Communism! Beware!!

There have been a number of lame-brained attacks from the wingnuts about President Obama being socialist, communist, fascist, tyrant, and a number of other mutually exclusive terms. But I can't help but notice that as the country has careened further into unbridled capitalism, we have entered a much more communist lifestyle--not because of our government, far from it--because of the expansion of corporate power.

Just take a look at any suburban commercial center in America. What businesses do you see? A big-box store or two with corporate grocery stores, surrounded by a selection of franchised eating establishments, gas stations and other franchised small-box stores. If you go shopping in any of the stores, say, for pants, you will have a selection of one or two styles, and if you don't like them you can go to the other big-box and look at virtually the same garments with a different tag. This is consistent for goods from socks to cars.

When you've purchased your pants you can grab a venti latte that looks exactly the same as the last one. And when you want to get something to eat, you can get the same selection of entrees (faux-Australian, faux-Mexican, faux-Italian or faux-Texan) that were available at the other suburban commercial center. And after you eat the over-sized portion, you can go to the exact same movie that was available at the last multiple cineplex. And you pay for it with the same debit or credit card from the same mega-bank, with funds from the same corporate job as everyone else. The corporate goal has been realized: limit selection to control the market.

Now, what is more communist than a society in which all people look the same, all commercial centers are identical, and everyone drives home to the same pastel over sized boxes at the end of impersonal cul de sacs to watch the same shows and get their misinformation from the same cable network? Your $250 per month goes to the home owner's association so that all of the lawns and shrubs will look the same. Your SUV is cozy along side your sedan in your garage just like everyone else's. And we all go to hospitals owned by the same managed health care corporation, and pay for it by feeding the same enormous health insurance provider.

Looks like communism to me.

Just an observation.