I almost never do politics on this blog but I found this article to be too interesting not to post.
"Socialism
An
economics professor at a local college made a statement that he had never
failed a single student before, but had recently failed an entire class. That
class had insisted that the president's socialism worked and that no one would be poor
and no one would be rich, a great equalizer.
The
professor then said, "OK, we will have an experiment in this class on
the presidents's plan".. All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the
same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A.... (substituting
grades for dollars - something closer to home and more readily understood by
all).
After
the first test, the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who
studied hard were upset and the students who studied little were happy. As the
second test rolled around, the students who studied little had studied even
less and the ones who studied hard decided they wanted a free ride too so they
studied little.
The
second test average was a D! No one was happy.
When
the 3rd test rolled around, the average was an F.
As
the tests proceeded, the scores never increased as bickering, blame and
name-calling all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for the
benefit of anyone else.
To
their great surprise, ALL FAILED and the professor told them that socialism
would also ultimately fail because when the reward is great, the effort to
succeed is great, but when government takes all the reward away, no one will
try or want to succeed. Could not be any simpler than that. (Please pass this
on) These are possibly the 5 best sentences you'll ever read and all applicable
to this experiment:
1.
You cannot legislate the poor into prosperity by legislating the wealthy out of
prosperity.
2.
What one person receives without working for, another person must work for
without receiving.
3.
The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not
first take from somebody else.
4.
You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it!
5.
When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the
other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea
that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they
work for, that is the beginning of the end of any nation.”
Does any of this seem to apply to the USA?
Wow. Perfectly explained.
ReplyDeleteIf this has happened, it might be an decent example, but without a source, it's only what one person thinks would happen. Let me give an actual counter example from education of unrestrained capitalism.
ReplyDeleteI worked at Georgetown Law, which grades on a true curve. It doesn't matter how well you do individually, it only matters how well you do compared to your classmates. If you're unlucky enough to be in a year with several brilliant students who had legacy parents, private high school, Ivy League college and didn't have to work during the semester to pay for school, it doesn't matter how hard you study, because they have too many advantages and one of them are always going to be better than you. If you'd joined a year early or later, you would have better grades based not on your own abilities and hard work, but your luck and who you are up against who has an advantage. I saw several brilliant students who didn't get prestigious positions after law school based not on their ability, but on the advantages others had while competing.
Some people get advantages, and a fair system gives a baseline for all people to have a more equal chance at success. In unrestrained capitalism, we are sold on a false meritocracy. But if the smartest and hardworking always got ahead, why aren't the wealthiest people from all different backgrounds? Somehow they are all white men whose parents helped them start their businesses.
Too many folks think they succeeded because of the American system and their individual hard work, when they actually had a head start, a safety net, and plenty of support along the way.
PS- The original story is obviously BS because a professor who failed a whole class would get fired. And if they had gotten fired for running this experiment, they'd be on every Fox News show every night.
I would have thought you would be more sympathetic towards parables. Yes, the story as written seems inauthentic but that does not completely negate the message. Your example does not really indict capitalism, in any form of economic system you will end up with a legacy class who will dominate. Capitalism though does allow for upward mobility for all classes, notwithstanding systemic racism walls.
DeleteLarry, Anonymous focused the message very nicely. I agree with " in any form of economic system you will end up with a legacy class who will dominate. Capitalism though does allow for upward mobility for all classes, notwithstanding systemic racism walls." Hence, some form of capitalism should be the ideal. Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
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Hi Larry, Wow! Political comment and controversy too! No political or governing structure is perfect because people aren't perfect... I agree with Eric in that unrestrained uncontrolled capitalism doesn't provide equal opportunity to succeed. Socialism in its pure form isn't the answer either. In those societies, power and wealth tends to be concentrated among those who are in power and their allies...positions they are reluctant to give up. In a free economy, those who have built up wealth and power are naturally able to fuel continuing growth of wealth and power, with the majority of 'favored' people fighting against any diminishment of their status. While I feel that I had a challenging life as a youth with a low income middle class family, a stepfather and a widowed mother, in comparison to other groups I was well off. While I don't feel guilty about my status and advantages in life, I do recognize that we must find ways to offer opportunities (not giveaways) and resulting motivation to less fortunate people whether they are white, black, Asian, Native American or whatever. Without opportunity chaos will only grow. FYI...Eric, I was thankful for that curve in undergraduate classes at Michigan State. No such curve for my Masters but I had the fortune to fall in with a group of military officers who played hard but who also taught me how to study! Eric is also right in that the professor used in your example would have been in trouble. But he probably wouldn't have been fired as he probably had 'tenure', another 'safety net' for the privileged. Somewhere there is a happy middle ground with a decent chance for those who haven't been 'favored' by history, without destroying the wealth or crippling the drive to innovate and succeed by others. However, looking around the world at other countries, seeing just how divisive things are here in the USA and just how volatile and fragile international politics and power struggles are, I am not hopeful of any meaningful solutions in the short term... Just my opinion...always 'upbeat'! Take Care, Dave
ReplyDeleteLarry, I have read this before and believe it is a completely accurate discussion of socialism. I have defended my business college's higher salaries to those who on campus contend that our (business) salaries need to be 'frozen' while those faculty who teach in liberal arts can have raises to catch up to the salaries in the college of business. I looked those faculty square in the face and said to them "that's socialism!" I proceeded to say that I have no resentment towards any faculty who teach in the medical college, pharmaceutical college or law college where salaries are even higher than those in the B-school. Because it all boils down to the choices that we make in life. My husband is a perfect example. He is a retired prof in education. As bad as our American society pays the dedicate educators in our country, it is what it is. The pay is unfair. I have a daughter in Knoxville, TN who, after 20 years since college graduation, earns 1/4th the salary of my son in business accounting without a CPA degree! I can't change our values in America, but rather choose to live with them. Socialism does not work. My students earn the grades based on their efforts and nothing else. Consequences are learned the hard way. I could go on about this, Larry, but you've got my back. A die-hard political Independent, I don't espouse to either Republican or Democratic party positions. Our country is a mess. My belief is radical: I await the coming of Christ in the soon coming end times. There is no other hope left.
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