Recently, I have noticed a list of so-called socialist programs flying around the internet. This list is said to be comprised of current Socialist programs that are being used today in America. Obviously the author intended to make socialism appear an everyday necessity to our lives. My comment on that is, “the author needs to read and study.”
This is actually how Karl Marx, himself, described socialism: “The means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned and regulated by the state or community. No private property ownership, all property is to be owned by the state or community.”
This so-called list that’s flying around the public media actually references the names of our country’s public services, not the manufacturing of any product. No country in, at least this world, has public services performed by private individuals, basically all public services are operated by governments. Picking up your household trash is a public service not an act of socialism.
The United States government produces nothing, consequently it does not require a distribution system nor does it maintain a system of markets and outlets. And other than unusable tracks of desert, national parks and major highways, private individuals own most of the valuable commercial property, not the government.
However, this has not always been the case.
Recently, President Trump made the bold statement, “America will never be a socialist country.” Well sir, with all due respect, I beg to differ. America has already suffered under Socialism. This unfortunate venture took place at our country’s very beginning.
The first permanent English settlement in North America was called Jamestown and its government was actually based on socialism. All of the settlement’s lands were owned by the government of Jamestown. The theory was that each would raise as much food as they could, then place it all together in common storage and get out what they needed when they needed it. The land was fertile, and yielded many natural foods, as well as their crops, yet within three years most of the colonists died from hunger.
What went wrong? According to the governor of the colony, George Percy, most of the colonists died of starvation despite the good and fruitful soil, the abundant deer and turkey and the strawberries, raspberries and fruits growing wild. Sounds good? The one major component that was missing, because of the Socialist style of government, there was no motivation to work. This lack of motivation caused many to do as little as possible. An attitude prevailed that reflected the question — why should I work hard, I won’t get anything more than those that do little or nothing?
Finally, after years of death and starvation, a new governor arrived, did away with the old socialist style government and instituted a system of private property. As soon as the settlers had to rely on their own resources, and were allowed the right to acquire property, the colonists quickly developed into what have become the distinguishing characteristics of Americans – hard work, craftsmanship, and invention.
Far too many Americans have become lazy today. They will gladly give up their freedoms in order to get “free stuff.” However, what they don’t realize, until it’s too late, along with the free stuff comes government control over their lives. Some will disagree with the thought that there are so many lazy Americans. Yet all you need to do is look at our area’s roadsides and you’ll see the results of being too lazy to throw trash into the garbage.
After all, it doesn’t take a billfold full of money to know how to use a trash can.
Mark Schenck is the Scotland County Republican Party chairman.
