I think it goes without saying that Socialism has gained newfound favor among the young these days. In my day, Che Guevara's image was everywhere -- on t-shirts, dorm room posters, murals, even coffee mugs. He was the cultural icon for the anti-capitalist movement in the 60s and 70s, relying on guerilla warfare and civil unrest to further his agenda against capitalism in the West, which he saw as imperialist and colonialist. He believed that armed revolution was the answer to creating a classless society.
Unlike Guevara's form of armed revolution, his contemporary, Saul Alinsky, sought to empower the marginalized through community organizing and agitation. Although he preferred to work within "the system", he wasn't averse to confrontation, while employing the art of compromise when it suited his plans. Both of these men have left a huge impact upon the youth of this century, and we see their influence upon the political and social movements of the day. Students from that era became teachers and college professors who have indoctrinated the ensuing generations with their anti-American and socialist doctrines.
And now, from the political rhetoric of far-left politicians, to peaceful and nonviolent marches, to the activist groups who have caused disarray, chaos, and violence towards communities, businesses, and government agencies, it has become apparent that our nation is becoming embroiled in a domestic crisis.
It seems that our citizens are at odds over our separate political and economic ideologies. We constantly hear terms like Marxism, Socialism, Communism, and Capitalism. As a Christian, born into a Capitalist society, I think it is important for me to first, understand what these terms mean, and secondly, how they are designed to affect every aspect of my life. Finally, I believe it is necessary for me to understand what God says about them in His Word.
Let me start by saying that as a Christian, I am more in favor of Capitalism, because I believe that its roots pay tribute to God's will for mankind. From the founding of this nation, our Founding Fathers expressed their desire to uphold "these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness". These Rights are assumed to include the freedom to own private property, and to determine our means of making a living, fostering economic freedom and prosperity for all men, while preventing excessive governmental influence or control. Ultimately, Capitalism is an economic system based on private property, profit, and free market exchange. Also assumed, is the hope that men will be guided by God's moral principles and biblical teachings, as expressed by Jesus in His parables -- such as a strong, moral work ethic and the absence of greed.
Marxism and Communism, on the other hand, deny God's existence, and their adherents often share atheistic belief systems. They tend to reject traditional ideals of morality. These economic systems believe in [and seek] material and economic equality as the purpose of life for mankind. Marxism advocates for a classless society and argues that class struggle is evidence that material conditions and economic forces always form the basis of social structure, usually resulting from calls for radical transformation, and eventual revolution. Communism is a classless, stateless society where all property is communally owned and wealth is distributed based on need. All forms of private property and centralized governance are abolished; there is no money, no wage labor, and no social hierarchies based on economic status. It is often associated with authoritarian regimes and is the end goal of Marxist economic theory.
Both Marxism and Communism view any religious or spiritual fulfillment as "an opiate " served to the masses as a means of both oppression and false hope, and meant to be actively abolished. The bottom line is that Capitalism and Marxism/Communism are two mutually exclusive economic systems, greatly differing on the ideas of morality, human nature, and the role of government.
And in the middle we find Socialism, which is an economic and political system whose proclaimed goal is to reduce inequality and provide a fair distribution of resources. But as we can see in our current national climate, in the name of democracy, it can take on increasing authoritarian forms, taking from one group of citizens to give to another through progressive taxation and public ownership of major industries and services. It is touted as a transition from capitalism to communism, with the goal of limiting capitalist success to protect social welfare.
It is quite evident that our younger generations have been fed a litany of pro-Socialism doctrines through our public education systems (and sadly, even through the Church)! They have been taught that Socialism ensures fairness and equality - in fact, it is known for operating on the principle of government intervention and redistribution of wealth. But to my knowledge, there has never been a nation that succeeded under the Socialist banner. Instead, Socialism has led to economic decline, the loss of personal freedoms that our Constitution guarantees, and overall societal chaos. Free will, which is such a divine gift from our Creator is discouraged, as is economic independence that our Founding Fathers safeguarded.
Instead, our latest generations seem to have lost the pleasure, fulfillment, and gratification that comes with innovation and entrepreneurialism, and opted for settling for reliance on the government for their every need. They don't seem to understand that our Creator has instilled in us a desire and a drive to achieve our individual purposes that He created us to fulfill. All they have to do is study the histories and socialist policies of Venezuela, Argentina, Cuba, and the Soviet Union to discern that Socialism has never worked economically, nor resulted in a more egalitarian society... or contented population.
I do not contend that our capitalist economic ideology has served us perfectly. It has its history of greed, mismanagement, manipulation, and corruption that have grieved the masses. But my spirit clearly discerns that the principle ideas of the other economic systems I have presented in this post do not serve me as a Christian or an American. Having worked side-by-side with my husband in our own business for the last 30 years, we have been blessed to have the freedom to work hard, create new things, reap the rewards, and learn from the failures. We are by no means wealthy, and there are months we struggle, but we would not trade our lifestyle for any other means of making a living. God's economic system works best for us ... It's called freedom!
I will never forget the first time we went to market with our goods to sell, and the overwhelming thankfulness I felt that we lived in a country where several hundred small businesses could be free to gather together to showcase their creative talents and reap the benefit of their hard work. It hasn't been easy; we've paid our dues through our labor and toil, and have seen the fruit of our efforts. Capitalism leaves room for God to be a part of our business, as it has for 250 years of hard-working Americans.
And now, it looks as if our country is at a crossroad. It's not true that no nations have existed beyond 250 years. But America is facing a battle from within as to whether we continue to exist in the same freedoms we have enjoyed for those two-and-a-half centuries. I invite you to read The Truth About Socialism and decide for yourselves if the candidates in the upcoming midterm elections represent the foundations of our country and what has contributed to our success as a nation since 1776. It is so important that our youth understand the consequences of fighting for this way of life. Yes, we have work to do, and things we need to correct and root out. I believe we have been blessed by God as a nation and as individuals. I do not want to be the generation that lost that favor.
Ecclesiastes 2:24 There is nothing better for a person than that he should eat and drink and find enjoyment in his toil. This also, I saw, is from the hand of God.
