What Capitalism Has Wrought

It seems so many of our young people have been told that capitalism is bad for everyone and the socialism is the only way to make everything better. Of course, they are never told of socialism’s history or track record, that it kills by the millions, generates and spreads misery and privation, rewrites or erases history to fit its needs, lies to get its way and doesn’t mind eliminating its opponents should they become ‘inconvenient’, and controls every aspect of your life including the economy.

They are also never told about the successes and triumphs of capitalism, like having reduced poverty across the world to the point where today only 9% of the world’s population lives in poverty as compared to about half 40 years ago. It’s job isn’t done, but it’s still getting there.

Socialism means government control of everything versus a free market economy with very limited amount of government control.

So where do our young think all of the wonderful things they use and freedoms they take for granted come from? Which system would they prefer if they truly understood the differences between the private enterprise and government operations?

Do you use an iPhone, Android, MacBook, PC, read on a Kindle, watch TV and movies on Netflix? Do you watch videos on YouTube, shop on Amazon, listen to Spotify or search on Google? How about send money on Venmo, or ride with Uber? Do you drive with Waze or book a room with Airbnb? Are you on Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat?

Probably you use many of these things. Do you find they’re practically necessities? Where do you think they came from? These organizations came from an individual who, rather than working as an employee, founds and runs a small business.

These founding individuals assume all the risks and rewards of the venture. That’s right they came from someone like you. They came from people with great ideas and the freedom to test them in the marketplace. That is what is known as… wait for it… drumroll please… capitalism.

Now consider some other things you probably use. Have you been to the DMV, or gone through airport security? How about mailing a package at the Post Office, or calling the IRS customer service line? Have you called any government office, for that matter? What’s different when you reach out to a private business?

Now take the government style of service and expand it to cover everything we take for granted. Which of the two would you prefer?