There are those that are feverishly working to change the United States government from a representative republic…but to what?

Someone should be able to point to a country and say “That’s what the U.S. should be like.” Why haven’t we heard the name of this wonderful Utopian country?

Some of this hunger for socialism comes from self-described socialists such as Bernie Sanders, New York City’s socialist leaning Mayor Bill De Blasio, and members of the “Progressive Caucus” that up until recently consisted of 68 “House of Representatives” members, plus one Senator, Bernie Sanders.

Sanders, a man who has never held a job other than getting people to vote for him, is trying to sell an outdated governmental system that has never worked and will never work. Sanders was one of the original founders of “The Progressive Caucus”or CPC, in 1991, and it’s first chairman. This group has consisted of such political celebrities as Nancy Pelosi, Maxine Waters, Barney Frank, Charlie Rangel, and the controversial North Carolina Rep. Mel Watt. Currently the only representative from North Carolina in the CPC is Dr. Alma Adams representing the NC 12th Congressional District in the Charlotte area. This “Caucus” along with other individuals , seem bound and determined to change our country to a socialist system. If you would ask them why, the answer usually comes back the same: “with socialism no one would be poor and no one would be rich, the wealth is equally distributed. But is it?

In Venezuela, socialism is in its inevitable death spiral. Food shortages are causing Venezuelans to attack grocery stores, Venezuelan supermarkets are increasingly being targeted by looters as swollen lines and prolonged food shortages spark frustration. Shoppers routinely spend hours in lines to buy basic staples ranging from corn flour to laundry soap. Lines turn into venues for shoving matches and attempts to plunder shops are frequent. Still the wealthy Venezuelans enjoy their coffee that a socialist Venezuelan worker was paid .04 per pounds to pick the beans even though Venezuela received a trillion dollars in oil money during the 14 years after Chavez took over. Do you suppose the socialist worker picking coffee beans received his share of the redistribution?

Other examples: despite their common historical and cultural roots, North and South Korea are very different societies. Described as a Marxist-Leninist socialist state, North Korea has a considerably lower standard of living primarily attributed to its socialist style government and centrally planned economy, which contrast sharply with South Korea’s democratic free market economy. And don’t forget the difference between East and West Germany during the time of the Berlin wall.

Vietnam is also leaving behind its socialist ways for the free market system. One of Vietnam’s leaders stated ”Victorious in war but defeated in peace.To be a Vietnamese socialist is empty propaganda.” And in the words of one former guerrilla: “They are red capitalists.”

More evidence supporting a “free market” over socialism’s “Centrally Planned Economy” is found in China. China has shifted from a centrally planned to a market based economy and experienced rapid economic and social development. GDP growth averaging about 10 percent a year has lifted more than 600 million people out of poverty.

Then there’s Belgium, a classic example of well implemented socialism yet there still remains extremes of wealth and poverty, not at all the equal distribution of wealth as advertised. Belgium with a population of 10 million, about the same as North Carolina. Belgium has medical care and education provided by the government along with many other social programs, which is good. Belgium also has one of the highest tax rates in the world, which is bad.

France? A few years ago France was the prized jewel in the crown of socialism. France was said to be light years ahead of those western barbaric cowboys in artistic creativeness, education, and culture, even though in France the average use of soap was one bar per person per year. Just what did happen to the promise of equality for all, income redistribution and the many free social programs?. Today France is on it’s way to becoming another Detroit. French socialism is a classic story of generous intentions, ignorance of economics and a complete disregard for the short comings of human nature. France’s welfare state is collapsing onto itself. Those that still have any money are leaving by the droves as more welfare cases immigrate in.

Finland’s socialist welfare state comes at a price they can’t afford. The health care system is severely inefficient and costly, and stands in the way of people’s access to the truly great medical care provided by the private sector. The public education is also very costly and constantly short of money. Textbooks are passed on from generation to generation, everybody learning the same fallacies as the ones before them, provided that books are even readable.

All over the world socialist countries are seeing the wisdom of a free market society and yet in the United States we have the opportunist along with the young, poor, and uninformed that still believe in “The Fantasy, and Fraud, of Socialism.”

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Mark Schneck

Contributing columnist

Mark Scheck is chairman of the Scotland County GOP.