Is Utopia Just a Theory?
Thomas More wrote about Utopian society; in fact he invented the term. In a Utopia everything would be perfect; the government, the society, politics. It has also been called Shangri-la. It’s imaginary and undoubtedly will stay that way. People just aren’t wired for perfection. We are made to be fallible and we are. In Utopia the citizens live a perfect life in a perfect world.
The Marxists attempted to found a Utopia. Based on the work of Engels and Marx, they argued that capitalism is exploitive. They advocated the “collective” where everyone worked for the good of all. Of course, they also advocated social revolution and taking of personal property. Supposedly taking what you have worked hard for will stop class envy. In this world, the employer is the bad guy. The employee does all his work for the employer thus making the employee a member of the exploited. Those who had less will now be in charge of all. Is it any wonder it didn’t work? Does anyone think about the costs the employer bears? He has to pay all the taxes and fees AND he has to pay the employee a living wage or higher. In return, he asks for and expects 8 hours of work. Where is the exploitation? If an employee doesn’t think he is paid enough he has the option to leave and seek another job; ask for a raise; stay there and be quiet. This is free will.
In a Utopian Society the government owns everything and doles it out to the people. Do you really want to live in a world where someone else decides what you deserve and calls it equitable? Again, reference Russia and China; Cuba. The government owns(ed) everything. There is/was no free enterprise. If it is such a wonderful idea why, upon the fall of Communism, did so many people rush out to start their own businesses?
Socialism is much like Marxism. Its main theory is that capitalism is wrong. Supposedly capitalism gives power and money to the wrong people and creates an unequal society. So Socialists want to even things up. From this comes the snarky saying “Socialism works well till you run out of other people’s money.” What is often overlooked in touting Socialism is that there is still a “ruling class”. The so-called saviors of the lower classes are really dividing up other people’s money and spreading it around. None of these people who spout this social equality use their “own” money to even things up. If Socialism is such a wonderful thing and these people who spout this nonsense really believe that it will work and is the best thing for our nation and our world, then why don’t they lead by using their own money to lead the way. It always amuses me that the people who holler the loudest about Socialism always want to start with someone else’s money.
Socialism is spouted the loudest by Social Democrats. These people want to nationalize the larger industries of a country such as the oil and gas industry, the banking industry, the automobile industry (do you see a trend here?). In Venezuela, Hugo Chavez has already begun this process and his people are not happy with the result. He is morphing from an “elected” President into a pseudo-dictator. Castro has done this in Cuba to the detriment of his people and readily admits he is a dictator. It has been done in other countries such as China and East Germany. Social Democrats promote welfare for the people. They teach the people that the government has a duty to take care of them. I wonder if you are seeing a pattern here?
Although politicians spout that they want a perfect society; a Utopia, if you will; what they really want is a perfect society for them. They pretend to care so much about the people but they really only care about themselves. That’s why it will never work. Someone will always see through the smoke screen.
Tags: politics, Socialism, socialist
Leave a Reply