It seems that today everything offensive is blamed on socialism: higher taxes, abortion, suppression of people, murder, theft, manslaughter, bad weather. OK, maybe that’s going too far. But, anyone who paid attention to what the Republican party during their recent presidential campaign and paid very close attention to the Canadian election will notice that socialism was painted again and again as the imminent death keel that could destroy our democratic society.
Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin referred to countries that have socialist policies as places “where the people are not free and where work ethic is not rewarded and entrepreneurial spirit is absolutely stifled.” But does socialism really forbid people to be entrepreneurs?
Mrs. Palin was probably talking about communism rather than socialism in this case. But is there really a difference? After all, the West spent nearly half a century at war with the Soviet Union. Cold war, that is. And the Soviet Union is well-known for its “communist ideologies.” Collectivism, equality and abolishment of class are all ideals dreamed up by Karl Marx when he wrote the Communist Manifesto.
“From each according to his abilities, to each according to its needs” was his philosophy in looking at the world. Marx saw the good in human nature when he created his utopia where there is no rich and poor, all things are shared equally and government would eventually cease to exist.
However, Marx didn’t count on selfish ambition and human greed. Joseph Stalin did not create a communist state as envisioned by Marx. Among other shortcomings, the Soviets didn’t redistribute wealth equally. Government and military elites enriched themselves at the expense of the people who eked out a subsisted existence. Thus, the West saw communism as a failed ideology.
On the other hand, the American Dream had taught Americans to act on their ambitions in order to succeed. It did not say how long that would take and how many people would eventually succeed in making money and be a part of a part of the economic elite. It didn’t tell people the sacrifices that they had make along the way in achieving it.
The American Dream had created a widening gap between the rich and the poor. The rich were getting richer and the poor were getting poorer. The absence of government regulation led to the economy directly to the economic crisis we are witnessing now. The Republican party called the $700 billion bailout “socialist” but they forgot that it was their laissez-faire policies that had caused the crisis in the first place.
Government intervention in the economy may be a socialist policy but it shielded Canada from the impact of the financial crisis. More aspects of socialism are illustrated in Canadian policies. The healthcare system, unemployment insurance, and family allowance are among many socialist policies that benefit Canadians.
But in the recent election, a former Conservative candidate had blamed socialism for one of the more heinous crimes committed this year. Chris Reid said in his blog that socialism is to blame for Tim McLean’s gruesome beheading on the Greyhound bus in Manitoba. However, it could be argued that the blame should be put on capitalism. It commercializes everything and encourages competition that isolates people. In contrast, socialism brings people together by letting the rich helping the poor through charitable programs. Therefore, it deserves far more praises than it currently receives.