Socialism and Capitalism are the same....sort of

    It's interesting how 2 very different ideas can find a common ancestry at their core when you look at them.  On their outsides they operate very differently.   Socialism is about control whereas Capitalism is about no control.   But on their insides, they both operate from the same basic human instinct....

GREED

   Greed is inherent in every human being.  Whether you come from an evolutionary direction or from a religious one.   An evolutionist would tell you that greed is a basic form of self protection and preservation.   The human doesn't know when or where their next meal is coming from, so it's better to "stock up" just in case there is a famine coming.   A religious person will tell you that greed is part of the human sinful condition.  The soul wants more for itself and nothing for their neighbor.  Whichever your view, greed is a common thread in all of us.

   But what makes the 2 "-isms" so different, is what you combine it with.   Like in chemistry where

         Sodium (Na)   + Chlorine (Cl) = SALT (NaCl) which the body needs to function.
         Hydrogen (H) + Chlorine (Cl) = Hydochloric Acid (HCl) which is a poison.

So also, it's not the GREED that is necessarily wrong but instead it's what you combine it with. 

  Capitalism combines greed + industriousness = a better world.    Under capitalism you get computers, phones, car, airplanes,  new materials, different kinds of food, and the list goes on..

   Socialism, on the other hand, combines  greed + laziness = theft.    Rather than creating new products and services it merely takes from those who are perceived to have too much and gives it to others it perceives as being more in need of it. 

  Socialism cannot  ever exist on its own.   It must live on the back of the Capitalist in order to survive.   Like a "sucker-fish" that lives its entire life stuck to the side of shark so also Socialism merely rides along taking what it wants without earning it.   Time and time again, we have seen socialist societies die after their parent organism stops providing for it.

What about Democratic Socialism?

  Is Democratic Theft more acceptable than plain old regular Theft?   What if we all voted to have your house ransacked?  Would that make you feel better about having your house broken into?  Democratic Socialism is really nothing new and has already been tried many times before.   The famous Greek philosopher, Plato, once said,  "Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner!".     This could not better illustrate the GREED + LAZINESS factors in Socialism.   The 2 wolves will undoubtedly be wanting more food for themselves (greed) and will want to gain that food using the least amount of energy to do it (laziness).   The same holds true today.  In my opinion, nothing can be more lazy than casting a ballot saying "I WANT MORE!" for a party that will promise you "MORE". 

But don't some people have too much?

   Yes, that may seem to be so.   That is the one danger of Capitalism.   But there is one corrective force in the world that limits this behavior.    That force is of course "death".   It corrects the distribution in 2 major ways.   First of all, none of us is "taking it with us".    Accumulated wealth is often redistributed shared because of death.  Even before the person dies, often they are engaging in lots of philanthropy to either quiet a bothered conscience or to some how insure their name will not be forgotten when they leave this earth.  Whatever the cause, the wealth gets broken down and shared with those who didn't earn it.   Buildings are built, parks are erected, foundations are created, research is funded and scholarships are awarded. 

   But this is not just something that the Uber-rich can afford to do either.   Even my wife and I have had many opportunities to benefit the poor from our "excess".   In recent years, my wife and I have decided to downsize our living arrangement now that our kids are living on their own.   I have made countless trips to Good Will and Salvation Army to unload the many items we have purchased over the years that we no longer have any need of in our lives.   We have given away, beds, dressers, bikes, computers, TVs, tons of cloths, shoes, coats, chairs, and the list goes on.   I estimate that if I had held on to all those items, my 3 car garage would be filled to the ceiling.  Right now, there are countless people out there using items we purchased at full price and are now using free of charge.   Right now those people are benefiting from our "excess".