Comments on: A microcosm of socialism’s inevitable failure

By: David Foster

David Foster — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:41:11 +0000

There is of course never “equality of rewards” under *real* socialist governments: it’s just that the rewards are in different form (free dachas, access to special stores, government-supplied cars & drivers) and are allocated in substantial part according to political criteria. No one should assume that what Barack & his friends want is really “equality of rewards”…they want to ensure that the rewards go to *people like them*. This is really all largely about *horizontal* class struggle rather than *vertical* class struggle.

As a side note, there is far too much “equality of rewards” in the typical American corporation today. Far too many companies are compensating for the economic problems with across-the-board salary freezes and cuts. This will hae implications when they lose their “A” players and are left with the mediocrities.

By: highlander

highlander — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 15:28:30 +0000

The old Marxist slogan “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” is a noble ideal. According to Acts, early Christian communities took care of one another in exactly that way.

But with a very important difference. Among the early Christians, the help given by the able to the needy was done voluntarily. Under socialism it’s no longer voluntary. Under socialism, if you are among the able, the state decides how much you will give and to whom it will be given.

There is no longer anything noble in that. It’s just a lousy deal for those who are able.

By: Danny Lemieux

Danny Lemieux — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:22:26 +0000

MikeD…we’d better get to it, as it appears that many sites are sold out of these flags.

Be careful to get the yellow (Gadsden) flag carried by America’s first Marines or snake on 13-bars and stripes (Navy Ensign) flown by the American navy. The white Culpepper Flag is also a (beautifully designed) revolutionary flag but it was briefly flown by Virginia Confederates, so it could be used against us by the Left nutroots.

My two flags will fly side-by-side across the street from a two families of hard-core Obama supporters.

By: Earl

Earl — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:45:18 +0000

I have taught for 31 years and have NEVER assigned a group project, specifically because of my experience with them as a student. I was the guy who actually CARED about my grade, so guess who did most of the work?

We’re constantly being urged to get with the program and institute “cooperative learning” techniques, but I’ll be retiring with my personal record intact.

By: Tonestaple

Tonestaple — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:16:57 +0000

Socratease, the reason it sounds like Ayn Rand’s story about 20th Century Motors is because that’s the way socialism is always going to work. There isn’t another story to tell. But damned fools like Barack Obama are always going to think that human nature is infinitely malleable, and they are just the ones to do the hammering.

By: Mike Devx

Mike Devx — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:57:39 +0000

Danny L #5
>> The most popular flag there was “Don’t tread on me!” (I really need to get me one of those by Memorial Day).

Awesome, Danny. And I was thinking the same thing. Nothing like TWO flags waving outside in the American breeze.

- The Stars And Stripes.
- And the “Don’t You Dare Fricking Tread On Me, Obama, You Freak, DO YOU HEAR ME?” Flag. OK, I’m embellishing.

By: Bill Smith

Bill Smith — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:45:28 +0000

It didn’t work for the Pilgrims either.

By: Bookworm

Bookworm — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:02:15 +0000

I was pretty sure when the professor wasn’t named that the story was a parable. However, for every one of you who was forced, in school, to work with a random group to prepare a project, you know from experience that some worked, some coasted. I started as a worker, realized I didn’t like carrying coasters on my back, and became a coaster too. And because this was all New Age schooling, where the results were graded on feelings (because San Francisco pioneered so many educational trends), it didn’t matter. But I’m definitely a loner when it comes to work. The only time I’ll work with a group is when they all have a dog in the fight, such as a group of lawyers preparing for trial, all of whom risk malpractice or mere humiliation.

By: Brutally Honest

Brutally Honest — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:32:50 +0000

What, you might be asking, is socialism?…

Bookie has an answer worthy of your time: Got this in an email from Richard Baehr: An economics professor at Texas Tech said he had never failed a single student before but had, once, failed an entire class. That class……

By: Danny Lemieux

Danny Lemieux — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 22:34:50 +0000

Hi, MikeD!

To be fair to Texas-born Steven Chapman, he has always billed himself a “libertarian”. I would think that the Tea Party Protests were exactly his cup of tea. The most popular flag there was “Don’t tread on me!” (I really need to get me one of those by Memorial Day).