I READ The Gleaner article titled 'Floridians link Obama with Manley socialism' with great interest, especially since Mr Donaldson and Mr Williams seem to live in Florida, USA.

While most people that I know do not see any vestige of similarity between Michael Manley and Barack Obama, these gentlemen see such a strong similarity that they felt the need to issue warnings about socialism.

Obviously, both men will refuse to accept social security payments when they become eligible, they will refuse to be covered by Medicaid when they get older and both men see nothing wrong with their neighbours paying to send their (Donaldson and Williams) children to school.

These, among many other things like food stamps for the poor, etc., are some of the very socialist practices that millions of Americans benefit from, while themselves calling socialism a mortal sin.

protect them

Some people seem to feel that the government's role is to protect them while they steal food out of the mouths of babies, all in the name of free market capitalism, and lacking that, the government is deemed to be evil and socialist.

Donaldson and Williams clearly need to take some time to look at their ideals since Obama does NOT consider himself and his proposed policies to be socialist, even though he expresses concern about the welfare (another socialist word?) of the poor. Indeed, neither the Wall Street Journal, nor the New York Times considers Obama's proposed policies to be socialist, only the rabid right does.

Asking the rich to pay their fair share of the tax burden does not penalise them unfairly, and certainly is NOT a way to transfer wealth to the poor. These taxes go towards sending Williams' and Donaldson's children to school, among other things.

Wake up guys, entrepreneurial capitalism and highway robbery are not the same things.

I am, etc.,

GEORGE SIMMONDS

tungsten_001@verizon.net

Via Go-Jamaica