Given the history of the last hundred years—the Communist Revolution occurred in1917—I am always shocked when someone advocates for communism or, for that matter, pushes for socialism on a grander scale than we already find in America. These people must know little history and even less about human nature.
Let’s take a quick look at the track record of communism.
Let’s take a quick look at the track record of communism.
Whether practiced in Russia, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Cuba, North Korea, and other countries, communism in the past century was a killing machine, murdering tens of millions through execution and starvation. For the horrifying numbers of these victims, visit https://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/seven-great-marxist-leaders-young-socialists-need-to-know/.
Communism never brings the promised economic equality. In every leftist regime, a ruling elite live on caviar and champagne while the workers scrape by on bread and beans.
Communism creates incentives through fear and intimidation. “Design this missile,” a bureaucrat orders an engineer, “or face the consequences,” which could mean prison or death.
Neither Communism nor any other political system can provide free medical care, free education, or free anything else. TANSTAAFL— the acronym comes from Robert Heinlein’s The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress and means “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch”—applies everywhere. You might not be paying out of pocket for your medical care or university degree, but someone is. The consequences: the former Soviet Union fell apart; the Chinese radically modified their “communism” to survive; North Korea is a dump.
Communism goes against human nature. I was sixteen years old when life taught me this lesson. My brother, a friend, and I won a contract to mow the entrance to the development where we lived. Once a week or so, as needed, the three of us would drag our mowers up the street, fire up the engines, and work away. My brother and I mowed at a fast clip; our friend plodded along, taking one step for every two of ours. Yet we each received the same pay.
And for those of you advocating radical socialism, which in my mind is just a cover word for Marxism, go to your computers and Google Venezuela. Not so long ago, Venezuela was the wealthiest country in South America. The socialists took control of the government and have so wrecked the economy that many Venezuelans are starving. The currency is worthless, stores are empty, and many people are voting with their feet.
Karl Marx helped promote the communist slogan, “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”
What a crock. My abilities, which are not the same as my responsibilities, belong to me, and no one other than God Almighty can demand anything of those abilities. My needs are also my concern. As with my abilities, I am responsible for determining what those needs are and then working to meet them. My needs happen to be simple. If others need a 70-foot yacht or a private plane to fulfill their lives, more power to them.
Time to bury communism in that same grave where communism has buried so many millions of others.
Communism never brings the promised economic equality. In every leftist regime, a ruling elite live on caviar and champagne while the workers scrape by on bread and beans.
Communism creates incentives through fear and intimidation. “Design this missile,” a bureaucrat orders an engineer, “or face the consequences,” which could mean prison or death.
Neither Communism nor any other political system can provide free medical care, free education, or free anything else. TANSTAAFL— the acronym comes from Robert Heinlein’s The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress and means “There ain’t no such thing as a free lunch”—applies everywhere. You might not be paying out of pocket for your medical care or university degree, but someone is. The consequences: the former Soviet Union fell apart; the Chinese radically modified their “communism” to survive; North Korea is a dump.
Communism goes against human nature. I was sixteen years old when life taught me this lesson. My brother, a friend, and I won a contract to mow the entrance to the development where we lived. Once a week or so, as needed, the three of us would drag our mowers up the street, fire up the engines, and work away. My brother and I mowed at a fast clip; our friend plodded along, taking one step for every two of ours. Yet we each received the same pay.
And for those of you advocating radical socialism, which in my mind is just a cover word for Marxism, go to your computers and Google Venezuela. Not so long ago, Venezuela was the wealthiest country in South America. The socialists took control of the government and have so wrecked the economy that many Venezuelans are starving. The currency is worthless, stores are empty, and many people are voting with their feet.
Karl Marx helped promote the communist slogan, “From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.”
What a crock. My abilities, which are not the same as my responsibilities, belong to me, and no one other than God Almighty can demand anything of those abilities. My needs are also my concern. As with my abilities, I am responsible for determining what those needs are and then working to meet them. My needs happen to be simple. If others need a 70-foot yacht or a private plane to fulfill their lives, more power to them.
Time to bury communism in that same grave where communism has buried so many millions of others.
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