Editor, Manteca Bulletin,

Each election, the American people must choose the future direction of America. The Democrat Party represents a vision of the socialist movement of government control and the Republican Party represents a vision where government is “limited,” as mentioned in the U.S. Constitution.

According to a YouGov poll, nearly half of millennials would rather live in a socialist society than a capitalist one; but 71 percent could not identify the differences.

So what exactly is the difference between capitalism and socialism?  

Capitalism is an economic system which allows private individuals or corporately owned companies to produce products, distribute, and compete for their own economic gain allowing the free market forces to determine the price of products or services based on the desires of the consumer.  The economic system is based on the premise of separating the government from the activities of the private sector.  Capitalists believe the free markets are efficient and the role of the government should be to regulate and protect the system without interference from the government.

Socialism is known as the first stage of transition from capitalism to communism as suggested through the theory of Karl Marx, who is known as the “Father of Communism.”  It is believed that there are inequalities that exist in our society and that the profits of production and distribution by the capitalist should be shared with the community. The government, therefore, oversees the redistribution of wealth to the community and determines the investment, prices, and production levels.  In socialism, the government owns the means of production.

To understand socialism, look no further than Venezuela.  The people are poor.  Crime is high.  People are starving.  The government is corrupt and the people are protesting in the streets wanting a return to capitalism and individual freedom.  In Nicaragua, President Daniel Ortega is accused of massacring hundreds of protesters whose economic futures have been destroyed by his socialist economic policies.  Ironically, Socialist Democrats are protesting capitalism in the streets of America wanting socialism with demands to spread the wealth through higher taxes, free handouts, and government control with policies that ultimately lead to poverty and death.

Capitalism has created American greatness through “limited government” where our U.S. Constitution limits the power of the government through the “right of the people.” The government, therefore, can only do those things authorized by the people through representation since the government receives its delegating power from the people, making government limited in its power to the people, which were the principles of the founders of America.  

While America is a young nation, America has led the world in business, innovation, and industrial growth.  How?  Since the government was limited, individuals were free to invest and develop many companies known throughout the world including Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and Apple to name a few.  Walt Disney created Disneyland.  The Wright Brothers created the first air-flight.  Thomas Edison created the light bulb.  Henry Ford created the first car.  These are just a few inventors of many in American history due to capitalism.  Each of these people did not have government interference.  Each of these inventors and businesses, not government, created jobs for other Americans.  Other socialist nations like Albania, Algeria, Angola, Burma, Congo, Cuba, Ethiopia, Laos, Somalia, Vietnam, or Yemen have not contributed innovation or business for their people.  To the contrary, the people are poor without opportunity, relying on a government that can take everything or maybe even your life.

The Democrat party was not always socialistic.  Socialist began their movement in the 1930s.  Karl Marx once proudly proclaimed, “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.”  Using this Marxist philosophy, the Democrat Party has led America toward the socialist path and adopted the goals laid out in the Communist plan to take over America.

President Thomas Jefferson warned Americans of socialism, “A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have.” 

Frank Aquila  

Mantca