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My sister and I had a debate when she was a teen of about 15 or 16. I am much older than she and she was just beside herself that I could not understand how good socialism is. Now, she was an exceptional student. So, I explained it to her like this.

“In your class are some people like you who have excellent grades for which you have worked very hard.”

She agreed with pride.

I continued, “In your class are many people who have mediocre grades who have not worked very hard or who just are not mentally equipped for academic success.”

She agreed gravely and seemed concerned that some people just aren’t good students or aren’t quite as bright.

Finally, I said, “And there are some people in your classes who do not work hard, who do not care about their grades, and who just want to screw around while marking time in class.”

She agreed and it was obvious she considered these people to be a drain on her academic experience.

So, I offered a solution, “So, we are going to socialize your grades. All ‘A’ grades become ‘C’ grades. All ‘B’ grades become ‘C’ grades. We are going to spread around all those extra GPA points to the underachievers, so all ‘F’ grades become ‘C’ grades and all ‘D’ grades become ‘C’ grades.”

She was appalled and complained that she had worked so hard for her “A’ grades and how it was unfair. Those were her grades and I had no right to take from her GPA to give to people who were unwilling to even try.

I said, “Now you understand socialism.” And, indeed, she did. I continue to use this argument on young people.