“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.”
These are the words that defined and help build a nation unlike any made so far. Establishing the rules and rights of the citizens and nothing shall be taken without due process, and we the people have a right to our freedoms and liberties.
Communism has been compared to the polar opposite of what the United States and capitalism have to stand for.
Communism
One of the most controversial and taboo topics to bring up at any political discussion, communism has an “all for one” basis. Property, wealth, food, and resources in general are all divided out equally to the masses.
“doctrine that aims to replace private property and a profit-based economy with public ownership and communal control of at least the major means of production (e.g., mines, mills, and factories) and the natural resources of a society.” According to Britannica.
The inherent flaw that will always fail this ideology is its basic implication that people won’t be selfish. Communism will only truly work if two things occur:
- People never take more than their equal share.
- People put into the system, through work, their equal share.
Looking throughout history the practice of communism has collapsed. Russia, China (excluding areas like Hong Kong), and Cuba are the big names in communist practice. Quality of life is less than ideal in many of these places. Gallup polls were taken in China asking people on scales of one to ten about life and quality and most only give fives. This has been consistent even with the recent economic boom.
“Disruption of the socialist system by any organization or individual is prohibited.” This is in the second paragraph of the People’s Republic of China’s constitution. Through the first chapter, there is only one mention of freedom and it is to develop a language. They also can “expropriate or requisition private property for its use.”
Stagnation of innovation and one’s own ability to prosper do not exist in places with communism. No country has ever innovated or invented something of true note or purpose in areas that are communist unless it came through the government. Since no one can prosper from their hard work, why work harder than the other guy?
Censorship and control of media is also a large part of the party. There is no freedom of speech and calling out the government can have you thrown in prison. The citizens control little to no aspects of how their lives are run.
US Constitution and Capitalism
Our constitution and our way of life here in the United States is probably one of the best in terms of stability and equality. We have our rough patches, but the US quality of life satisfaction is high.
We rate 9 in income and 8.7 for housing and 8.9 in health. We have systems in place to help those who can’t help themselves. Our system, however, is not meant for those who can’t work. People can go from nothing to billionaires in our country.
Property is yours and yours alone and “[never] shall private property be taken for public use.” We have a right to what is ours and for the most part, no one has a right to take it from us.
Though there are many great things about our constitution and capitalism, there are also flaws that can be taken advantage of and we have also had our fair share of inequality. These are still being fought for in our country because we can fight.
Ours is a government truly run by the people. We have fought for both equality and the ability to prosper from individual work ethic. Even with less than ideal odds or without much to their name can become wealthy and prosperous. Many may not become millionaires but making over six figures per year doesn’t sound too bad.
The Line
Drawing a line is important, and seeing places where communism is the rule of law is not a place where quality living exists.
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” George Orwell paints vivid pictures of what happens when communism rules. Practicing and holding onto our liberties during this technological era is more important than ever.
