Posted on 08/11/2018 6:23:37 AM PDT by Kaslin
Many Democrats running for state and national elections in November are running on a Democratic Socialism platform. These candidates are following the model pushed by presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The candidates offer free health insurance to all Americans, free college tuition, higher taxes on those who contribute most to the economy and government control of many markets. Many millennials may agree.
How millennials view socialism was the basis of a study released last November by the research firm YouGov and the Washington DC-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.
The study concluded that about half of all Millennials said they would rather live in a socialist or communist country rather than a capitalistic democracy like in the US.
While scholars will factually argue that the US is really a Republic and not a Democracy, the reality is that the US has a Democratic government system. This means the majority of the voters regularly decide on leaders.
The study also revealed that most millennials don’t seem to understand the definitions of the economic systems. Briefly and without considering the implications, the definitions are relatively simple.
In Communism, there is government ownership of all means of production and most property, and government control of markets. The government also controls the distribution of income.
In Socialism, there is private ownership of the means of production and property. The markets and the distribution of income under government control. In Capitalism the means of production and property are almost exclusively owned privately. The markets and distribution of income are set by market forces with almost no interference by the government.
Millennials seem to embrace the concept of government control. They appear to do so because they feel more secure. They say that in many Socialist countries like Denmark, citizens tend to be the happiest in the world. Denmark’s brand of Socialism provides free healthcare and free college for every citizen.
Denmark also has a $25 per hour minimum wage and people work about 35 hours per week. And the average household pays more than 60% of their income to taxes.
According to studies, people living in Denmark, as well as the other Scandinavian countries, tend to be happier than people living in Capitalistic countries.
Happiness is measured based on the GDP per capita, life expectancy, freedom to make choices, generosity, and perception of corruption. Factors not applied to the GDP are the corruption level, ability to keep what an individual has earned, and the ability to seek self-esteem and self-actualization.
In that study, individual success is not a measure of happiness.
Nonetheless, studies rank the US 14th in happiness with Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and Finland occupying the top five spots.
The US was founded as a separate country in 1776. The primary reason was that people had a strong desire for more freedom. They also sought governance by officials who were freely elected by the majority of the people.
The goal was to end taxation without representation.
The Declaration of Independence stated Americans could pursue the goals of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That meant individuals had to take on more responsibility for their welfare instead of having the government control their welfare. The emphasis was on individual responsibility and less on social responsibility, at least for those who can care for themselves.
There are many definitions of “American exceptionalism.” Scholar Ian Tyrell says that the term “refers to the special character of the United States as a uniquely free nation based on democratic ideals and personal liberty.”
Tyrell notes that the term was originally coined by Marxists who tried to explain why the U.S. bypassed the rise of socialism and Marxism. The obvious reason was that socialism and Marxism are inconsistent with the American character, so under normal times, neither could thrive in the U.S.
Under the Obama administration, which vowed to fundamentally change America, federal legislation, policy, and regulation attacked and undermined the foundations of American exceptionalism. Presumably, the well-intentioned policy increased the number of Americans dependent on the government.
Obama’s policies restricted freedom and personal liberty to appear to add a sense of security. Excessive regulation over a business in the marketplace is inconsistent with “a uniquely free nation based on democratic ideals.”
The benefits of American exceptionalism are obvious: The U.S. has the world’s largest and strongest economy, the most powerful military, and a free society that is the envy of the world. Americans generally have more opportunity and a higher quality of life than most of the rest of the world.
Millennials are misguided by the promise of security and equality. Prior to the election of President Trump, the US economy had not seen an annual economic growth of at least 3% since 2005. That means millennials have never seen the benefits of a strong, growing, free-market oriented economy that provides an opportunity for all Americans.
It is no wonder that millennials now favor an economic system which is un-American and runs counter to the principles of American exceptionalism. That’s why removing the unnecessary regulations, lowering tax rates for all Americans and shifting the country back from the fundamental transformation of the last eight years, is so important.
It is truly time to make America exceptionally great again. Trump’s policies are doing just that.
The Scandinavian countries are not socialist.
The entire EU is socialist.
I have a friend in Norway and he says is basically communist.
Higher voluntarism would undermine the scenarios of socialists. This seems to be highly tied to certain concepts of a personal God.
I have reasoned to the conclusion that modern secular liberalism is a vacuum-filler. The more traditional church sources give in to the temptation to cross their arms (rather than look at the Cross) and say Humph, nothing for “bums” (when the problem might be more an inability to land a job rather than an unwillingness to work) — the more secular liberalism finds to fill. Secular liberalism errs in the other direction and therefore wastes, but maybe allowing it is God’s answer to “let George do it” versions of Christendom.
You can’t proudly proclaim that America is, or ought to be, a Christian country, and then not want it to look like that, including the benevolence commands, not just the purity commands. Here’s where I think God might be answering prayers in a way we are finding we didn’t bargain for. The answer to the functions of the secular liberal is to bring them within the arms of worship communities once more. That’s supposed to be one way that people who believe show their doubting or unbelieving neighbors what God desires in addition to purity.
I like Socialism because my neighbor has a great new high tech lawnmower and Democrat Ms Cortez says she can get it for me.
That's because their parents and grandparents larded them a giant mountain of debt and a lower standard of living because of it. Millennnials' parents and grandparents shipped all the good jobs overseas, imported armies of low-wage, unskilled labor for the few jobs that remained, oversaw the price of a college degree reach six figure and the cost of a broken arm reach five, and then retired at sixty for an additional 30 years of comfort and leisure thanks the the money they "saved" doing all of the above.
Millennials did none of these things. They'll be paying for it though.
Little wonder their generation increasingly finds socialism attractive.
Is anyone listening??? Does anyone care???
One thing they don’t mention is that Sweden will be Sweden so long as Russia wants it to be Sweden.
Leftardism encourages infantilism which produces snowflakes, who are hypersensitive and unable to cope with stress, and parasites, who are dependent on government, because they are incompetent and helpless, with feelings of low self esteem. This type of psychology leads to acceptance of enslavement and altruism (the individual as sacrificial victim).
Their Boomer parents did this to them when they tried to raise them in a bubble-wrapped world where nobody could ever get hurt.
“Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom; socialism restricts it. Democracy attaches all possible value to each man; socialism makes each man a mere agent, a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude.” - Tocqueville, 1848
Socialism will never work. Ever.
Norway and other smaller European countries have the north sea oil funding their poor monetary management. Change that small factor and it will inevitably fall apart.
The Soviets, in the day, promoted the “New Soviet Man”, who did not act in self interest. It denies human nature. And it is slavery at the core.
Like I said, Socialism/Communism/Democratic socialism will never work, and requires too many dead bodies that always seem to get in the way.
SOCIALISM
You have 2 cows.
The State forces you to give one to your neighbor.
COMMUNISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and gives you some milk.
DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, promises more free cows, lets you vote and gives you sour milk.
FASCISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and sells you some milk.
NAZISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both and shoots your wife and kids.
BUREAUCRATISM
You have 2 cows.
The State takes both, shoots one, milks the other, and then throws the milk away.
TRADITIONAL CAPITALISM
You have two cows.
You sell one and buy a bull.
Your herd multiplies, and the economy grows.
You sell them and retire on the income.
CONTEMPORARY WALL STREETISM
You have two cows.
You sell one, bundle the other with a goat, a mule,
and two dry cows.
You pile into the derivatives market, buy a Gulfstream
and when it all comes down around your ears...
You go to the government for a bailout.
Now what about Denmark’s entrepreneur class? What is the growth rate of small businesses there? $25 an hour, I don’t pay MYSELF $25 an hour.
“They say that in many Socialist countries like Denmark, citizens tend to be the happiest in the world.”
37 hr workweeks, almost guaranteed employment (related to first point), government healthcare, school covered up to associate degree, childcare covered, everything laid out for you, little risk.
But then there’s 55% income tax, 100% car tax (most don’t get a car until their late 20’s), almost double our suicide date, high rates of alcoholism and antidepressant use, a 5% bestiality rate among men, and parents are paying for vacations for their married children in hopes she’ll get pregnant.
And most also have work-provided plus personally-paid health insurance supplements, to get quick treatment and better drugs.
Our media lies to us about socialism’s joys. Enemedia.
https://nypost.com/2015/01/11/sorry-liberals-scandinavian-countries-arent-utopias/
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