
But they do make wonderful pictures dont they? Such, beautiful propaganda. I dont know if they're just happy to be Russian or if they're trying to flee Stalin's Siberian gulag. There is always this... utopian view of socialism and communism. This ideal paradise away from the "taint" of self-centered capitalism. Where there is no greed... no upper class... no exploitation... no social disparities... there is equality for ALL men. But does that ever pan out? Where has it happened? Where has this "social experiment" worked? Where is this ideal socialist country that have such equal, prosperous and conjovial people in it? Karl Marx wrote an interesting book, but, where is this real life application? Has everyone just done it wrong?
Che Guevara and Fidel Castro had the same "utopian vision" for the future of Cuba. And Im not claiming that each government that preceded these socialist/communist regimes were good or even tolerable... but what has come after? How visionary has Cuba truly become over the last 50 years? More economic prosperity than the 1950's? I must point out, that Che Guevara must have thought that he was going to sell that dream of communism wherever he went... but, for some reason, when he went to Bolivia... they weren't buying. The conditions of oppression (APPEAR to) need to be pretty bad in order for men to entertain the idea of communism, because, people in Bolivia looked around and thought... "lifes not too bad... we'll pass... but thanks for asking." Che could never build up enough willing men for his guerilla war and he was easily overwhelmed then killed by government forces.
And how many Americans get in rafts and try to flee towards Cuba? Why do so many leave Cuba? There is no freedom. Economic or otherwise. There is not enough power in the hands of the people. I'm not for total privatization, but in most cases, privatization of industry is good for the blossoming of a nation's economy. Am I in favor of privatized Healthcare? Not so much. But, there are a lot of industries that should be private... where in a pure socialist nation... they are run or controlled by the state. Profit, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. The problem is profit run amuck. Only when private industry has NO government regulation or oversight, is there a problem. According to President Herbert Hoover...
"You know, the only trouble with capitalism is capitalists; they're too damn greedy."
There are a lot of people who see this economic crisis as an indictment on capitalism. I think it is an indictment on laissez-faire free market capitalism... the idea of the invisible hand... where there is no government interference, and the beast will do what is in its own best interest. That antiquated idea that the market will properly sustain itself. Yes, this latest economic crisis originating in America is an indictment on that "fringe" of (unfettered) capitalism, but, moderately regulated capitalism usually works quite well.
How is that (pure) socialism working in South America? Is Venezeula in the middle of an economic boom right now? Hugo Chavez fixes prices as he sees fit. Unhealthy government control. The 2008 Inflation rate for Venezuela was 31%! That was an 11 year high. Not 71 years... ELEVEN. That is one strong economy. And he's always railing about American capitalism. What is the economic power of people in his nation?
Now, Europe is called socialist, but they're truly a "hybrid." An economic philosophy more closely aligned to the US than Venezuela. Being leftist, I actually like aspects of the European system. I would readily welcome more regulation in the United States. Not to the point that it stifles business and productivity, but had their been more government oversight (not control, but oversight) of banks and housing markets, this current fiasco could have been avoided. I haven't even mentioned government programs that protect the people.
Socialism doesn't do a good job of putting money into the hands of the people. Take some of these government run facilities and create private ownership. Allow wealth among people to grow. True, there will be some level of inequality, but can rampant poverty be better? Any strong economy has a robust middle class... hard to do that when the country owns everything.
Communist doesn't just control economics... it attempts to suppress individualism. Rather unapologetically. Definately in the cases of the USSR, China and Cambodia... they're also anti-religion. All religion. "Take down that picture of baby Jesus and Mary and put up a picture of Stalin! Your devotion should be solely to the betterment of the secular state... she is your mother." This isn't a choice. Lenin railed against the crimes of Czar Nicholas II... Pol Pot fought to free the people from the post-Colonialism monarchy... Mao Zedong fought against the post occupation Nationalists... Kim Il-Sung fought for post WW2 independence...Fidel Castro fought to "liberate" his people from its dictator... but, how liberated did the people of the Soviet Union, Cambodia, China, North Korea and Cuba feel once they lived under communism?
These systems just don't work. They never have. People are individuals. We have individual interests. We have individual goals. We have individual desires and aspirations. Socialists dont want to hear it, but a major part of work place productivity is the selfish nature of people. People dont work hard for their country's sake, they work hard to better their own economic status. A person's personal stake matters. His personal interests matter. What he hopes to gain matters.
You never see casual communism. Its always coerced... repressive... forceful. It has to be. Very few people want to be communist, and those that do... its usually theoretical communism. Just something interesting they read in a book or heard a liberal speak about. They want it UNTIL some "dictator" installs it as he sees fit. Its usually just a dictatorship masked in nationalism. What if the leader's view of communism... "the best interest of the state"... differs from yours? Do you have a voice? Is there a protocol to enact change? In what communist nation, which is supposed to be for the people... do you have that ability?
Sometimes... you just have to stand in front of a procession of tanks... in order to be heard...