Socialism: Youth Do Not Understand the Definition
by Shari Dovale
It was not that long ago that the horrors of Communism were taught in school. Just a generation or two ago, school children were instructed that Socialism/Communism were to be fought against.
It wasn’t so much that Capitalism was being promoted, though it certainly was by some teachers, but it was the fear that our Republic might fall to the Great Red Bear.
Every child grew up understanding the definition, and the problems, of Socialism.
Nowadays, you will be hard pressed to find Millennials that can actually define ‘Socialism.’
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Socialism as “a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government rather than by individual people and companies.”
I hear young people attempt to describe themselves as “Social-Democrats”, wanting to help the poor, trying to do the right thing by all people in their community, being “social-conscious”. I would be more impressed with this younger generation if they actually looked up the definitions before labeling themselves.
Again, we refer back to Webster and define “Social-Democracy:” a political movement that uses principles of democracy to change a capitalist country to a socialist one.
Nowhere does it talk about helping the poor, or being “social-conscious”. Yet, our children are convinced that it is a good thing. These young people may have very noble ideals, but they do not understand the true definition of what they have been drawn into.
People do have an obligation in society to help those less fortunate than themselves. It is a Christian edict, and morally correct. That does not mean that anyone should be allowed to spend their life on the public dime. It just means that a hand up is not a hand out.
However, the definition of Socialism means that in order to accomplish these lofty, socially correct goals, the government should control industry, cap salaries, and no one should own their own property.
In addition to the “regular” people throughout the country, I see rich Hollywood Stars (such as Will Smith) discussing his belief in the Socialist agenda. He can talk about how everyone should pay more taxes, yet he does not voluntarily pay more than he has to. I wonder why? I challenge him to give up his millions to the poor and live on $30k per year.
They would work for the government, in government owned industry, and their children would be taught in government-controlled schools.
No one would be allowed the opportunity to own their own business, or save for a dream vacation. Children would not have the option of private school or even home school. They would be told what job they would have, regardless of what their interests, or passions, were.
Government health care would decide who lives and who dies. If a child is born defective, how long before the costs outweigh the right to life? If an elderly person developed a problem, they would be left without care and forced to “Die with Dignity”.
You don’t hear the elites talking about this side of socialism, because it is the ugly side. But, it is the truth.
More ugly truth: Has anyone watched what is happening in Venezuela lately? Bread lines. No toilet paper. Medicines have run out and people are dying of common diseases. How about Greece? Greece ran out of other people’s money. Does anyone think they are doing well?
That is the hard truth of Socialism.
I have seen public school teachers wearing Che Guevara T-shirts, promoting communism. Che was not a “Freedom Fighter.” He helped free Cubans from the repressive Batista regime, only to enslave them in a totalitarian police state worst than the last. He was Fidel Castro’s chief executioner. Is it okay for the public schools to promote this to your children?
Ask your children what the definition is. You might be surprised at the answers you receive.
We must teach the true definition of Socialism and Communism to our children. They will not learn it anywhere else. They will certainly not learn it from Bernie or Hillary. And they will not learn it in the public school system.
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Excellent article. By design, students are not taught these distinctions anymore (and have not been for some time). Ask an Ivy League college student to compare and contrast socialism and fascism, and they stammer. Ask them if capitalism and free enterprise are synonymous, and whether either or both is/are desirable. They think in sound bites and respond emotionally. There are now as many Millennials as Baby Boomers, and their low-information votes count just as much as Boomers’, whose education and life experience generally give them a better-informed worldview. It doesn’t bode well for the future of our nation. We must exploit every opportunity to educate on the foundational ideas that protect our freedoms and hold our nation together, or there will be no beacon remaining on the globe.