Letters to the Editor
Dear editor,
Over the last couple of weeks, I have seen different letters submitted to the newspaper about socialism and capitalism, and I thought I would join the conversation.
In a capitalist society, free markets and private ownership drive the growth of the economy. What you own is yours. Under free market capitalism a worker “sells” his labor as a commodity valued as to its scarcity and usefulness. The more useful the labor, the higher his wage is. For example, an electrician or plumber makes more than a ditch digger. An airline pilot or a surgeon makes more than a manicurist or store clerk. As long as a worker has the liberty to increase the value of his labor by acquiring more valuable skills, there is no “oppression” or “disposable tool.”
Socialism is government control and public ownership of resources and property with everybody working for the state, ostensibly to promote equality. The state controls everything. Under socialism, there are no opportunities or liberties to excel. You do what the state tells you to do for the rest of your life.
For example, Canada’s socialized health-care system requires months of waiting for care, and many Canadians come to the U.S. for medical treatments. In Germany’s case, analyze their electrical power production, which was mandated by “government control” to go “green.” They have suffered exorbitant price increases and been forced to buy power from France (which is 80% nuclear).
Plato described socialism more than 350 years before the birth of Christ, although he didn’t label it as such. Additionally, the practice of socialism doesn’t require a “theory.” Socialism leads toward communism. Under communism, people have to wait in line to buy food, toilet paper, clothes, etc. The people are property of the government, and the government controls everything. Socialism is a terrible form of government, and would never work in the United States of America.
Capitalism gives more power to the people, and everyone has an equal chance. Remember, the United States is a constitutional representative republic, not a democracy!
God Bless,
Lucas Heaton
Chairman of the
Anderson County
Young Republicans
