Envy and Hypocrisy: the Hallmark of Socialism
I will not criticise Ruth Kelly (Labour MP and former Education Secretary) for sending her child to a private school. It is none of my business how much the school costs. Nor is it my business what special educational need her child has. Every child is unique and responds in different ways. Some kids even thrive in bog-standard Comprehensives! (The state school system worked fine for me.) And every parent has a duty to do what they believe best for their own children.
I will criticise her for being a socialist.
Socialist Principle 1. Prevent others from achieving excellence by enforcing equality of outcome.
Socialist Principle 2. Once in power and wealth, grab the goodies of high living that no one else should be allowed.
Envy and hypocrisy - the hallmark of socialism.
3 comments:
Whenever people talk about what's good for me or what's in my best interests I find myself wondering how they stand to benefit from it. It seems hypocrisy is much more rampant than I ever dared imagine.
Socialist, preachers, whoever, have always been critical of businesses and the capitalist mentality to profit off others but the more I live life the more I realise that's at least honest.
Private business is self-interested in profit. To achieve that it seeks ways to get consumers to freely and willingly buy into either a service or product. In that regard, it's basic premise is profiting by providing. It's a win-win approach.
But socialists and religious groups (I'm thinking Catholic, Mormon, etc) thrive on achieving a position of influence, promoting some vague concept about equality (your first point), enforcing their principles on others (who are either unwilling or feel bound and obliged to follow), and finally abusing their position (your second point).
That's why I'm a capitalist at heart and not a socialist. It's not perfect, but it's honest. What you see is what you get.
Cheers,
Peter
PS. a great book on this subject is Ayn Rand's Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal
OS, The New Zealand Labour party, which currently forms the government, are demostrating those characteristics. They have achieved and held onto power by underhand means such as using tax payers money to fund some of their election expenses and buy voting groups (student loans, benefits for middle-income working families,etc.), condoning dishonesty amongst its cabinet ministers, funding family and supporters for "academic" research - the list goes on. They will do anything dirty and dishonest to hold onto power and not even pay lip service to helping the working man.
The amount of dumbing down necessary to ensure equality of outcome is immense, with the education system now being "outcomes" based. Essentially any scholar can achieve as long as he/she has completed a task to the techers satisfaction. There is no competition between scholars and no reward for exellence (unless one pays to educate your children privately).
These marxist-socialist politics do not allow people and countries to succeed, but rather languish in mediocrity.
I agree heartily.
In a Capitalist society, everyone benefits, though some more than others.
In a Socialist society, the Elite decides who benefits.
It has always struck me as strange that the latter can be sold as somehow more fair.
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