Cap vs Soc

Capitalism versus socialism. It's a touchy subject these days, at least for some people. There are various thoughts on this subject, most are along the lines of many liberal-minded folks versus conservative. However, I am finding it is very much a generational chasm.

I grew up in the era of the cold war. It was the US and NATO against the communist threat of the Soviet Union and their 'allies'. But in truth, their allies were little more than those countries they had conquered and overtaken after world-war two. Those countries were under the boot of the communist regime with no voice of their own on the world stage.

Communism, back in the day and now, is nothing more than a variant of socialism, albeit the extreme version of it. On its surface socialism touts that everyone is equal and everyone should have the same benefits as everyone else. To that end as well, no one is above anyone else. The kicker to that is, that is a lie. Every socialist government that has ever existed has solidified the leaders of that government into their own privileged stratosphere. They have taken from everyone in the name of equality for all and literally left their populace with little or nothing of their own. Socialism stunts growth because there is nothing to strive for because there is no benefit to succeeding. Whatever is gained is taken away and given to the state for the common good. After a time, there is nothing left to take and the state and populace withers away. That is history.

Capitalism isn't perfect. No system of government or economic agenda has ever been no matter who has claimed their systems are. But what capitalism offers is a change to succeed and prosper, something socialism fails to do. Our system in this country has social elements to it, welfare, food stamps, etc., however the difference is, you don't have to stay at those levels of prosperity if you work to better yourself and/or your family. Nothing is promised, but the opportunity is there to succeed and build a better life for yourself. People from all over the world flock to this country for that reason. No one is clamoring to get into true socialist countries anywhere in the world. Those European countries that the left claims are socialist, aren't true socialist governments. They have socialist elements like the United States, but their overriding capitalist framework is the foundation of their societies.

The social programs in this country were never meant to be a way of life as some have come to rely on. Most who are generational dependents on these programs only want a hand-out so they don't have to do the work and then want to blame others for their situation. They are lazy. There is plenty of help in this society for those that are truly needy due to circumstances beyond their control. The 'left' however shouldn't continue to blame those that have made something of their life as being cruel to the less fortunate. Life isn't free or fair and in the history of man, it never has been, but that doesn't mean there is no heart in a capitalist society.

Us vs Them

As with most people these days, I have a facebook account, but that's about it. I used to have a couple others, but no more.

One of the things I have always tried to do, usually successfully, is to avoid politics on my posts. I do have feeds that hit that are political; I guess you can't screen everything out. I am surprised however, how many people it seems get their 'news' from social media. You almost wonder if they have any other source of information. Now, I don't screen out one side or the other. I get feeds from both the liberal and conservative, democratic and republican. To me, this lets me see both sides of an issue, and generally don't comment on either side, and I do have friends and family who have views almost diametrically opposed to mine.

What has come to mind for me is, the two feeds are not really the same. Yes, both sides of the coin complain about each other, some posters (on both sides) more than others. I do find, in my opinion, the posters coming from the liberal side tend to be significantly less flexible in their opinions and are more derogatory than the posters on the conservative side. Leftists find no good in anything the current president does or accomplishes. Even things that benefit the country as a whole are overlooked and criticized, at times, the same things that were done or said by a president of the opposite party. They blame MAGA followers as inflexible and only able to see what the president says or does. I would make the same argument about the far-left liberals who blindly follow whatever people like Bernie Sanders or Allexandria Ocasio-Cortez seem to say once they are in front of a television camera.

It's about time the centrists of both parties begin to reign in the extremists. They accomplish nothing more than inflaming differences and driving a wedge down the country. Not everything Trump does is right and I don't always agree with his views, but neither is everything he does is wrong. He was elected by the process we have as a nation. It is the process. Both sides point fingers at the other saying things were manipulated. Likely true, but both sides are really to blame. It's time the parties begin to work together for the people of the country that elected them and not the special interests, be they business/corporations or immigrants to this country that aren't supposed to be here in the first place.

The 1%ers

Across my feeds and, I'm sure in other social media I do not have, it is amazing to me how many out there vilify millionaires and billionaires. To so many, they are the root of all evil in this country. Well, I beg to differ. Please keep in mind, I am not a millionaire, nor in this lifetime will I achieve billionaire status. I'm just a normal guy who worked his entire life to achieve what he has, not relying on anyone else, except my wife.

I don't understand how people can vilify those who were successful in life. Just because others aren't, doesn't mean they should be scorned and ridiculed. I see this all the time, oh, they should give all their money away to ease the plight of others. Billionaires just don't have stacks of cash lying around. Their wealth is in stocks and bonds and the companies they have built. They are the ones supplying the jobs everyone works to make their own monies and pay the bills. Without them, there would be a surge in poverty like never seen before.

Today's generations, especially in the United States, only know a level of wealth never before seen in the world. Those that criticize the rich may not think of it that way, but that is the way it is. The rich fueled the industrial revolution. That begat the auto they drive and the steel that build this country. They built the railroads which opened up commerce. They fueled the technology revolution, so without the rich, you wouldn't have the computers we have, electric or self-driing cars (neither of which I will ever own) or a $1000 phone on which you can complain about the wealthy.

If it weren't for the millionaires and billionaires, we would be barely above an agrarian society that our forefathers struggled to survive. Are there wealthy that do not do their fair share? Of course. But there are also many more of those that sponge off the social programs of the government and the gracious nature of others because they are a generational welfare family that has no accountability.