Socialism in America – Part I
Recent decades have seen the internal criticisms of the United States increase.
I’m not just talking about free speech; I’m talking about some people trying to complete the transformation of this democratic republic to a totally socialist state.
Socialists are not new to America. These advocates have been around for more than a century. The major socialist political organization in this country is called the Socialist Party USA.
It’s the result of several mergers with predecessor organizations.
Here’s the first several paragraphs from the party’s website stating its main objectives.
Statement of Principles of the Socialist Party USA (SPUSA)
THE SOCIALIST PARTY strives to establish a radical democracy that places people’s lives under their own control — a classless, feminist, socialist society free of racism, sexism, homophobia or transphobia, in which people cooperate at work, at home, and in the community.
Socialism is not mere government ownership, a welfare state, or a repressive bureaucracy. Socialism is a new social and economic order in which workers and consumers control production and community residents control their neighborhoods, homes, and schools. The production of society is used for the benefit of all humanity, not for the private profit of a few. Socialism produces a constantly renewed future by not plundering the resources of the earth.
Under both capitalist and authoritarian statist systems, people have little control over fundamental areas of their lives. The capitalist system forces workers to sell their abilities and skills to the few who own the workplaces, profit from these workers’ labor, and use the government to maintain their privileged position, while further impelling the drain of society’s productive wealth and goods into military purposes, the despoliation of the environment and natural resources, and perpetual war in which workers are compelled to fight other workers. Under authoritarian statist regimes, decisions are made by ruling party officials, the bureaucracy and the military. The inevitable product of each system is a highly stratified society with a gross inequality of resources, privileges, and substantive participation in political life.
That’s the utopia being taught in our schools and universities.
The principles outlined apparently recognize that previous (and current) attempts at implementing socialism failed. But these enlightened folks think that it can be done by focusing on local control of everything – neighborhoods, homes, and schools. Somehow that feature and those words eliminate the stratified, oppressive hierarchy in societies under capitalism or under authoritarian statist (socialist) regimes, where decisions are made by ruling party officials, the bureaucracy and the military.
It’s a fact that Karl Marx painted a picture that looks enticing. The problem is that picture doesn’t – and can’t – exist when humans try to live it.
Unless we all live in some monastery somewhere, it’s human nature to compete, to grow, to learn. It’s also well-known by most of us that humans want to be free, to have and express opinions, to compare ourselves with others and to work to exercise and achieve personal goals.
All of those characteristics fly in the face of the conformity required of everyone in pure socialism.
Commun-ism requires living in a commune. A commune is defined as a group of people living together and sharing possessions and responsibilities.
“From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” is the slogan popularized by Marx. The principle refers to free access to and distribution of goods, capital and services. In the Marxist/socialist view, such an arrangement will be made possible by the abundance of goods and services that a developed socialist system will be capable of producing; the idea is that, with the full development of socialism and unfettered productive forces, there will be enough to satisfy everyone’s needs.
I know few people who would be happy and content for any extended period living in a commune. For most people the conformity required would cut against their personal values and desires – both for themselves and their families.
There are, and always will be, differences of opinion on whether that other person living in a commune is carrying his/her share of the load, doing their best to contribute, and/or taking more than they deserve or are entitled to.
Let’s also understand that while SPUSA spouts local, supposedly manageable communes, they’re idea is to transform the whole United States to socialist ideals and operations.
Organizations nor societies function without leaders. Neither do communes. Somebody needs to be in charge regardless of how that leader becomes the leader.
Socialists may start out as having the best outlook for all but will always end up with a hierarchy. And with hierarchy comes human nature.
The best solution found thus far to keep the hierarchy under control is democracy – the right and ability to vote people into positions of leadership and to remove them from it.
If this piece was worth reading to you, I invite you to read Part II next week when we’ll look at socialism already at work in America.
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Have a great and prosperous week.
Hug somebody.
References:
https://www.socialistpartyusa.net/principles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_each_according_to_his_ability,_to_each_according_to_his_needs
SPIDER Bytes
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Fed Chair Powell will be replaced later in the year when his term is up. His biggest critic is President Trump. I don’t think my finance guru, Milton Freidman, would have agreed with Powell’s performance either. Meanwhile the fed is spending $2.5B on renovating the Federal Reserve Bldg. It seems employees want more marble in the facility. Gee, I’d like more marble in our house too.
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