We seem to unfortunately have a percentage of people in this country that thinks socialism would be a good thing. Isnt it time to face facts?
1) No country has ever become prosperous on full time socialism.
2) In the last century socialism killed approx 100,000,000 people.
3) In Cuba people are driving '58 Chevys yet. And in Venezuela people are eating dogs and cats.
4) And where it fails is that Huge government takes everything in taxes. When a country switches to socialism to begin with, you have people that do work and those that dont. When people that do work have everything taken from them, and see that those that dont work gets the money from those that do work, SOON NO ONE WANTS TO WORK. That when you learn to like the taste of dog meat!!!! Oh, and then the economy collapses like it did in Venezuela.
Socialism, and it's extreme in Communism, is based on the idea that people are essentially good, and can be taught to be unselfish and self-sacrificing.
This is where we get the foundation of socialist idealism, i.e. "
from each according to their ability,
to each according to their need."
Of course we are not "factually" equal. Some people are stronger, others are weaker. Some people are faster, others are slower. Some are smarter, others are dumber. But one thing remains the same, that is
regardless of their capabilities each person is still an individual, NOT a "part" in some social machine.
That means each person has their own needs, wants, and goals. They cannot fit like identical cogs in a machine.
Let's use making shoes for example. There will be some who can make 20 shoes in one hour, others who might be able to make ten, and other's who literally have the mental or physical capacity to only make five. Under socialism, the person who only makes five shoes still deserves the same proportion of wages, food, clothing, etc., as the person who makes 20 shoes in the same time.
Now under socialism, the two extremes (20 shoes/ 5 shoes) are still expected to make as many shoes as they can for the good of society as a whole. "From each according to their abilities." Meanwhile, they are also only going to be paid the same regardless of their output. "To each according to their need."
Well, as has been shown over and over historically, what happens once the person who can make 20 shoes in an hour realizes they are busting butt for the same return as someone only producing 5 shoes an hour? They start making fewer shoes an hour, as few as they think they can get away with.
The leaders of a socialist state know this will occur. To combat it they will impose controls and penalties over those whose work product does not meet the higher expectations of "from each according to their ability." Moreover, they will also doubt the lack of capability of those who only make 5 shoes per hour; assuming that they aren't really doing their best. They will take similar measures to improve their production.
Meanwhile, people will learn to mask their capabilities, teaching their children to do this as well because it will not profit them to always "do their very best." To combat this, the State will tightly control education, teaching children to become good little automatons, and by the way to spy on their families to make sure they are good citizens too.
Always there will be the lure of positions in leadership, for those identified as having the best abilities to lead the State. Thus a social hierarchy will emerge, with leaders, enforcers, and proles all working together under the "from each according to his capabilities, to each according to his needs." Leaders need the most, due to the pressures of their important roles. Enforcers need the next most, due to the importance of their roles. Proles need the least, due to their basic role in society.
This is the foundation of a slave State.