The Problem with Socialism

I’ve just finished watching the movie, “Enemy At The Gates”. It is a true story about a Russian Sharpshooting War Hero Vassili Zaitsev. The scene is towards the end when Vassili is sitting in a hideout with a Political Officer named Danilov. Danilov was the one who’s writings made Vassili’s conquests famous throughout Stalingrad and all of Russia. Enter the girl, Tania. Vassili and the Tania fall in love and the political officer is jealous. After praising Vassili, out of jealousy he then dictates an article to defame Vassili.

The next scene shows the Tania hit by shrapnel and Danilov, the political officer thinks she is dead. He is later seen with Vassili and makes the following speech: “I’ve been such a fool Vassili. Man will always be man. There is no new man. We tried so hard to create a society that was equal. Where there’d be nothing to envy your neighbor. But there’s always something to envy….a smile…a friendship…something you don’t have & want to appropriate. In this world, even a Soviet one, there will always be rich and poor….Rich in gifts, poor in gifts: rich in love, poor in love.” Danilov then gives up his life to save Vassili and help him root out the enemy sharpshooter and achieve the goal he had been trying for most of the movie.

It was a powerful illustration of how many people think about Socialism. They think it would be a better place if all wealth were distributed equally. They think that this class warfare will end if only the money were distributed equally there would be nothing to be jealous of and we all..in the words of Rodney King, “just get along”. It would seem to appeal to everyone’s idea of fairness; at least the perceived fairness as seen through the eyes of the individual Socialist. One problem is that one’s perception of fairness might be different than their neighbors. Does fairness mean all is a median? Is median a statistical average? Is average equal? Where is the statistical base?

If all things were equal who chooses what equal is? What do we compare equal to? Do we compare it within our own State, Country, or do we expand it into the entire world? Do we all need to live in mud huts, get rid of our indoor plumbing, and return to a community well to satisfy the terms of monetary fairness as seen in some of the poorest countries in the world? You may laugh but that could be the next logical step in this growing global economy.

One error is the sliding scale of equal and the other is that we are not dealing with a perfect world.

In a perfect world we wouldn’t need Socialism because everything would be..well…perfect. If it were a semi-perfect world the re-distribution of wealth might be the answer. If we were all re-trained to work for the greater good as our only motivation it could be a happier place. I can respect the Socialist if his aim is nothing more than striving for this ideal. If he is striving to push for his own perceived idea of “fairness”. We don’t live in a perfect world, we live in a fallen world. Even if everyone’s motivation was the greater good and we did distribute all the wealth equally there would still be a problem; Sin. In Socialism, the major sins to be dealt with would be envy and jealousy.

What Danilov realized just before giving his life to save Vassili that even if all were equal monetarily there would always be something to be jealous of. It is my opinion that the fundamental flaw of Socialism is that it is they don’t take the nature of man into account. They ignore these simple sins. Many think people don’t deserve what they have earned or worse think they deserve what others have without working for it. Who gets the power to determine who deserves what? If the money is taken away then they will simply find something else to be jealous of. Personally, I applaud the achiever. Instead of being jealous or envious of them I want to be like them. I want to be the achiever. It motivates me to go beyond my perceived personal limitations and grow as a person. It gives me something to strive for and instead of saying, “At least I’m not as bad as X” it makes me say “What can I do to be better”. Let me also say that achievement and success in my eyes goes beyond money. It encompasses many things including spirituality, family, friends, happiness, and health to name a few. Being a Christian I believe that this Nirvana will only happen when Christ himself returns and establishes his reign on this earth. When this happens the sin of man will be gone so there will be no envy or jealousy to ruin it. Christ himself talked about this sin in the Bible. You can see it in the story of the land owner hiring workers in the gospel of Matthew chapter 20 (KJV).

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7 They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8 So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12 Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13 But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

There are many lessons to be learned from this parable but the one to be learned for our purposes here is that man’s perceived ideal of fairness is not realized. That fairness is fueled by envy and jealousy. The men hired in the beginning worked much longer than the men hired later in the day, yet they earned the same wage. Instead of concentrating on the generosity of the landowner towards the ones hired later they looked selfishly upon them, demanding their own idea of fairness. Who was correct? Who makes the rules? Another question is this. Does equality encompass only money or does it extend into happiness as well? If my God makes me perceivably happier than my neighbor am I made to give up my God as to attain a dictated median of happiness?

In America I think we have a very good system. We do have a bit of Socialism already in our society in the current tax code. It reads the more you make the bigger percentage you should pay. That’s why the top 10% of wage earners in this country pay 40% of the taxes. Many people don’t realize this, and the politicians know it. They play on the public’s jealousy and demand they pay more and more.

Getting a little bit off track I think we should have the “Fair Tax” but that is for another time.

The system in this country is set forth so that the winners and losers are dictated by the individual not the government. The system is not perfect but even with its flaws, is the best in the world. Why we want to mess with and change it is beyond me. The winners are determined by an individual’s work ethic, intelligence, tenacity, competitiveness, and determination. This country is full of stories like (the movie) “The Pursuit of Happiness” where Christopher Gardner goes from homelessness to being one of the wealthiest men in America. In what other country do you see LEGAL immigrants strive as they do in this country? It’s our Capitalist system! If Socialism were in place many people might get the “warm and fuzzies” for a little while but would lose greatly in the long run because men would not be motivated to go that extra step to do their very best. Because of the nature of man, they would simply find some other reason to be jealous and discontent.

Why else is America the birthplace of so many wonderful innovations that have helped this world catapult into the 21st century? Why else were men pushed beyond what they thought was possible if it weren’t for the reward at the end? Do you think for a minute a person like Thomas Edison would have put in that many hours, gone through bankruptcy so many times, and undergone so many hardships if he thought all his work would be evenly distributed to people who did not choose to work but were simply looking for their “fair share”? To me Socialism is a punishment to achievement and hard work instead of a reward for it.

Don’t get me wrong here. I believe in giving. I believe in being fair. I believe in giving back and paying it forward. I believe in the statement “To whom much is given much is required”. One of the men I admire the most is Rick Warren. He has earned millions through his book, “The Purpose Driven Life” but chooses not to change his lifestyle much and live on 10% and tithe 90%. In this current system that is his choice. Under Socialism that choice would no longer be his to make.

In my Christian walk I do believe that we are to take care of the widows, orphans, homeless, and downtrodden. I also do believe that it I will be blessed for doing so. I want to live like Rick Warren as a “Reverse tithe-er”. Under Socialism the Government decides what “equal” and “fairness” means. That decision of whom I can help will no longer be between me and God. It will be solely in the hands of the Government. The Constitution was formed to limit the power of the government and put it in the hands of the people. Socialism would be the exact opposite and that, in my humble opinion would be disaster.

Tagged as: capitalism, envy, fair, jealousy, Socialism