Posted on 02/03/2016 6:52:55 AM PST by reegs
It's disheartening that an avowed socialist is a viable candidate for president of the United States. Socialism is a dead end. For hundreds of years, it has failed everywhere it's been adopted. The enthusiasm of our youth for the candidacy of Bernie Sanders is a symptom of our failure to educate them, not only in history, government and economics, but also basic morality.
You don't have to be a student of ancient history to know socialism doesn't work. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 was an unequivocal demonstration of the moral and economic superiority of capitalism. The misery caused by socialism is unfolding today in Venezuela. Since Venezuela embraced socialism in 1999, poverty, crime and corruption have all increased. Grocery shelves are empty and the annual inflation rate is estimated to be as high as 200 percent.
The United States is a constitutional republic founded on political equality, not equality of income or circumstances. Our system of government was designed to secure the natural rights of its citizens. These rights include not only "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," but the right to acquire and maintain private property. The Founding Fathers considered property rights to be sacred and paramount.
Under capitalism, goods and services are distributed through private, voluntary exchanges. When people engage in volitional transactions, everyone benefits. If we believe a transaction is in our best interest, we have an incentive to maintain good relations with those with whom we're trading. Thus a society based on freedom and trading promotes good will and civility. Our free-market system has produced the greatest prosperity in human history.
There are no property rights under socialism. Goods and services are distributed by force through political means. Everything you possess is subject to confiscation and redistribution. Industrious and productive people are punished; parasites are rewarded. When people come to believe they have a right to goods and services produced by other people, society disintegrates into squabbling factions. If socialism is allowed to progress to its logical extreme, it culminates in a military dictatorship like North Korea.
What about so-called "crony capitalism"? This is nothing more than socialism that benefits the wealthy and influential. It's just as wrong as any other form of socialism. The cure is to limit government power. Human nature is corruptible. If government has the power to redistribute wealth, it will always act in the interests of the powerful segments of society. What made America great is not progressive government, but the genius and industry of a people freed from arbitrary power by the chains placed upon government by our Constitution.
Socialism isn't so much a legitimate economic system as it is a moral failing. It will always exist because ignorant people will always want something for nothing. If we want to retain our freedom and prosperity, then we must educate our children that the purpose of government is to secure liberty, not provide free lunches.
Deming (ddeming@ou.edu) is a professor of arts and sciences at the University of Oklahoma.
This dude have some cojones...
That’s as clear and succinct a lesson in reality as I’ve read in some time.
So, when does OU revoke his tenure?
How did this guy ever make it through education school?
“The enthusiasm of our youth for the candidacy of Bernie Sanders is a symptom of our failure to educate them, not only in history, government and economics, but also basic morality.”
Oh, they’ve been educated, or at least indoctrinated. So from that perspective, the plan worked. In fact, it worked so well, that now Bernie wants “education” to be “free”. That is, taxpayer largess for everyone in academia.
It worked like a charm, this indoctrination.
The real education for these kids begins when they are starving to death. Then they will be ready to learn something.
That’s what your industry wanted, right Prof?
bfl
I hope he has tenure.
Professor Deming is a geologist/geophysicist by training. He probably has some hours awarded by some College of Education, but, unlike most education majors, he actually has a marketable skill.
Education is and has been a failure for a long time. Ever since the establishment of the U.S. Department of Education. When ever the federal government becomes involved in anything you can bet that about 90% of the time failure will occur.
bttt
The danger to America is not Barack Obama, but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem is much deeper and far more serious than Mr. Obama, who is a mere symptom of what ails America.
Blaming the prince of the fools should not blind anyone to the vast confederacy of fools that made him their prince. The Republic can survive a Barack Obama, who is, after all, merely a fool. It is less likely to survive a multitude of fools, such as those who made him their president.
2008 Czech Newspaper Editorial
The comments at the site are full of the usual self-righteous outrages about ‘monopoly capitalism’ and how it’s destroying the planet and prevents young people and students from succeeding. The cry of the people seems to be ‘give us your bread and everything else you’ve got because life is just so hard.’
Capitalism is the unequal distribution of wealth.
Socialism is the equal distribution of misery.
“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”
- James Madison
A glimmer of hope in a tainted world!
It was 1 professor I had in college that really turned me on to liberty though too. The rest were soft moderate or leftist bums.
Was talking with a kid, who had on a “Bernie” shirt and proclaimed himself to be a socialist.
I just laughed and looked at him with that look of “That’s Special”.
Few minutes later he asked what was so funny.
“Oh, just looking into your future and hoping I know you in 10 years, so I can hear you again”...
HT - Peoplescube.com
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