“Socialism” and the 2008 campaign.

Peter Suderman makes a good and necessary observation: “socialism” is best understood as government or social ownership of the means of production, not a progressive income tax. Redistribution and socialism are related but distinct. Or, rather, all socialism is redistributive, but not everything redistributive is socialism. And both candidates are willing to redistribute wealth: both supported the bailout. Suderman concludes:

“So who’s a socialist? Nobody, really — but almost, a little bit, kind of, sort of, maybe, depending on how you look at it… everyone. Up to and including John McCain.”