I think just about everyone is happy with the recent Republican decision to rename the Democratic Party the Socialist Democrat Party. I’m no exception. While Democrats are happy that this underscores how pathetic and ridiculous the Republicans are and Republicans feel this, along with their tea parties, signifies their comeback or secession or whatever they’re doing, I’m just happy we’re renaming things. It’s been long overdue.
Are the Democrats socialist? As Sarah Palin would say, you betcha. It’s no big secret. Nationalizing healthcare doesn’t turn a country to godless communism, but it is most definitely a socialist move. If Democrats really are just about expanding the role of the government, they are being socialist. If we get to vote how we become more socialist, we’re Socialist Democrats.
The Republican Party is similarly in need of a renaming. There’s no question we already live in a republic, so let’s try to encapsulate the current mood of Republicans in a name. How about the Dogmatic Social Oppositional Party? I came up with that name without any malice. The Socialist Democrats are a bit easier to define because their members tend to stick to a clearly defined ideology, but the Republicans don’t make much sense. The tactics they use to rally their base are usually at odds with their foreign policy positions, which are usually at odds with their domestic policy positions. I think it’s fair to say they assert their positions in very dogmatic ways, are most concerned with the social make-up of the country, and they form their policies and rhetoric in opposition of what the Socialist Democrats say.
