Indeed.
A communist is a romantic idealist who believes that the world can and must be more fair, who does not tolerate the fact that the larger part of the world has to suffer in order for a fortunate minority to live in luxury, who believes that capitalism will eventually reach a dead end
Anyone -- ANYONE -- who ignores what communism and socialism have done in the last century is not a "romantic idealist" but a damnfool IDIOT unable to learn from past mistakes.
There is not a single nation of the world which has NOT benefited from what capitalism -- and the related notions of freedom, liberty, and individualism -- have produced. There are two key metrics -- infant mortality and life expectancy -- these are important because they reflect long-term living conditions in any society, or regional or national group. Go look at those two numbers for the poorest nations on earth. The CIA World Factbook is a source for them, though there are others, if you don't trust them. Now go hunt down what those same two numbers were for the richest members of either the USA or the UK in 1900 -- the richest people of the richest nation at that time. Now tell me that the entire world has not benefited from that.
So if you want the world to be RICH, then you should be emulating the USA, not whining about it. Look at what America has done RIGHT, and find ways to emulate it. Yes, America has not always lived up to its ideals -- sometimes -- all to often, even -- it has supported wrong leaders in places around the world. Vietnam was a perfect example of this. As I understand it, Ho Chi Mihn was American educated, and he wanted to set the place up using America as a model -- but unfortunately, he fought against the #$%#$%$#^$# French, and we were allies with the French, so instead of siding with him, we supported the French. Yes, remarkably stupid and wrongheaded. But, having done that, we won the war -- but allowed our idiot MEDIA to lose it for us -- after the "Tet Offensive" occurred, it was a clear loss for North Vietnam. There were people there talking about how to approach the notion of surrender, to get the best possible terms. THEN they got word of how the American media was handling it, and they knew all they had to do was to hold on, and the media would give them everything they needed.
Neoneocon discusses two of the key photographic LIES the media produced here:
http://neoneocon.com/2005/04/22/mind-is-difficult-thing-to-change-part_22/She discusses it in more detail here:
http://neoneocon.com/2005/04/21/mind-is-difficult-thing-to-change-part/http://neoneocon.com/2005/04/28/mind-is-difficult-thing-to-change-2/http://neoneocon.com/2005/05/12/mind-is-difficult-thing-to-change-part-4/She was a liberal surrounded by liberals until 9/11. In the above, she discusses what she Knew vs what was real, but which she has, since questioning The Script, learned the media failed to tell her, or told her something deceptive, about Vietnam. By all means -- don't take her word for it. But listen to what she says. And consider her arguments, and do whatever research you need to do to make you accept her claims are valid.
This stuff is the Red pill. Once you take a good, open-minded look at the evidence, you'll never trust the media's story quite the same ever again. Once you start asking questions, you'll be surprised how often the media's story is actually found very very wanting.
Capitalism, with freedom, liberty, and individidualism, is not perfect. When done properly, it's the most empowering, enriching, and effective system humans have ever invented.
Yes, by giving people the FREEDOM to succeed, it necessarily also has to allow them the freedom to FAIL. And that guarantees inequality of RESULTS.
But "if you are going to say that it is better that the poor be poorer as long as the rich are not richer, then you are wrong. ...You do not create wealth, opportunity, and prosperity that way, you do not create a property-owning democracy that way."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okHGCz6xxiwCommunism, socialism -- these memes STEAL your individualism. They are the enemies of individualism. They are inherently soul-rending memes which reduce all to the lowest common denominator.
You want to know where to start, to make ANY nation successful and wealthy? I suggest reading a book by P.J. O'Rourke, called
Eat The Rich.
http://www.amazon.com/Eat-Rich-Treatise-Economics-ORourke/dp/0871137607He travelled the world looking at the successes, the basket cases, the mediocre societies leading up to the end of the last century... and he found two things that led to the difference between the economic basket cases and the economic "miracles". And he's a good, witty author. Well worth the read.
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