Interesting Conversation
I had an interesting conversation with a friend last night. I recently made friends with a couple who have been here about a decade from Ukraine. They are really nice people and fun to chat with. Last night he came right out and asked my why Americans are so stupid to be lead down this path toward socialism/communism. I, actually, have never been asked this before. But, in trying to formulate my answer I think I stumbled upon something. We Americans don't really have any memories of what living under such a system is like - because we haven't. We're just stumbling toward it like a moth to a flame. My new friends, on the other hand, are pretty awake to what's going on. Surprisingly so...more so than just about anybody else I know. Their memories are different than ours.
After a while, of course, the shelves get empty and no one puts things back on them.
Oddly, it isn't the desperately poor who are susceptible to the message, as they're too busy surviving. The most gullible are those who are relatively comfortable, but jealous of those who have more "stuff." They fall victim to the delusion that only the greedy rich at the top will be stripped of their wealth, which will be redistributed to all that are less well off. Only after the state is in control and stripping everyone of their possessions to create a society of a small elite at the top with the rest becoming a desperately poor mass with no freedom do they begin to realize Utopia is never going to happen.
It illustrates how capitalism, through competition gets you not only competition in price and quality, but in variety as well. Coming directly from a place that gave you two choices to one where there was seemingly unending choices was more than someone coming from east Europe could handle. When you're used to privation, the abundance that capitalism provides can be downright overwhelming.
The story is found to be funny to American immigrants because they all went through it themselves and trying to be sophisticated, chuckle at the distress of the "greenhorns."
I'll never forget that story.
Here's a story he told me that took place in his town near the Russian border before he left. It seems the Russians had loaded up a train with confiscated Polish livestock and were about to send it to Russia while the Polish people were going hungry. Well, some Polish patriots took a burn to that and distracted the railroad personnel while others welded the train to the track. He said the Russians got pissed and there were reprisals, but wouldn't go into details. I asked if that is why he left Poland and he just shrugged his shoulders. I assume the answer was yes, but it was not a pleasant experience so I didn't press.
“As a human being, you have no choice about the fact that you need a philosophy. Your only choice is whether you define your philosophy by a conscious, rational, disciplined process of thought and scrupulously logical deliberation . . .—or let your subconscious accumulate a junk heap of unwarranted conclusions.” Ayn Rand
I also love to talk to people from other countries. In the past couple years I have befriended a couple families who (literally) escaped Ecuador. The stories they tell are amazing. It is an absolute crime that the media here refuses to cover that story.
Here's one I made up:
"Socialism can be made to appear to work as long as there is a strong capitalist base to support it."
And this:
"Socialists are a misguided people who have become so frustrated over their inability to make the lame walk that they cripple everybody in the name of equality. Communists are of similar bent except their frustration is over raising the dead."
And another:
"Socialist/Communist experiments in the past century have actually been completely successful. Given their main goal is to make everyone equal and given the only place all mankind is truly equal is in the graveyard, they have greatly succeeded in making millions of people prematurely truly equal. Unfortunately the living would rather not participate in that kind of equality."
lem is the altruist morality, as Ayn Rand said. And
as long as so many Americans believe in that,
they're going to opt for going closer and closer to
collectivism.
that will herald the end of the republic." Next to last stop on the gravy train coming in a couple weeks - no matter who wins.
Is it in the water?, because of the evil allopathic, prescription drug addict industrial complex?
Your guess is as good as mind.
PA. have met many people coming to Hospice that say the same thing...
It is stated that a people get the government they deserve. I'm not sure about this, but I do know if Mrs. Clinton gets in, most Americans will wish they can get out. Unfortunately, there is no where to go.
That was about eight whole years ago before the enthusiastically followed Bolshevik Bernie got burned due to a preference for stealth socialism and a rigged for an entitled coronation.
Will the sheeple ever learn?.
I guess I keep thinking there will be a backlash before it gets out of hand. But there's no sign of that. yet.
$3500 is just staggering, considering there are some states that have no income tax and have part of the primary residence exempt from property taxes.
Huh? I thought you said discussion should be had here. This is just a place for people who can't make their practice work to blame their failures on someone else and make themselves feel less pathetic by being nasty to others. So just use ignore.