Socialism vs. Capitalism

The ideological battle goes on! The shouting and rhetoric are at a fever pitch. Liberals, socialists, conservatives, capitalist…each side is scrambling to portray the other as the most dangerous threat facing America today.


Damn socialists! If it were up to them, half this country would be on the government dole and the other half, the hard working, red-blooded Americans would be paying for it. Everybody knows it is through hard work and a faith in God and country that you get ahead in this life. People who are not willing to work should not be able to collect. In fact, the government should not be in the business of providing healthcare or any other entitlements. It should only be there to sign treaties and provide for our common national defense. If citizens are truly in need, it should first be up to the family and then the church or charitable organizations to take care and provide for the unfortunate in our society. Socialist depend on taxation, but taxing citizens is the root of all evil in society. Once it begins under the guise of providing for the common good, politicians and lobbyists rush in and spend every last dime on folly and when the funds are gone, they demand more taxes to spend on more folly and so it goes. Hand in hand with taxation is regulation, federal regulation. Socialists always demand regulation after regulation. It always leads to government intrusion into our lives and ultimately the restriction of our personal freedom. There can be no good come to this country, if socialists ruled.

Damn capitalist! If it were up to them, the wealthiest 5% would pay no taxes at all. The rest of the country would be left to scramble for the crumbs on their tables and be grateful for their trickle down sustenance. The wealthy should be taxed higher than anyone in our society. They owe it to the rest of us that did not have the advantages of wealth and privilege. The very wealthy owe the rest of society because their greed and excess cause things like poverty, foreclosures and the lack of jobs for people who want to work in this country. They exploit cheap labor in third world counties at the expense of jobs here at home. To them, government regulation is seen as an impediment, something that needs to be minimized, if not eliminated. To them, regulations are not seen as a necessity for protecting society and our environment. Instead, they hinder a free market. Everything depends on a free market economy and entrepreneurship, and of course maximizing the big “P,” profit. Taxation is the other great impediment to capitalists. Why should they be taxed to provide entitlements for the less fortunate in our country? How is the care and welfare of the poor and the elderly their problem? As they see it, their only responsibility is to maximize profits for their shareholders and themselves. America would be a cold, heartless place, if capitalists were left in charge.

The problem with both views and all their accompanying rhetoric is that no one sees or understands that we are all connected, rich and poor alike. We all depend on each other. The capitalist needs people to buy their products, to invest in their plans and provide the capital for their next big thing. People need decent paying jobs, affordable homes and the ability to send their children to school and pursue their dreams. We all need access to affordable healthcare throughout our lives. And when we get old and are no longer as productive, we need to find a way to protect and care for ourselves and the needs of our loved ones. Every society has its share of poor, elderly and unfortunate people with disabilities. How a society deals with that part of their population says a lot about that society. Are they seen as a drag on society or do they have intrinsic value by their very being? If people want to work, but capitalists see more profit in moving jobs overseas, if capitalist sees fair taxation and regulations as a hindrance to profits, what does that say about them and the future of this once great country? If the socialist calls for an ever increasing tax burden by the government in order to provide for every possible need of every citizen, regardless of their actual need, abilities or willingness to work, how will that solve the crushing national debt facing our nation and future generations?

Again, no one sees that we are all interconnected to our neighbors. We see US vs. THEM. We see some as enemies. We label them with names like democrats, republicans, liberals, conservatives, socialists and capitalists. Once labeled, we each assume our roles and this battle continues. We block and we parry, trying to score rhetorical points, but in reality nothing gets done and both sides lose. At the end of the day, no jobs were created, people are still losing their homes, innovation was stifled, our national debt grew even larger, more teachers quit or got laid off, our environment got worse and we are still spending billions on two wars around the world. At the end of the day there was no progress. There was no cooperation. There were no solutions, just the same old blindness.

Food for THOUGHT…