Friday, October 10, 2008

Democracy vs Socialism

The basic difference between Democracy and Socialism is the balance between struggle and suffering. The Socialist will seek to rid the world of all struggle and suffering. While on the surface this seems to be an honorable and virtuous goal it does not take a basic tenet of nature into account; struggle makes an individual strong. The democratic minded person, on the other hand, seeks to find a balance whereas struggle is part of the richness of life and suffering is limited to the lowest possible minimum without infringing on personal/individual freedoms.

Americans seem to be OK with an athlete who has little of no education making millions of dollars playing a game. Conversely they demonize an individual who uses their brains, whether gained from a formal education or the education one gains from the struggle of life, to rise through the ranks of business to run a major business or corporation. The former primarily benefits the individual through a large paycheck. Other wealthy individuals are benefited in the process such as team owners, league officials, etc… Of course it must be conceded that there is a trickle-down effect as lower paid jobs are created in the process of putting on the great spectacles that we all love to watch on our TVs. The latter, however, is just as worthy and deserving of praise as the former. These people of business create companies that provide the people of the world the things that they want and need. When profit is made they will tend to take this money and find ways to make their product, whatever it is, better so that they can be more profitable. Better is “good”, isn’t it? And besides this direct benefit. They too also create countless employment opportunities for others. Jobs at multiple levels so that no matter what the skill level everyone can have the opportunity to live the American Dream.

Socialist in America want you to believe that the founders of this great country, when they said “All men are created equal” meant that no one person should be able to attain any more that any other one person. That is not what they meant at all. Not everyone is equal when it comes to skills of speech. Not everyone is equal when it comes to skills of math or science. The founders knew this. They simply meant that no one person should be allowed to be master of another. It was the premise that was placed in the Declaration of Independence that a king from across the sea could turn people into second-class citizens of lesser value than those that chose to stay behind in Europe. Remarkably this premise was also used later to justify the abolition of slavery. Thank God for the sanity that our forefather brought into this world. They guaranteed “Life” and “Liberty”. They did NOT guarantee “Happiness”; they guaranteed “the Pursuit of Happiness”

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