Capitalism is the only economic system that is both practical and moral. It is practical because its institutions lead to technological progress and capital accumulation, which leads to economic progress, which leads to prosperity. It is moral because it is compatible with reason, reality,human nature, natural rights, productiveness,increases in wealth, true justice, and the prohibition of force.
They only know how things worked where they’re from. The whole idea of markets, capitalism, and opportunity is foreign to them. The regimes back where they came from ingrained a hatred of the productive, successful people.
Intelligent socialists - yes, they exist - know this, and it is in order to avoid counter-examples that the Fabian ploy is followed, named after Fabius "Cunctator", the Delayer, the fellow who wore Hannibal out rather than engage him directly. Because if there aren't any counter-examples to socialist nonsense such as, say, West Berlin was to East Berlin, then there is no resistance (goes the theory). If there is no escape from socialism, if it is gradually imposed, there won't be any complaints. Goes the theory.
All of that runs contrary to history, and contrary to the fervent belief of the current Left, history can't really be rewritten for very long. In fact, as the author attests, those miserable under socialism knew it full well. "We pretend to work and they pretend to pay us" is bitter humor and an admission of truth.
Socialism is glib, attractive, and easy to understand, political fodder for the intellectually lazy. Why study history when you can codify the whole thing in terms of class struggle and dismiss it? The bill doesn't come due until later. But it does come due in the end.