Imagine a government that does everything for you from cradle to grave. Born in a government hospital at no cost, given medical care at no cost, given food, housing, spending money, government job, elderly pay and funeral services at end of life.
Sounds pretty enticing to think about – everything FREE! Is it really free? What if you didn’t want to work the government job given to perform? Can you refuse? Do you dare to refuse?
Socialism/communism/Marxism as purely practiced is a small elite at the governing top, and everyone else at the bottom doing jobs to support the government. That could include anything from farm work, sewer work, construction work, medical work, etc. You would be a ward of the state and would be assigned your job.
If you were a doctor, scientist, teacher, administrator, etc. — your salary would be the same as everyone else’s. If you were a factory worker, you may make slightly less, but would be happy in the knowledge you’ll be working for equality and humanity. Everyone would be equal; to each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.
All sounds good, except humans aren’t machines nor are they satisfied with mediocrity. Socialism is BULLSHIT! It doesn’t work, can’t work, won’t work, never has, never will. Ask anyone who experienced living under socialism/communism from Russia or China. They will all tell you it was oppressive and unworkable.
Russia and China in the last 20 years have embraced capitalism and benefitted from their choice. Their standards of living have increased and there are gains in capital that allows workers to improve their lives — better food, housing, more choices — moving toward a ”middle class” status.
On M-6 highway east of the Kalamazoo Ave. interchange there is a sign on the south side of the road:
Marxism/Socialism = Poverty and Hunger
No truer words were on a warning sign.
The only difference between Democrats today and socialists of Russia and China is that Democrats say they can do socialism smarter and better (though none have ever lived under Socialism. I tend to agree with their optimism., but that means the government Democrats embracing socialism would bring on poverty and hunger quickly, because most have never had experience running a popcorn stand, let alone a company selling desired, popular product and they are making laws governing this land.
They are not our brightest and best among us. They make outrageous statements and lean socialist with a capital “S.”
A Facebook post by a capitalist explains why capitalism works :
”A guy looked at my airplane the other day and said “I wonder how many people I could have fed for the price of that airplane?”
I replied,” I am not sure, it fed a lot of families at the Dassault factory where it was built. I’m sure it fed a bunch of families that rolled the aluminum at the Alcoa factory. It surely fed a lot of people at the Honeywell factory where the experts built the turbines. It fed a whole company for a few weeks when I had them build me a new interior. It feeds the families of linemen that fuel it.
That’s the difference between capitalism and a welfare (socialism) mentality. When you buy something, you put money in people’s pockets, and give them dignity for their skills.
When you give someone something for nothing, you rob them of their dignity and self worth.
Capitalism is freely giving your money in exchange for something of value. It is an equal exchange – money for a product/service.
Socialism is taking your money against your will and shoving something down your throat that you never asked for.”
Well said, well said indeed.
About the recent news:
I’m with the President. If you don’t like this country, please leave! Go someplace else and experience their way of life. You might like it. I doubt it, but you may. If this country is so bad, why are so many people are trying to get in?
The author of this website, Mr. Young, Basura, Ms. Mandeville, Couchman and others will love this post! Enjoy and feel compelled to respond my socialist friends! These are the same people who benefitted greatly from our capitalist system. As is quoted regularly on this website by me and Army Bob “A capitalistic republic is the worst type of government, until it is compared to all other forms of government.”
The rotting of America from within continues…
Mr. Ranger Rick,
I agree, socialism is the government controlling our lives. If the government funds colleges it can control content and curriculum, with health care they can control diet, weight and our work and leisure activities.
Another excellent article..
When will people come to understand nothing is FREE …someone is paying be it the giver or receiver….
The best example is the freedom we have in this Country….it cost many lives to and to hold…
Not there are those that encourage us to give this up. For other forms that history has proven do not work.
I also believe if you are dissatisfied here go back or to a Country having the form of government you think is better.
No one does, and thousands upon thousands do whatever necessary to gain entry legally or illegally.
What makes this horrific Country appealing to these people??
It continues to baffle me why AB and RR continue to treat socialism only as an absolute, rather than as an economic tool that can be used sparingly but effectively to temper the excesses of capitalism.
They view socialist applications with utter fear, instead of with respectful caution.
I’ve said it before, both socialism and capitalism are subject to dangerous excess. Right now capitalism is experiencing just that, to the detriment of the middle class, and the utter delight of the 1% who hoard the wealth of the nation.
Like most Trump supporters, these two men tend to deal in absolutes, both in thought and language, expressing themselves only in superlatives and broad-brush painting of generalized groups of people.
I am dismayed that our president has had this effect on a large portion of his believers to the extent that they appear (please note my cautious use of this verb “appear” to mean seem) not to think for themselves but only buy into his incautious rhetoric, which engenders, exaggerates, and promotes only fear.
The Greeks operated on a philosophy called the Golden Mean, meaning moderation in everything. We could do well to emulate that principle.
Ms. Mandaville,
You have to be kidding me! You are the one who has referred to to those of us you disagree with as racists in an “absolute” term, please read your past columns and judge yourself. If you are not for open borders you want to destroy family’s and torture children per your columns. Talk about walking in lock step to liberal orthodoxy. Moderation? again please read your columns.
“broad brush” painting of groups please go back and look at your words after the election, look at the names you called Trump voters all Trump voters.
Please practice what you preach.
Hilarity is you saying you do not judge people by the group using a gigantic brush.
Ms. Mandeville, I appreciate your response only in that you reveal your true self as the Elitist you are, emulating Hillary Clinton and the comment about “deplorables”, which I’m sure you enjoyed immensely at the time. She lost, President Trump won, and the rest is history. I think the “deplorable” comment cost her the election.
As for those that agree with the President, we only agree because he was saying what we were thinking and somebody ran for president that reflected those ideas.
Please don’t start the racist chant like the four representatives that are calling Speaker Pelosi a racist – that strategy wins no political races nor minds when it is used on anyone who disagrees with them.
It undermines the word when it is used for every instance of disagreement. To call someone a racist is vile if they aren’t. Do you truly think Pelosi is a racist? I don’t, and I loath everything she does politically. I think the Democrats are the racist party because they revile in playing the race card at every turn and they use African-Americans, Latinos, and illegals as pawns in their political schemes.
The Democrats will be defeating themselves if the allow the four idiots to remain the face and voice of the party. But please support them, I dare you.
I think it’s hilarious that you think I’m an elitist.
Trump was elected because too many people disliked Hillary and voted for T as the alternative, not necessarily because they believed in him. Those who say they liked the way he spoke were just looking for vindication of their own questionable opinions and permission to act on them.
Pelosi is not a full-blown racist.
The Squad exhibits racist tendencies, as we all do. ALL of us. I dare you to find even one person in the US who is not somewhat racist.
The Squad faithfully and vehemently represent the districts for which they were elected, which is the democratic way.
I would love to see Republicans play the race card appropriately. It would mean they care about the president’s careless, abhorrent comments.
Finally, I support the young female freshmen congresswomen to represent their constituents and speak their minds according to the First Amendment, even when I take issue with what they may have said. Support does not equate to blind agreement with the message. Support encourages intellectual dialogue and discussion instead of heated monologue and closed minds.
By the way, my last name is spelled with a second “a” rather than “e.”
Ms Mandaville, have you spoken with people who voted for Trump because they “liked the way he spoke”? And did those people in turn tell you that “were just looking for vindication of their own questionable opinions”? Or are you just “expressing yourself only in superlatives and broad brush painting” the generalized group of deplorables?
Sounds like the pot talking about the kettle if you ask me.
Ms. Gal, yes, I have spoken to many Trump voters who have expressed exactly what I said. They love the way he speaks – plain, unfiltered, and crass (yes, they said they like the crassness). I inferred that they are looking for vindication of their own opinions because they do seem to relish the implied permission of the president to act in ways I have not known them to act in the past.
I do try very hard to always qualify my remarks with words like some, most, a few, or many when making my own opinions known, and rarely, if ever, use superlatives, and if I fail at that I regret it.
None of us is perfect, but we need to keep trying to be the best we can be.
Trump lost and his supporters are “poorly educated” traitors.
Ms. MandAville,
The freaky four can do as they please but they should expect pushback for their comments and racist remarks (especially against Jews and Israel). Speaker Pelosi has lost control and the media will fuel the division and help widen the discordant factions. Much to my delight.
You are an elitist. Why not accept the fact and embrace it? At least I didn’t accuse you of being a racist since you disagree with my comments.
And your comment of “closed minds”, you may want to reference the nearest mirror.
Have a nice day!
DOTM, please tell me what an elitist is. I guess I don’t know.
A librarian without access to a dictionary? Who’s zooming who?
Nice try.
Just look in the mirror, you’ll see a perfect example.
Ranger Rick is to the point he’s baiting others for responses?
Rave on Ranger Rick, Rave on!