To hear modern-day right-wingers tell it, any talk at all of equal access to health care or public welfare is wholly inconsistent with America's historical legacy of rugged individualism, and the use of tax revenue to fund social programs amounts to a form of government sponsored theft or a program of wealth redistribution befitting only a Communist state.

But back in 1952, under the Truman administration, Superman took a much different view, as shown in this public service ad from the time period:

"Superman Says: Hop on the Welfare Bandwagon"

It probably wouldn't hurt to get Superman's voice back into the debate. So why not print this vintage ad out for yourself, reproduce it in the form of a handbill, and distribute copies at town hall meetings and other public events on health care reform? Or maybe just give a copy to any Mr. Stanton's you might encounter in daily life.

Then ask them this: If we didn't equate tax subsidized social programs and welfare with Communism in the 1950s, early in The Cold War, at a time in history when anti-Communist sentiment in America was at its apex, why do we so readily equate the two now?

This cartoon provides a stunning illustration of America's dramatic political drift to the right over the last few decades. We've moved much farther to the right than where we were even during the era of anti-Communist hysteria and McCarthyism!