Are We Ready to Scrap Capitalism for Socialism?

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.” – Margaret Thatcher

Democratic Socialists of America

It seems many from the left have forgotten the lessons taught to us by history in regards to the old theory of a government based upon Socialism. Socialism is described by a dictionary definition as, “a political and economic theory of social organization that advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole.”

The wording actually sounds fairly nice and manageable, but the reality is what has been intended since long ago by Karl Marx and the Marxist theory is, “a transitional social state between the overthrow of capitalism and the realization of communism.”

Those advocating socialism often lecture us as to how fair it is, how we are all equal and we have equality in prosperity and life, escaping the bondage of capitalism where they claim only the wealthy ever prosper from the labors of the poorer workers.

Since I am not a historian I don’t intend to dwell much on the history of the theory here, readers can easily find many articles describing the onset of Socialism and the usual sad outcomes it on reputable sites.

In fact, we need only look at news articles from media sources often advocating socialism on how it is failing to provide the peace, prosperity or security for the masses advocates claim it does.

Fading democracy in Venezuela demonstrates failure of socialism

Swedish Economist Schools Sanders on the Ravages of Socialism

Cuba’s Lessons after 55 Years of Socialism

Some advocates quickly counter claiming they don’t advocate full on socialism, just a portion of it, labeling themselves Democratic Socialists, leading to media struggle to define just what it is.

Advocates roll out example after example of what they label “Democratic Socialism,” roads and freeways, Social Security (I guess they have already forgotten the many years of struggles of those on it), Police, and Firefighters and on they go trying to sell us on the idea of how wonderful life could be if only we succumbed to some form of Socialism.

One main area they have been striving for years to place under socialist ideals is healthcare. We need only look to the New York Times to see the failure of socialized medicine in Venezuela.

But one main area advocates fall back on to describe the “wonderful” nature of socialism that always amazes me is our Military, as seen in today’s Lazy C (the Columbian) editorial by Greg Jayne, You think government is useless? Then hit the road.

It strikes me that Mr. Jayne never served in the Military as he wrote, “For those who quiver at the mention of the word ‘socialism,’ we have some news: The U.S. military is an example of socialism. And we should be thankful for it.”

He doesn’t actually go into just why we should be thankful for the Military being, as he claims, “Socialist,” but if he had actually served any length of time in any of the branches he would realize as a glowing example of a socialist society, the Military would be an abject failure.

Ask any Veteran and you quickly learn you are not free to do what you desire when you desire.

You are under orders to do as told and the pay is among the lowest with little opportunity to increase your pay, other than regular promotions that could take several years to attain.

You are given clothing you must wear and are instructed on how you must act and show respect for a higher rank than you, regardless of what you think of that person.

You are not free to just walk in and resign and if you did just up and walk away, you are subject to federal prosecution.

It must also be noted that since ending the draft in 1973, those now serving do not do so by requirement or for any gain, financial or personal, but out of a sense of duty to protect and defend the nation in a job that must be done, freely giving up certain liberties on behalf of the country.

And in spite of what those who never served claim, our Military functions best in spite of itself. By that I mean Generals design some plan for a mission to accomplish a goal and send it down the ranks. By the time it is ready for implementation, it is the enlisted and NCO’s that often ignore the plan and do what they must in order to accomplish the mission.

Or, as Winston Churchill once quipped about warfare, “In war as in life, it is often necessary when some cherished scheme has failed, to take up the best alternative open, and if so, it is folly not to work for it with all your might.”

In his words of how thankful we ought to be that the Military is Socialist, Jayne also seems to have forgotten that in World War Two we and the allied forces fought and defeated National Socialism, aka Nazis.

In Korea and Vietnam we opposed Communist forces, the very system Socialism invariably leads to.

And in December of 1991 the world witnessed the long overdue Fall of The Soviet Union giving millions freedom for the first time in their lives and allowing countries to choose their own destiny as the failure of Communism and its claims collapsed.

Jayne and others advocating more of a socialist society seem to think that only sticking our toes into a vat of boiling acid would be of benefit if we could then pay a little less for a pair of shoes.

You may think I have wandered afar from what Jayne’s editorial is about and perhaps I have somewhat, since he seems to think those opposed to socialism prefer all government functions be privatized. But he’s wrong there.

Most of us do realize we need government. But we also realize we don’t need government ruling and mandating every inch of our lives, controlling us and deciding for us what is best for us while demanding we pay for their programs and policies with ever increasing taxes on our paychecks.

In spite of efforts by Progressives to deny it, we need only look back to the writings of the Plymouth Colony’s first Governor, William Bradford to see how such a ‘communal arrangement’ failed the early Pilgrims.

Winston Churchill again left us words of wisdom Jayne and others should reflect on, “The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries.”

Sorry, but there is no such thing as just a little poison.