And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people.
Acts 2:44
Communism was originally a Christian ideal. All who were filled with the Holy Spirit joined together in brotherhood to take care of each other. But unlike modern day Communism, it was voluntary not forced.
The progressive wing of the Democratic Party promises vast new entitlements in healthcare, housing and education, along with trillion dollar programs to stop global warming (that are guaranteed to exacerbate the problem to create a crisis as a pretext to demand more funding). Of course, such programs will inflate costs and degrade quality, requiring exorbitant taxes which they will demand at gunpoint and then round up dissenters for re-education, as is inevitable under such regimes.
The biggest socialist programs today are Social Security and Medicare. They undermine society by enabling parents to alienate their own children believing the government will take care of them in their old age. Of course, their grand kids end up paying for it: the national debt is $23 trillion and growing. Medicare and Social Security comprise 40% of the federal budget, about $1 trillion/year. This expense will enslave future generations for decades. These programs must be abolished and we must take care of our own families. Yes grandparents will have to move back in, but think of the bright side: many of you can now move into the fabulous retirement communities you subsidized.
Some other negative side effects of these programs are that they enable old people to squander their money on a variety of scams (waste and fraud are inevitable with ‘free’ money), and they divert resources such as high quality medical care and luxury housing to the elderly at the expense of the next generation.
Of course, it’s awful to grow old and no one wants to be around old people. That’s part of the reason we relegate them to nursing homes and give them trillions as consolation. But in fact old people are an asset and we must invite them back into our lives and take care of them and let them take care of us (cooking, cleaning, childcare, basic healthcare, etc.). Many people hyperventilate that old people will die in the streets without these programs. Of course there will always be poor in the land. But Americans are generous and will take care of them. It’s a small problem and there is no need to bankrupt the country over it.
For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.
Matthew 26:11
We can’t afford to establish new entitlements. They will serve only to pit generations against each other. For example, seniors support Biden because they don’t want Bernie to drastically expand and thereby dilute their benefits. Similarly, unions fought hard for excellent health care and don’t want to be forced to compete for doctors appointments with illegals and ‘people who struggle with homelessness’. And minorities who profit from our generous welfare state fueled Biden’s recent ‘Super Tuesday’ primary wins. Socialism will fail because the various factions compete with and undermine each other.
The point of America is to be self-reliant and free. We don’t need government and should be ashamed if we are dependent on it. It signifies failure in life. We should be more willing to subordinate our needs to those of the larger community. For example, the coronovirus mostly affects old people with underlying health conditions. They should be saying, “Don’t worry about us and move on with your lives – go to work and have fun! Don’t wreck the US economy for our sake.” Instead they either are silent or petulantly demand more attention and care.
Entitlements make people dependent and resentful:
“STFU and pay for my endless rounds of unnecessary medical tests and luxury living expenses and don’t ask any questions, you selfish troll.”
No. Americans will help you if you need it, but insults will crimp our generosity.
“Borrow a trillion dollars from China and give it to me and after that borrow a trillion more. Don’t worry it’s not real money, you idiot, and anyway I paid taxes for years. Now it’s time for my nap and then I have an appointment with the podiatrist so get back to work and stop bothering me.”
Is this any way to be treated by your own grandparents? At some point even the ‘woke’ kids will start to resent it.
Paradise is possible, but it must be voluntary not forced. The final verses of the Hebrew bible stand as witness against us:
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.
Malachi 4:5