Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

The Wreckage of Socialism is Not Just Economic
The Stream ^ | October 27, 2020 | Chenyuan Snider

Posted on 10/27/2020 11:30:50 AM PDT by Heartlander

The Wreckage of Socialism is Not Just Economic

I grew up in a socialist society, but I’ve found it hard sometimes to talk about socialism in America. When people like me identify the blatant failures of socialism, its advocates often argue that the socialist countries we’re talking about are “not really socialist.” In other words, no true socialism has ever existed. Hence, there is a need to practice true socialism here in America.

The Reality of Socialism

I think socialism should be defined based on historical facts, not on utopian fantasies that exist only in its campaigners’ heads. It’s like a mirage: it only looks good from a distance. That’s why its advocates are usually those who have never lived in a socialist place. But I have. I know what socialism is like because I did not view it from afar. I was in it.

In socialist societies such as, China, Cuba, North Korea, Poland, Romania, the Soviet Union, Slovakia, Ukraine, Venezuela, just to name a few, past and present, everything belongs to the centralized government, which directs and plans the economy. There is no private property.

The purpose of the system is to distribute wealth equally and to end inequality and poverty. On paper it sounds very attractive. In reality, all socialist countries end up in one place: shattered economies, poverty and the destruction of civilization. My own childhood experience illustrates this.

Devastating Human Corruption

But the most devastating effect of socialism is not economic. Power corrupts human beings. People inevitably abuse and misuse it.

(Excerpt) Read more at stream.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Education; Religion; Society
KEYWORDS: dsj03

1 posted on 10/27/2020 11:30:50 AM PDT by Heartlander
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Heartlander

2 posted on 10/27/2020 11:36:07 AM PDT by BBQToadRibs
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Heartlander

Reading about it is one thing ... experiencing it firsthand (over the past eight months as the governors continue to suspend the Constitution without challenge) is something else. It should be eye-opening to any American except that many American women and “men” keep their eyes closed from abject fear of the Chinese flu.


3 posted on 10/27/2020 11:40:16 AM PDT by glennaro (Know that a muzzle is a symbol of subservience, of self-degradation and, most tragically, of fear.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Heartlander
Socialism?


4 posted on 10/27/2020 11:40:28 AM PDT by Ouchthatonehurt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Heartlander

“Everything and everyone must support the Party!”

The Democrat Party.

Nations hostile to the US are using the Democrat Party to weaken the US.

Look at how the Chinese communist leaders treat people.

Who wants that in the US?


5 posted on 10/27/2020 11:42:48 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer”)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Heartlander

After the collapse of the USSR, life was pretty bad for most of it’s citizens in the 1990s as they worked toward the Russian version of capitalism.

There’s a guy on Youtube who was born and raised to early adulthood in the USSR (Kiev) before coming to the US. He has a lot of interesting insights on the realities of life under socialism, for example:
“Five reasons why the Russian people still miss the USSR”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-p3IxqcDRM4


6 posted on 10/27/2020 11:52:08 AM PDT by LouieFisk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BBQToadRibs
The purpose of the system is to distribute wealth equally and to end inequality and poverty.

The writer starts from the WRONG premise. This is NOT the purpose of socialism. The purpose of socialism is to coalesce all economic and political power in the hands of a few oligarchs. They may state the above premise along the way, but that is just for the benefit of the stupid people who think this way.

I took a business trip with a died in the wool Democrat and had a lot of discussions with him. I recounted how my parents home had stabilizing bars on their showers and bathtub. He thought that was such a good idea that he proposed that builders be required to install them when a house was built. That way everyone would have the bars.

Later, I realized that there was an immediate comeback which I should have employed: I totally agree with your proposal, except, the my short mother used the tub and my tall father used the shower. The bars were installed with their height in mind. How is it that the builders are to know this in advance??

The essence of the socialist fallacy is in all situations: One size fits all. Choice by the consumer is unnecessary and wasteful.

Thus, in 1999, we had a Polish foreign exchange student living with us in Arizona. Poland was still recovering from the Soviet occupation. She was taken aback at the grocery store by all the choices that could be made. When we took her to a sports store to get a tennis racket, it took her forever to pick one out. She was not used to the idea of comparing products in order to make a purchase.

To a socialist, or a Democrat, One Size Fits All! Rejection of that idea was the primary reason that President Trump left the details of handling Covid-19 to the states. Some used draconian measures which resulted in killing people while a few others were closer to the Swedish model. But it was their choice!

7 posted on 10/27/2020 11:59:47 AM PDT by the_Watchman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Heartlander
We have a very good example of enforced Socialist experiment: the ill-advised Great Leap Forward in China between 1958 and 1963. The result: possibly as much as 45 million dead Chinese from a deliberately-induced famine.
8 posted on 10/27/2020 12:02:19 PM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's Economic Cure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Heartlander

Great article.

I would also say, that Socialism kills iniative and innovation. People will reject that when they see they are sinking towards poverty. So to maintain power, the socialist system must begin to censure and promote a history that didn’t exist in order to promote a reality that seems better than it is.

Maintaining a socialist system requires totalitarianism or it will be eventually rejected when people realize it failed to deliver on it’s promises. And will probably sooner than later.

The only question is how long the populace will tolerate the totalitarianism and how much blood will be shed to overthrow it.


9 posted on 10/27/2020 12:03:30 PM PDT by DannyTN
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Heartlander

Why is this always so easy for all of us to understand on our side and yet the other side is blind? There has to be some biological and psychological makeup of those who think a certain way. Socialism and all associated “isms” should horrify people but these leftists watch their cities go up in flames and they celebrate. They teach all of this leftists crap in our polluted education system.


10 posted on 10/27/2020 12:21:08 PM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: the_Watchman

Do you agree with this:

I think socialism attracts people who want and love power. The people who get the power love to control others. The people at the bottom just want to be cared for, but they learn that their love for security is slavery.

I’ve always lived in America; my family helped start America. And even though I have never lived in socialistic country, I HATE socialism


11 posted on 10/27/2020 12:21:51 PM PDT by Karoo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: LouieFisk

I would heartily recommend that YouTube channel, The Ushanka Show.

It’s creator grew-up on Soviet Ukraine before emigrating to the US and settling in Michigan. His videos are very well-produced and presented in a very straightforward, factual way.

It’s been 30 years since the wall came down. This stuff is going to disappear down the memory hole if people like this fellow don’t start recording it.


12 posted on 10/27/2020 12:26:36 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Heartlander

” ... can’t afford a thing on TV. “


13 posted on 10/27/2020 12:47:05 PM PDT by A strike (FrontTowardEnemy)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BBQToadRibs

Ever notice that no one ever says “’Nationalist Socialism (Nazi)’ has never been done right, but we’ll do it right the next time!”

Once was enough!


14 posted on 10/27/2020 12:48:15 PM PDT by Ruy Dias de Bivar (In FACEBOOK JAIL! again. The words "Brain Dead and Road Ho" got me canned.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Heartlander

The true purpose of socialism is the redistribution of wealth to the redistributors, their goons, cronies, minions and families.

Because some people insist on keeping their stuff, socialists require goons to take it by force. The goons then keep the stuff and get rid of the socialists too but continue to call themselves socialists. The “right people” don’t get to run socialism because they are dead.


15 posted on 10/27/2020 12:54:03 PM PDT by UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide (Reverse Wickard v Filburn (1942) - and - ISLAM DELENDA EST)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BBQToadRibs

Yep. One of the most arrogant and evil things a person can say. But they always say it.


16 posted on 10/27/2020 12:55:54 PM PDT by vpintheak (Live free, or die!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ouchthatonehurt

Has a hillary vibe?


17 posted on 10/27/2020 12:58:31 PM PDT by Leep (We can go to the grocery store but we can't go to work?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Buckeye McFrog

He is interesting and has a lot of history to tell from experience.

The only thing is the Russian/Ukraine accent - to my ear it always sounds like the speakers are complaining when they speak in a normal conversational voice, heh.


18 posted on 10/27/2020 4:33:49 PM PDT by LouieFisk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson