[GladesGuru]

Thanksgiving is a good time to remember that nearly half of the Pilgrims died from experimenting with socialism during the first winter, the "Starving Winter".

As Governor Bradford said, individual ownership of land resulted in the crop surplus that made possible the first Thanksgiving.

[netmilsmom]

I can't find the article on the link.

[A.Hun]

What a stretch.

I think this article is a turkey.

[TWohlford]

For whatever reasons, there is a gut-level urge to collectivism, Marxism, Communism, etc when a society's existence is threatened. Yes, that would include the urge to raise taxes in a "soak the rich" campaign.

This sort of collectivism does work... but only if it is voluntary. In other words, it's the old addage that "if we all work together then we'll all get thru this." We pitch in, help our neighbor, feed the poor, care for the sick, etc.

However, when one is forced by law to give up all that they have to give to those who are undermotivated to do all that they can do then the system falls apart quickly.

Besides, among the immoralities of Socialism (Communism, colletivism, etc) is that we are no longer free moral agents. We MUST be our brother's keeper, whether we like it or not. Unfortunately, for an act to be either moral or immoral the individual will be a free moral agent, and in such a system, one cannot be a free moral agent. In other words, "good works" are not good when we're forced to do them. Mankind, therefore, cannot be moral under the "isms".

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0902/0902amsoc.htm

Better URL with quotes from Governor Bradford.

[Sam Cree]

I had forgotten about this. Thanks for recounting it. Very apropos.

[Chickensoup]

Didnt they also arrive too late for planting a crop in the New England climate?

[brytlea]

I'm pretty sure I was never taught this. Thanks for the link. I'm going to be sure all 3 of my sons read it as well, because if I wasn't taught it, I'm SURE they weren't!
susie

[GOPJ]

Great oldie!