(Editor’s note: This is another guest column by Ruston resident John Sachs, a Ruston High School classmate, a CPA and a personal friend.)
Socialism: Good or Bad?
By John Sachs
Is socialism good or bad? Let me give you something to think about. My answer to that question is this: it depends on who benefits from it.
There are those folks who say that socialism in any form is always bad because it is communism in its infancy.
Next, they say that almost all government programs should be privatized and administered by and for the benefit of a capitalistic, free enterprise system rather than for the general population.
Next, they say that any government regulation of free markets serves only to advance communism and that it restricts the effectiveness of any benefits to be derived from unfettered capitalism. Now hold on to that thought as I’m coming back to it.
Do you think that these folks really mean that all socialism is bad and even evil? Do you think that they really want government totally out of the free market system? The answer is a resounding NO! Then when do these same pure free enterprise advocates find themselves solidly in favor of socialism? When do they cry out FOR rather than against “socialist” programs?
We only have to look back to 2008 and the $700-billion-dollar bailout of Wall Street to see a perfect example of free enterprise advocates praising socialism. When we 300 million middle-class American citizens bailed out the greedy, incompetent, scions of Wall Street, none of them complained of socialism. Certainly not! When the masses of taxpayers were rescuing the financial industry from crushing losses created by the free enterprise system, that was just fine and dandy. Socialism, for that purpose worked perfectly—for the super wealthy.
Skip forward only one year to 2009 when Wall Street had been restored to comparatively good health by the massive infusion of government capital. What did Wall Street say and do then? They said for the government to get out of their way and let them manage their industry as they saw fit. In addition, (are you ready for this?) they paid themselves billions in bonuses with the taxpayer rescue funds as though they had done something to deserve it. That defies not only logic, but also defies understanding how the American public—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike—could stand aside and allow this to happen.
How could 99 percent of American taxpayers accept this? How could our elected representatives be allowed to do this to us so they can get personal re-election donations from the super wealthy? Why haven’t we risen up en mass, recalled or impeached or better yet, imprisoned (in one of their own privatized hellhole prisons) each and every official responsible for allowing this to happen?
It just defies logic and understanding. Yet the unthinking American public buys into the lies we are fed as to why we should absorb capitalism’s losses and applaud those officials who caused it. To socialize Wall Street’s losses but privatize their gains just won’t cut it with me. Does it with you?
If Wall Street is too far away for you to relate to, look at Farmerville. $50 million rightfully belonging to Louisiana taxpayers went to bail out the private enterprise poultry plant there. And another $11 million in federal aid bailed out the chicken production folks. If this isn’t socialism, what is it?
The next time you hear or mistakenly think that socialism or socialistic programs or government-run programs are bad, remember the examples mentioned above. Your view of socialism as to whether it’s good or evil really depends on who benefits. That sword cuts both ways. Both the goose and the gander must be allowed or denied its benefits equally.
Do you think this topic is important? If not, then you had better ask yourself why the people of Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Iran, etc. are demanding back what is rightfully theirs but was stolen by their respective dictators and their top1 percent super-wealthy supporters. If by the use of purchased political favoritism and deceit, the super-wealthy top 1 percent of Americans continue to gain ownership of the assets rightfully belonging to the other 99 percent of us, then we in America are heading down the path that Egypt took.
In case you are wondering how close you are from being included in the top 1 percent super-wealthy in our country, understand If you don’t earn an average $2,700 per hour or $5.4 million per year, you aren’t there yet. Thus, when the federal government or a state governor and legislature sell national or state assets or privatize almost all public services, you are being robbed while at the same time you are paying for the “privilege.”
Join in demanding a stop to the privatizing of those assets that belong to you and the others of us in the 99 percent category.
Hurry! Congress is now in session and the Louisiana legislature convenes April 25.
So, are you against socialism? Is it inherently evil? Funny thing isn’t it that the answer is not a resounding YES. Your answer must depend upon whether or not YOU benefit. If your government gives you special benefits denied to the rest of us, then stop calling the government programs that help the rest of us “socialistic” or you are a hypocrite. The only solution is for you to refuse to accept any assistance of any kind from your local, state and federal governments. In my book, you’ll be an okay kind of guy. But a hypocrite? Not acceptable. Not at all.
Thanks, just posted it on fb
Mary Ann Riddle
>
Well said. Am reading Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations. Smith is the father of capitalism because he came up with a system to create great wealth and it certainly does. But most people don’t know that he intended for almost everybody to “flourish” (his word) under this new system. He also stated that this new system would need to be regulated to prevent corruption and to ensure that all of this wealth did not end up in the hands of a few. But look where we’ve ended up today.
Public schools here in Arizona are morphing into charter schools—privatization. The owner or corporation makes a profit using taxpayers’ money. The owner can sell the school or die and pass it on to his heirs, who can sell the school. The school was built with taxpayer money. How is that not corruption? Our public school district closed a middle school built by taxpayer money but we weren’t allowed to sell it. If Arizona State University has not leased it for a new campus, a charter school operator could have claimed it for nothing, opened up a charter school, the operation of which is would be paid for by our taxes, and he could then sell the school and pocket the money. Your definition of socialism is not the usual one. But if we think about it, you’re right on. Funny how some people are against socialism until they can benefit from it. And who wouldn’t acquire a charter school in this way? There is no risk—no bank loan, salaries are paid by taxes that keep streaming in. The world as we once knew it has turned upside down.
I suspect there is some family connection between John Sachs and the revered Dr. Sachs who was chair of English at Tech. Right? — Wilfred L.Guerin
He is the son of the legendary Dr. Sachs.
Thank you very much for your kind compliment of my father. He would join me in being pleased that you remembered him so warmly.
I am reminded here of a quote attributed to JFK: Those who make peaceful evolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. And, given the recent “impossible” actions of our supposedly well-informed electorate, I find that I am no longer quite so saddened that my advanced age will not allow me to witness much more of the future of this country. Having watched the Republican party devolve, from Eisenhower to Reagan to W to the joke of the century, I can only hope my grandchildren will be able to find refuge somewhere when this spiral ends where it logically must.
I have said this many times, and will doubtless repeat it many more, but it is still my most basic truth. I would gladly pay taxes at the highest possible rate if it meant that every child had a home and a full belly, every veteran had the security he or she deserved, every worker was fairly compensated for his/her effort, and everybody could receive medical care as needed, regardless of the cost.
Is that socialism? Don’t know and don’t care. Maybe, but it is, unless I’m greatly mistaken, according to the teachings of the Christ that so many of these hypocrites claim to worship.
Well said, Ms. Meche!
Good piece, John, exposing the rank hypocrisy of our “capitalist” system. Whether you call it socialism, corporate welfare, protection of the wealthy, or political quid pro quo, what you are describing is definitely not the free market place. Yet you can live and die financially in our system unless you are “too big to fail” and/or have greased the right palms.
Many Christians support our brand of capitalism, particularly evangelicals. Rhetorical question: If you were to classify Jesus as a socialist or a capitalist, which would it be?
Matthew 25:45
Exactly the verse I was thinking of most as I thought of his teachings.
You referenced the greatest scripture in The Book. Jesus was a socialist and a community organizer. He was misunderstood, lied about and reviled, like so many others throughout the ages who believe, like you, Mr. Sachs, in the common good rather than self-serving and greed.
Thank you for a well reasoned, well written and timely piece. If we thought the past few years have been rough, get ready, the foreseeable future in the US is going to be a time of institutionalized corruption and further depredations by the oligarchs (one percent) with little to fear from our futile attempts to stem the tide. Dark days ahead until the middle class is squeezed almost out of existence. That’s what revolutions are made of.
I have just made a phone call to the Justice Department by calling the office (800)253-3931 (pressed option 4) and left this message: “My name is [first last name], I’m calling from [city],[state] to respectfully request you pursue an investigation into voter suppression, Russian collusion and FBI interference with the 2016 presidential election. Please issue an injunction until a thorough investigation can take place.” You could also send a similar message by emailing voting.section@usdoj.gov.
The point is to provide the DOJ with numbers so they can say X number of Americans want an injunction. They realize something is very off with the numbers as they come in. Given the obvious voter suppression in WI, AL, PA & other Republican controlled states using laws designed to disenfranchise voters close scrutiny is warranted.
Register your concern to allow a thorough investigation of the recent voting.
Excellent article. I’m afraid we have more privatization of public funds to look forward to with the Trump administration…..I will take aLICIA’s advice and call the DOJ to register my complaint.