How Socialism Worked For The Pilgrims (They Were Pissed)
And how the settlers got fat and happy. Excerpt from the text from the video by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie of reason.tv:
When the settlers finally stopped croaking, they set about creating a heaven on earth, a society without private property, where all worked for the common good. Everything was shared. Especially bitching and moaning about working for the common good. Bradford again:"Yong-men that were most able and fitte for labour and service did repine that they should spend their time and streingth to worke for other mens wives and children, with out any recompense....And for men's wives to be commanded to doe service for other men, as dresing their meate, washing their cloaths, etc., they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands well brooke it."
With nobody working, everybody was suffering. And in case you think nobody was working simply because they couldn't understand a damn thing Bradford was saying, chew on this: In 1623, Bradford and the other leaders
"Assigned to every family a parceel of land...this had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more torne was planted then other waise would have bene by any means the Govr or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente."
In no time at all "any generall wante of famine hath not been amongest them since to this day."
America would never go hungry again. So this week, before you drift into your annual tryptophan-induced coma, don't forget to give thanks to the true patron of this holiday feast: property rights.
What it doesn't mention is that the early Pilgrims also enforced their socialism , rather severely and it still didn't work.
The real problem with socialism is it can only work, if no member of it is in even the slightest way greedy or lazy. Which are basic human conditions held by practically everyone at some time in their life.
Capitalism, only works if at least some people are at least a little greedy. Since it recognises basic human nature, it is the superior.
Joe J at November 23, 2012 8:39 AM
The real problem with socialism is it can only work, if no member of it is in even the slightest way greedy or lazy.
Not even then, probably. Then you'll have a society where everyone feels like they're working hard while everyone else is a lazy oaf. I've seen it in married couples. Both of them are working hard, but both feel like they're doing all the work.
Capitalism, only works if at least some people are at least a little greedy. Since it recognises basic human nature, it is the superior.
It's the best we've been able to come up with, yeah. But without limits on it, the greediest and luckiest devour the hard work of everyone else, which makes people just as pissed off as a bunch of put-upon pilgrims. Working your ass off and never seeing the benefits happens in both systems.
MonicaP at November 24, 2012 7:22 AM
I disagree MonicaP the limits usually cause the "devowering" to be possible. The limits (aka laws, rules regulations) prevent competition, allow monopolies.
Joe J at November 24, 2012 3:48 PM
he limits usually cause the "devowering" to be possible. The limits (aka laws, rules regulations) prevent competition, allow monopolies.
We can agree to disagree. Wise limits on business give average people a chance to succeed. Letting it be dog-eat-dog ends up in a lot of dead dogs.
MonicaP at November 24, 2012 9:24 PM
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