LETTER: American Capitalism or Socialism, Your Choice

If you are reading this, you have won the lottery of life. You are living in the best country on earth at the best time in human history. Most of us have had access to the best standard of living in human history. 

Are there poor and hungry? Are there sick? Do some suffer? Both political parties agree on the need to take care of the less fortunate. It used to be that our differences were in the approach to solving the problems. While the approaches differed, and even though the system is imperfect, there is no better place on earth since we shared common goals. 

Into this comes the progressive left. They believe our system of shared goals and compromise is so bad, so depraved, it must be completely torn down and rebuilt into a classless society of utopian equality like socialism. 

Of course, in every utopian socialist experiment set up in the 20th century, there was a king and his court. King George III never had the power or the wealth of Stalin, Castro, Maduro, Mao, or Xi. 

In America, you live with the freedom to aspire to and work toward any acceptable goal you choose. You can do with your rewards anything you want. Peaceful discourse is the norm. We help those we want. We support causes we like and generally try to remain constructive. 

In the social utopias ruled by the above-mentioned kings, almost everything is different. Crime is rampant; injustice between people is the norm. Barriers between groups are impenetrable (cancel culture). Only two groups exist: the elite, the leaders, the regulators, the privileged, and the legally untouchable make up one group. Their wealth is unimaginable. They maintain their privilege with better-armed ANTIFA like “mostly peaceful” protesters who leave behind burned-out cities, uncontrolled rioting, dozens of deaths, and continued chaos. The welfare of the second group—the masses, workers, non-workers, the general population, families, and people like you and me—is a neglected afterthought. 

Chaos, the total rejection of Judeo-Christian values, the perversion of Common Law, the denial of commonality and tolerance, and the refusal to assimilate are the hallmarks of the progressive left. 

You would be wrong to think that socialism is the only goal of the Progressive Alliance. 

Kings and princes rule the masses in countries and municipalities where Sharia Law, a theocratic tyranny, holds sway. Neighborhoods in Paris, London, and now here reject shared national understandings and beliefs. Tribalism, a system in which genetic or geographic groups battle each other for resources without any regard for the common good, beliefs, or the law, is sapping resources intended for the needy. 

The American ideal, where individual creativity is encouraged, effort is rewarded, pride is earned, and when one excels, he / she usually lifts others with them, is what built the greatest country on earth. 

The question being posed here is not which system is better, but which system do you want to live with? Choose very carefully. One has created the greatest society on earth. Alternatives have been tried many, many times and have never worked. 

Sincerely,

Joseph Shortino 

Owego, New York