Socialism: The worst bad idea in history

When my children were young, we occasionally played a game we called “Good Idea – Bad Idea.” It went like this. Good Idea: playing the piano. Bad Idea: playing the piano in a marching band. Or, Good Idea: fishing for fish. Bad Idea: fishing for school buses. You get the drift.

We also see this game played out in real life. Some years ago, a serial bank robber in Pittsburgh was noted for his red beard. In his version of Good Idea – Bad Idea, he thought it a good idea to disguise himself with a beard. But he chose a red beard just like his own and was quickly apprehended.

Then there was the fellow who thought it a Good Idea to avoid the transoceanic baggage charge on his airline by wearing all his clothes: six T-shirts, four sweaters, three pairs of blue jeans, two jackets, and two hats. That Bad Idea led to a trip to the hospital for overheating and dehydration that likely cost more than the $50 he hoped to save.

More deadly are the Good Idea – Bad Idea implications of socialism. To many, especially the young, socialism seems like a Good Idea. The ideal of “equality” is often mentioned. But the socialist view of equality requires treading on personal freedom, as the wealth of many are confiscated for the greater socialist “good.”

Other young people embrace socialism out of a profound sense of entitlement, believing that earned societal privileges are actually rights they should receive upon demand. They believe there is such a thing as a free lunch, and they want theirs now. Little thought is given to the obvious reality that if everyone is riding in the wagon, there are none left to pull it. As one journalist put it: “The bottom line is that most young proponents of socialism simply haven’t done the math.”

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