The S word

Ron Paul accuses Elizabeth Warren of being a socialist. I've never once seen Warren advocate direct government control of the means of production. Apparently, the word "socialist" means something different in Paul-speak.

Not to be outdone, Michele Bachmann accused most of her fellow Republicans of being "frugal socialists."

"Socialism means failure and socialism kills a growing economy. ... Because socialism is a principle that I will reject, and I will work to eradicate socialism all across the United States government. Unfortunately for too many Republicans, they also aspire to be frugal socialists. ... We can't preserve liberty if the choice a year from now is between a frugal socialist and an out-of-control socialist."

Is anyone still frightened by this bogeyman?

Through overuse, the word "socialist" no longer has any meaning, at least not in American political discourse. It's simply a term for anything you don't like. If the dog soils your carpet, you can yell "Bad dog!" or you can yell "Socialist dog!" Same thing.