Easter week may not be the best time for this bit of opinion, but I am going to risk it anyway.
A good-looking older businessman on TV the other night said he had had a good career, made a good deal of money and now it was time to retire. He was grateful to his customers, his city and his country and he made a point of saying “now it was time to give back.” A curious phrase when you think of it.
Unless he was a crook or crack-dealer presumably he had made his money by providing some useful goods or services to his customers. Apparently however he had also unwittingly bought into a common opinion among socialists that profits are like stealing. And now it was time to “give back” some of the loot.
No question, socialism does have a better public relations face than capitalism. The socialist vision is clear and inspiring, to have people work together unselfishly for the common good. This is in contrast to the capitalist notion where the individual profits by providing useful goods or services and in the process makes a profit (or a good salary) for him or herself. If the profit (or salary) gets very large, this is often seen as greed.
In my DVD program CAPITALISM AND DEMOCRACY I explain the differences this way.
“Despite the seeming triumph of capitalism (and democracy as well) on the world stage, there is strong opposition to capitalism in many parts of the world, including the western world where it originated.
“One of the major problems of capitalism is that it does not automatically bring to mind romantically utopian hopes and dreams. To many sensitive and intelligent people it smacks of crudity, selfishness, greed, and a ruthless competition that rewards the bully and punishes the weak. And it fosters, some claim, an environmentally and morally destructive hedonism and consumer driven excess.
“Socialism (in theory) gets a better press. In practice, however, full-blown socialist societies like the Soviet Union, China, Cambodia, Cuba and North Korea have not only been the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, they have also been the world’s worst polluters.”
And in my new program to be released in about six months, THE COLD WAR, I explain basic reasons why the Soviet and Chinese experiments with radical socialism failed:
“Underlying the direct causes (of the Soviet collapse) there was and is a basic flaw in communist and socialist theory about human nature. Free-market capitalism assumes that humans usually act in self-interest and that diversity of talents and rewards leads to progress for all, so long as private property, free trade and free markets are given a chance to work their magic.
“Democracy insists that the individual human being has rights and privileges that need to be acknowledged and protected, that freedom of speech, of religion and of the press are essential to a civilized society.
“On the whole both democracy and capitalism say self-interest, diversity of talents and individual rights are good things. And finally both democracy and capitalism are pragmatic, not utopian. That is, they are open to change and to new ideas and do not have a grand fixed vision-of-the-future, nor a dogmatic set of rules on how to get there.
“Socialism, on the other hand, does tend to be utopian. It envisions a future where everyone is equal and near-perfect justice is the norm. Socialism assumes that humans are equal and altruistic by nature and can and will be their natural good-seeking selves once capitalism is abolished. Socialism stresses that community needs should take priority over individual rights, that private property should be strictly limited if not abolished, and that there should be equal outcomes as well as equal opportunities. (In communist Cuba today, for instance, a brain surgeon and a day laborer receive the same salary–as well as the same ration cards.) Socialism asserts that people can and should be unselfish, that they should sacrifice their private concerns for the public good. And socialism preaches that in the future a new man and a new woman freed of petty greed and self-interest and dedicated only to the common good will emerge.”
For more detail on the capitalism side, see the program reviewed below:
Capitalism and Democracy (Democracy: The Basics Series). DVD. 50 min with tchr’s. guide, quiz. Hawkhill Assocs. 2008, 2009 release. ISBN 1-55979-222-1. $109.
Gr 9 Up—While many individuals may assume that capitalism and democracy are only possible when mated with each other, this well-crafted program presents a comprehensive examination of the relationship between the two theories. Consisting of two distinct divisions, the nicely paced and superbly narrated film reviews the historical development of both the economic theory of capitalism and the governmental concept of democracy and explains how capitalism and democracy are connected today. The historical account begins at the earliest stages of human society and smoothly progresses to today’s complex world with hints at what might occur in the future throughout the world. A rich variety of artwork, video, and photographs help illustrate the connections between capitalism and democracy and enhance the impact of the presentation. New terms are subtitled as they are introduced. There are two interactive review tools for post-viewing use. The guided questions option reviews key points to generate discussion, while the mastery quizzes focus on essential topics and themes from the program. While most teachers will find these assessment devices lacking in substance, their inclusion is a nice bonus. A valuable resource.—Dwain Thomas, formerly Lake Park High School, Roselle, IL
Bill Stonebarger, Owner/President Hawkhill
P.S. This program is listed at $109. In our special 2010 sale you can purchase it at a 70% discount for just $32.70. See our web site: www.hawkhill.com