The Giving Tree

Many of us remember the famous children's book "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.  (if you have not read the book you can view the following animated short movie)

The Giving Tree

The book tells the story of a boy and a tree.  Throughout the story the boy needs things for his life to be fulfilled and the tree gladly gives up its apples, its branches, its trunk and finally its stump.  We are made to think that in the end BOTH the boy and the tree are happy together but I beg to differ as I personally felt the boy was a selfish little brat and the tree was taken advantage of over the course of its life.

In retrospect, I think this story is more of an analogy for what we see today.  The modern day socialist is represented by the boy and the capitalist system is represented by the tree.  As the socialist grows up, he needs things and the capitalist system obliges by giving him money (sells apples), shelter (makes branches into a home), travel (boat from its trunk) and finally a place to retire (its stump for a place to sit).

This is much like what we see around us today.  Our capitalist system has provided much to those who care very little about it and each time they come back for more (mostly baby-boomers), wanting more for themselves and demanding higher and higher taxes to pay for it all.   Eventually our private sector will be overwhelmed and left with nothing unless we stop making our greedy little demands of it.  We cannot keep taking from the capitalist thinking that they (like the government) has an unlimited amount of money to provide for our every whim.