One needs to be careful about historical parallels as history rarely repeats itself exactly. That said, I want to weigh in on the comparisons people keep making between Obama's actions and socialism. I believe they are inexact and therefore unfair.
What Obama practices is more the crony capitalism that characterized the Third Reich. Hitler was friendly with the big industrialists of Germany, the Krupps and the Thyssens, just as Obama has been friendly with the Buffetts and Immelts. This Weekly Standard article also makes the "crony capitalism" claim.
Being friendly with executives while heavily increasing government control of business and instituting industrial policy together characterize the economic policy of the Third Reich. And that of our 44th and current president.
Is our president a Nazi? I would never make that claim; he isn't the jingoist the Nazis were. However, if you must find an historical precedent which his economic policies parallel, they more closely resemble those of the Third Reich than they do those of Mao's China or Lenin's Russia.
