We are seeing many socialist ideas gaining traction in America today. Polling shows about 70% of millennials say they would back a socialist candidate for elective office. This is troubling because of what socialism is and what it produces.
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Commonsense has abandoned our socialism supporting countrymen. All we hear about from the Left is “free” college tuition and government-run health care. Then there’s the universal basic income. That’s a guaranteed income even for able-bodied people who don’t work.
There are no free lunches. The bill always falls on “we the people.” That is an immutable fact.
We can blame some of the attraction to socialism on its advocate’s false promises to fix every social ill. They cannot actually do so. But, the game is to throw money at a problem and say they accomplished something.
Often the administration of the receiving agencies passes through funding. It winds up supporting Leftist political Party activity, laundered for politically friendly Parties and causes.
The same people doing this are responsible for the indoctrination in our schools and universities an integral part of advancing a more centralized government in America.
It is past time to take responsibility for educating the next generation. We have personally failed to educate the next generation about socialism. Instead, we are leaving it up to others who have a different agenda.
Here are some of the more persistent socialism myths and information to debunk them.
Socialism has never failed because it has never really been tried.
Well, not so much. The truth of the matter is socialism has been tried many times, in many places. It has failed everywhere it has been tried for over a century. The list of places where it has been tried includes: the former Soviet Union, the democratic socialism of Israel, India, and Great Britain to present-day Venezuela. There are more such as Argentina, Cuba, Nicaragua, Cambodia, China, etc. You get the idea.
Denmark, pick your Scandinavian country, is a prime example that socialism works.
Well, not so much. The truth is; Denmark has a free-market economy. It produces goods and services that the government then heavily taxes. The taxes are used to finance an extensive welfare state. Denmark’s prime minister once told a shocked Washington, D.C., audience: “I would like to make one thing clear … Denmark is a market economy.” Like Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and Norway all rely on free-market capitalism. That is how they finance their expansive welfare systems. It is simply a lie that socialism is the Scandinavian high life.
Socialism is compassionate and caring.
Well, not so much. The truth is; socialists only care about the collective, not the individual. In Maoist China, children as young as 12 are subject to capital punishment. Women are forced to work in coal mines. Workers were harassed with threats of prison if they are late. Tell it to the 100 million people who died under socialism in non-war acts of power and control.
Socialism places power in the hands of the people.
Well, not so much. The truth is; socialism depends upon the dictatorship of a military leader or a political party. Socialist leaders promise to bring down dictators. But, in the end they only replace the current dictator with their own Marxist dictatorships. We’ve seen this play out time and again in places like China, North Korea, Vietnam, and Laos.
Karl Marx, socialism’s founder, was one of the great thinkers of the 19th century.
Well, not so much. The truth is; Marx was wrong about nearly everything. Nearly 200 years after “The Communist Manifesto,” the nation-state has not withered away. Capitalism, not socialism, rules the global economy. Workers have not turned into revolutionaries. They have turned into entrepreneurs. And private property is a cornerstone of every prosperous country. You could be more wrong but… how?
Human nature is malleable and easily changed by government edicts.
Well, not so much. The truth is; for 70 years, the Soviet Union tried to change people. They attempted to suppress people’s innermost desires for freedom. The U.S.S.R. tried to keep people focused on improving the state without caring for improving their own lot in life.
In practice, socialism depends on constant policing. The state needs people to spy on each other. It has massive police and intelligence operations. People cannot be trusted. Huge prison camps are put in place to coerce people and maintain power. Ask the Uighurs.
These are just some of the myths and realities of socialism. We need to state them and make clear what the truth is. Socialism is an ideology that has failed everywhere it’s been tried. We must work to enlighten our children and grandchildren.
Socialism is the Scandinavian high life; quite simply is a lie. They will tell you this. Will you listen to them? We must be there to counter the falsehoods they are learning. Today’s professors, the media, and pop culture are working ceaselessly. We must counter the Left or we will surely lose another generation to this bait and switch ideology.
