No Lie or Omission too Small

I write opinions. I form my opinions on the basis of common sense, historical research and my God given ability to reason. Being human, I’ll freely admit to a curiosity (and a slight touch of vanity) about what people think about the opinions I write. In a recent article (“A Tale of Three Plumbers”) I made reference to the fact that Plymouth Colony was America’s first failed experiment in socialism. Plymouth Colony survived and thrived when it abandoned that experiment and turned to free enterprise and capitalism.

I can’t say I was surprised when I read the following comment in response to the article:

“I'm sorry, but anyone who has a rudimentary understanding of history knows that it was coming together, sharing the bounty and working for the common good of everyone that allowed Plymouth colony to survive in the first place! If those people had come ashore and immediately enacted the conservative "value" of "mine mine mine", that colony wouldn't have lasted its first winter.

Twenty three or more years of socialist brainwashing has gotten us to this point.

Pathetic isn’t it.

Many parents are barely involved in the education of their children in the public and parochial schools. Too busy for a variety of reasons that turn out to be less than urgent in the grand scheme of life.

The teachers have had free access to our children with hardly a ripple of complaint from far too maany of us.

I’ve heard socialism characterized this way. Let’s say you make 100 on a test in school. We need to subtract 30 points from your grade and spread it out over the rest of the class in order to make everyone more equal.

It’s not about equality of results; it’s about equality of opportunity.

I find it incredible that we find ourselves debating socialism 19 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The same circumstances hold for Jamestown and other early settlements in Virginia:

From the Classic Encyclopedia:

“Sir Thomas Dale d. 1619 Under him began the first real expansion of the colony with the establishment of the settlement of Henrico on and about what was later known as Farrar’s Island; it was he who, about 1614, took the first step toward abolishing the communal system by the introduction of private holdings, and it was during his administration that the first code of laws of Virginia, nominally in force from 1610 to 1619, was effectively tested.”

From Pioneers of The Old South, by Mary Johnson
Dale was no small statesman, and he played ferment against ferment. Into Virginia now first came private ownership of land. So much was given to each colonist, and care of this booty became to each a preoccupation. The Company at home sent out more and more settlers, and more and more of the industrious, peace-loving sort. By 1612 the English in America numbered about eight hundred. Dale projected another town, and chose for its site the great horseshoe bend in the river a few miles below the Falls of the Far West, at a spot we now call Dutch Gap. Here Dale laid out a town which he named Henricus after the Prince of Wales, and for its citizens he drafted from Jamestown three hundred persons. To him also are due Bermuda and Shirley Hundreds and Dale’s Gift over on the Eastern Shore. As the Company sent over more colonists, there began to show, up and down the James though at far intervals, cabins and clearings made by white men, set about with a stockade, and at the river edge a rude landing and a fastened boat. The restless search for mines of gold and silver now slackened. Instead eyes turned for wealth to the kingdom of the plant and tree, and to fur trade and fisheries.
Hitherto there had been no trading or landholding by individuals. All the colonists contributed the products of their toil to the common store and received their supplies from the Company. The adventurers (stockholders) contributed money to the enterprise; the colonists, themselves and their labor.

The Department of Education was created for this reason.
It has apparently succeeded in dumbing down most of the
citizens since it was created.

The Department of Energy was created to -—————drum roll

LESSON OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL

How's that working out? After 31 years the DOE has a budget of 24.2B a year,
16,000 employees, 100,000 contract employees and we are more dependent on foreign oil than at any time in our lives. Thank Jimmy Carter again. The gift that keeps on giving.
Everyone should think of that when they are in the voting booth. IMHO, “that one” will be much worse.

The example with the grades hits home for many students. When they realize that their study habits are penalized and portions of their grade are spread out to others who did NOT apply themselves, I think many “get” that.

For my kids, I asked them how they would feel if they worked around the house and we were going to pay them $20 if they helped out. The one helped all day and the other sat on the couch watching tv. since only $20 worth of work was completed, we would give them each $10. Instead of the one who did all the work getting paic $20. At 10 and 5, they understand this concept.

There is some truth in this. However, there is a big difference between individuals giving to other individuals than there is from a gov't taking from the rich and giving to the poor. When individuals make decisions, they do what is in the best interest of both parties, and there is no corruption. When the gov't takes and spreads, not only does corruption abound, but there is the "cost" of employing bureaucrats to ensure that the money is distributed properly. So, there is less money to help those that need it.

“The experience that was had in this common course and condition, tried sundry years and that amongst godly and sober men, may well evince the vanity of that conceit of Plato's and other ancients applauded by some of later times; and that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than God. For this community (so far as it was) was found to breed much confusion and discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort.”

Tried and Failed. Socialism produces lazy workers. Capitalism produces workers.

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