As many of you know, I used to be a hard core socialist. I was the socialist of all socialists. I was involved with radical communist organizations in the city of Chicago, and I read Marx and Che Guevara (as well as biographies of both). But as time went by I began to see just how wrong I was.
See, to this day, I care deeply about the plight of the poor. If my study of socialism taught me anything, though, it taught me that the answer to poverty does not lie in socialist revolutions, it does not lie in toppling the working class. The fact is, no economic system on the planet is perfect. But of all the imperfect systems, capitalism offers better answers than most other solutions.
See, the Soviet Union taught us the painful lessons of what is wrong with socialism. People DID suffer in the Soviet Union. People DID starve. And freedom of speech was stifled to an extent that our bourgeoise eurodweebs will never understand. The KGB didn't give out "F's" on research papers. They didn't deny entrance to universities. They shipped their dissidents off to one of the most forbidding areas of the planet. Was that a necessary byproduct of socialism? I believe it was; dissension in a socialist society has a tendency to destroy what work product the state is able to produce.
The truth is, people suffer in a capitalist society. And admittedly sometimes they suffer more than they should. But a smaller percentage suffers, and to a lesser extent than in socialist nations.
Our own history shows the strides our nation has made against poverty. In the past, I've compared and contrasted the life of the working class in urban America in 1900 to that of most Americans today. Back then, everyone in the household worked. Including children. Education was a privilege poor children could not afford, unless they could learn in the scant hours of daylight after their long shifts at the factories had ended. Families took in borders. And still their standard of living did not rise to that of all but the poorest of America's poor.
The reasons why capitalism is a better system are multitude. First and most obvious is that capitalism offers hope for the future. In a socialist system, it is unlikely that I could be anything but a manual laborer. My father was a manual laborer, and his father before him. While I might have had the fortune of escaping that rat race, it's pretty unlikely.
Second, capitalism increases productivity. If I am paid for my work product, my work product increases. That doesn't matter if I am a farmer or a salesman. If producing more means I get paid more, I am going to produce to increase my pay
Third, capitalism spawns innovation. If I am paid more for higher productivity, I will discover ways to increase my productivity. If I'm a farmer, I'll look to increase crop yields. If I am an investment banker I'll look for ways to increase my investments.
A greater amount of goods on the market means a lower cost per item. It is a simple matter of supply and demand. This means that the poorest do not need to work as hard to purchase items necessary for survival. And because they are paid for their work product, they can get better jobs or better positions in their current jobs to go even further.
Lastly, more money for the rich means more disposable income. More disposable income (usually) means more giving. How many libraries in this country were funded in part by Andrew Carnegie? How many schools in this nation have computers bearing the names of Bill and Melinda Gates? How many doors have been opened because of the wealth of capitalists poured out into the community?
And it doesn't end in our country. When the tsunami hit India, look at the amount of PRIVATE donations that poured in. Look to Africa, where Oprah Winfrey's school is opening new doors for some young African women. Look at UNICEF, look at the Red Cross, look at the countless organizations funded by the dollars of Americans with dispensary income.
Capitalism is far from perfect. But in the absence of perfection, it is the best we have to offer. And I am proud to call myself a capitalist. And one day, when I have the money to distribute, a lot of poor will be glad I did!