by Michelle Winder
Free College! Free Medicare! Subsidized Housing! Guaranteed Jobs!
On a recent trip to New York, I was handed a flyer recommending a certain political candidate who was a strong supporter of socialism. I have to start by admitting I’m a skeptic, so when I read this headline I wondered, “if everything is free – who pays?”
When I was in college (which my parents paid dearly for) I wasn’t a great student of history or government. But I did know that I loved living in a capitalist country where people could work hard and get ahead. I had never even considered moving to a socialist country, so I didn’t know a lot about it.
After receiving the flyer, and witnessing the extreme passion of the people rallying, I thought I’d check in to it. Perhaps I had missed something. I determined to view socialism from a purely objective point of view. I began by researching the definition:
Socialism: a form of society in which the government owns or controls major industries; Socialism is the transitional stage between capitalism and communism.
What? I must say, although I already had a negative opinion of some people working harder so others could freeload, as soon as I read the definition, I felt my research was over. Yet it begged the question, who in their right mind, would be for more government control, leading to communism? The answer to that question plagued me, so I continued with my research.
I started by checking social media (a benefit of free speech in this capitalist society) but all I could find from supporters were phrases such as, “of course your rich capitalist pigs don’t want socialism” & “he/she wants smart border control, not something that accommodates a ladder. Duh” and, “I think you might just be too stupid to live. You’re certainly too fat” and many similar sayings. I searched and searched and could not find anyone who posted an actual benefit of socialism.
So, I looked up the benefits of Socialism and this is what I found: In theory, since the government controls almost all of society’s functions, it can make better use of resources, labors, and lands; Socialism reduces disparity in wealth, not only in different areas but also in all social ranks and classes.
Hmm. Sounds great, but the whole, ‘in theory’ thing kind of threw me. ‘Reduces disparity in wealth’- in other words, the rich work hard and pay for the poor & lazy? I get it, in theory. It worked in Biblical times, as stated in Acts, but no one was forced to give anything. They willingly gave their extra resources to the poor. And we’re talking orphans and widows here- not lazy men. Because that same historical document states, ‘the lazy man should not eat.’
I decided to look at history. I looked at other socialist countries and how they’ve faired… the Soviet Union, Cuba, East Germany, North Korea, Nicaragua and, top of mind lately, Venezuela. Those regimes have been the most brutal, impoverished, depressing and inhumane in history. Not one of those countries would I choose to live in.
I could not for the life of me figure out why anyone, in their right mind, would prefer socialism over capitalism unless they really believed that they could have other people pay for their needs and desires. I wondered who these people were so, first I looked up AOC. First, she clearly states that she wants to ban airplanes and, yes, COWS! The next article was about her NOT wanting Amazon in NY because they wanted $3B in tax breaks. Her response, “We don’t want them here, we’ll use that $3B to give to teachers” told me more than I needed to know. (If you don’t get it, here’s a little hint: WHERE is the $3B going to come from?) Lastly, I looked up the demographics of those who are pro-socialism, and this is what I found: 57 percent of respondents between the ages of 18 and 29 have a positive view of socialism.
Enough said. Research over. ~ Michele Winder
Michelle Winder is an engaging author, coach and speaker who is authentic and entertaining. Her life experiences, including being raised from the dead, provide a wealth of wisdom for her dynamic, informative, speaking topics. She’s the first to tell you that TIME is not Money. TIME is LIFE- and we cannot waste it as though it’s loose change!
Michelle believes too many people waste their lives watching other people and she’s passionate about showing people how to make the most of their own stage. She demonstrates how to walk through the challenges we all face, head on, without fear. She emphasizes that YOU are the LEAD on YOUR Stage in Life- she’ll show you how so you can Rock YOUR Red Carpet!
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