History Lesson
In 1620, the Mayflower with 102 passengers and a crew of 30 set sail for America. The Pilgrims arrived in miserable condition. Two people died on passage and others died shortly after.
The diary of the colony’s first governor, William Bradford, provides the details.
Thanksgiving is actually about the Failure of Socialism and the Success of Private Property and Capitalism.
In the diary of the colony’s first governor, William Bradford, we can read about the settlers’ initial arrangement: Land was held in common. Crops were brought to a common storehouse and distributed equally. For two years, every person had to work for everybody else (the community), not for themselves as individuals or families. Did they live happily ever after in this socialist utopia?
Hardly. The “common property” approach killed off about half the settlers. Governor Bradford recorded in his diary that everybody was happy to claim their equal share of production, but production only shrank. Slackers showed up late for work in the fields, and the hard workers resented it. It’s called “human nature.”
The disincentives of the socialist scheme bred impoverishment and conflict until, facing starvation and extinction, Bradford altered the system. He divided common property into private plots, and the new owners could produce what they wanted and then keep or trade it freely.
Communal socialist failure was transformed into private property/capitalist success, something that’s happened so often historically it’s almost monotonous. The “people over profits” mentality produced fewer people until profit—earned as a result of one’s care for his own property and his desire for improvement—saved the people.
Video Explanation by John Stossel
Please play the video. It’s an eye opener.
Siren Song of Socialism
Time and time again people, especially young voters, are lured by the call of “free” health care, education, housing, social services, etc.
In the UK, Jeremy Corbyn is promising a self-professed “radical” socialist platform. On that score, Corbyn is correct, his plan is radical.
To understand how radical, please see Jeremy Corbyn Goes for Broke With Last Desperate Act, US Democrats Take Note.
Corbyn has had nothing but praise for Venezuela and its socialist model, now in the ashes of hyperinflation.
Meanwhile, in the US, Elizabeth Warren is promising similar things. So does AOC with her New Green Deal that will cost close to $90 Trillion.
The problem is Progressive Lies Like “Free College” and “Medicare For All” Hide Cost of Debt
Be Thankful
So, please be thankful that Jeremy Corbyn, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, etc., (socialists in general) are not running the UK and US.
Be fearful, that they might.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
That’s an interesting interpretation which for all I know is 100% accurate; it sounds reasonable.
But if I may say so, the bottom line is that 2/3rds of the Pilgrims died of that first winter from scurvy and other illness, but when spring came they didn’t get on the Mayflower and go home, they had the balls to stay on and make a new world, and that next fall they thanked God for the chance to do that. I doubt any other nation on earth has an origin ‘myth’ half as heroic as that and it should be taught constantly in every American school and every main stream media outlet so we never forget it.
bbbb seems like the reincarnation of CountryBob
Comment deleted and unfortunately the reply to it
snafuman’s excellent reply:
I thought that it WAS about economics. Common property versus private property? Socialism versus capitalism? In a format that even a brainwashed, deplorable, cult member like myself could understand.
Silly me.
First foundation of a fair social order?
Rule of law, irrespective of social status or politics.
Still big crooks create chaos, manipulate, bribe and walk free.
Pass a law that any leader engaged in illegal wars or instigating damaging legislation/policies has to face the nations court system to give account in public and suffer consequences – even years after office.
The Turkeys wont vote for it, preferring to fo as they please with no payback
Even manifesto promises should be judged and those not adhered to (lies) or leading to damaging outcomes be judged and perpetrators sentenced. Even many years after the fact.
Not just ‘Rule of Law” in some vague, feelgood, technical sense. But also equal opportunity for anyone, glue sniffer to Supreme Court Justice and President, to change and interpret law.
Otherwise, all you have is Arbitrary Rule by whomever is in a privileged position to engage in the above.
It’s called common law.
It’s common enough, all right. Everywhere from North Korea to Venezuela to the USA: Like all else, for sale to the highest bidder.
Always thought Stossel was a weak journalist. He loathes talking about the Fed and modern finance. He’s an old guy who wishes he could go back to the Cold War when things were simple, the righteous American capitalists versus the deluded Soviet communists. I suppose bankers throw a wrench into his analysis, so best to avoid discussing them whenever possible.
While typing this, I looked through his YouTube channel (he’s pretty active) for the past year and it appears he avoids discussion about the MIC as well as the Fed. I understand it’s the easy way out, but how can anyone take him seriously when he refuses to mention the major issues we face today?
As a proud old Cold Warrior, I can assure you the world was a safer place back then.
It always is, when all involved parties are properly armed. Polite Society and all that.
Stossel works for Fox News, a ‘mainstream’ network. He would not be allowed to continue there if he stepped too far out of bounds such as with foreign policy or the Fed.
IN FACT Stossel has always been anti-war, especially anti US regime change wars. Being in favor of capitalism does not mean you have to support the MIC. I’ll bet if you asked him he would be in favor of auditing the Fed, but leaves that hopeless effort to the Pauls.
“Corbyn has had nothing but praise for Venezuela and its socialist model, now in the ashes of hyperinflation.”
Good article, but socialism in Venezuela is not the business of the US foreign policy establishment and its ongoing coup in Venezuela deserves to fail as much of it is built on outright lies, e.g., Guaido has far less support among the people than Maduro. At least some of Venezuela’s economic problems are due to sanctions. But regardless, the time to criticize Venezuela was BEFORE the coup started. For Americans to criticize Venezuela’s socialism now is tantamount to supporting the US government’s attempted coup, whether intended or not.
Moreover, every country has institutions of both socialism and capitalism. There’s plenty of socialism in the US – public schools, medicare, medicaid, welfare, social security, the interstate highway system, Amtrak, etc.
As for Corbyn, his socialism, if enacted, would be bad for Britain, but Britain’s involvement in the Syrian so-called ‘civil war’ (regime-change) is just plain evil as is that of the US government’s. The UK government deserves to go bankrupt for that and Corbyn’s just the man to get it done, although I expect warmonger BoJo to get the PM job where he’ll continue sticking pins in Russia.
Communist Venezuela WAS IN FACT being criticized long before the recently attempted “coup”. To stay in power the present dictator has had to suspend their constitution.
“To stay in power the present dictator has had to suspend their constitution.”
Certainly, I myself criticized Venezuela during Maduro’s presidency and that of Chavez, his predecessor. But this interpretation of Venezuelan law is that of the pro-coup US foreign policy establishment – which also supports KSA and which has caused the deaths of millions all over the MENA during the past 30yrs – for NOTHING.
Having the remotest idea whether Venezuela exist or not, is no business of the US government. Much less whether they eat children there or not.
If Walmart announced a total inventory give-away on Black Friday, we could reduce the population by 25% by Saturday. It’s easier to understand the Georgia Guidestones in those terms.
“The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public’s money.” – attributed to Alexis de Tocqueville
Alexis forgot to add “and get bribed right back”.
Problem is sooner or later one of these idiots is going to get into office there’s just too many ‘we want free stuff’ morons here that it’s inevitable. How far they get remains to be seen. Rough ride ahead i’m afraid.
The problem isn’t that sooner or later the “wrong” Dear Leader gets into office. That is bound to happen, as you point out. Heck, it’s worse than that: It’s bound to never not happen.
Instead, the problem is that Dear Leader has enough power to do meaningful harm, once he is in power. That is the problem which needs solving. Not serially losing by betting that the next Make Hope and Change Great Again clown will, this time, be different, and magically better, than all the others.
Ummmmm. Do you mean like $16 billion in farm payouts because of trade war?
That, and all the rest which the Founders did not not specifically outline (narrowly interpreted), as part of a proper Government’s strictly enumerated powers.
Love it – the real issue is what is a public good. I guess if you are a Republican $16B to farmers is fine, but not money for health care.
I’m truly fascinated by the fact that no one in DC, specifically the courts or Congress, has considered that getting a fool like Trump in office hasn’t sparked a debate about Executive Branch power and taking back control by the other branches. I suppose one could argue the impeachment proceedings are doing that, but it is becoming pretty clear that Trump didn’t invent the game, he’s just playing it (poorly).
It is sure to happen, which is why the country won’t last forever. All Republics and Democracies end the same way, eventually.
& the stronger the belief that anything material is permanent the higher the stress when discoverong it isn’t.
They aren’t “we want free stuff” idiots. They are people who have seen everyone they know labor endlessly as slaves, and all of it taken and given for free to their owners.
Righteous writings aside, The “we want free stuff” idiots have actually been in power since the founding of the nation.
The ones you think of as the “we want free stuff” idiots, are simply the rumblings of a cancer-ridden body getting ready to die.