and Maoist groups, who consider homosexuality to be "bourgeois decadence" or some such.

[volatile]

It feels very awkward to me-saying the socialist party believes in freedom is like saying right is left and yes is no.

What an interesting and revealing piece of ideological mind-gymnastics!

[quarky]

Arrgh! I got a letter from this guy today! I threw it in the trash, but now I have to fish it out and look at it.

Thanks a lot.

[ponderingturtle]

Your right, I don't know much of anything about the socialist party. I construed/extrapolated that opinion based on what I thought I knew. It feels very awkward to me-saying the socialist party believes in freedom is like saying right is left and yes is no. Are you sure if I visit your site I won't be put in the secret government terrorist watch list?


Socialist has about as consistent a meaning as Conservative. Any program that is intended to have a broad effect on soceity can be considered a socialist program. Universal education would be a classic example.

Sure it is a term that has been abused, but so is Democratic. See all the Democratic Republics.