Communism fails because it is opposed to and irreconcilable with human nature.
Communism: The God That Failed
By: George Noga – October 24, 2021
On this day in 1917 communists took over the government of Russia to the rapture of collectivists everywhere. They now would have the chance to demonstrate, once and for all, socialism’s superiority. It would, they believed, be the fulfillment of mankind’s eternal dreams of paradise on earth. Man has worshipped at the altar of collectivism and longed for Utopia since the days of Elysium, Xanadu, Zion and Valhalla.
But despite having every opportunity to make communism work, it collapsed in less than 75 years. This should not have come as a surprise, as all collectivist schemes have failed always and everywhere. The pattern follows a preordained script: collectivists make high-minded and exalted promises, but end up delivering a phantasmagoria of terror, slaughter and poverty. In the end, it is all lies; it is the god that failed!
The Trabant could go from zero to 60 mph in the same day.
We have tried many approaches to contrast socialism with free market capitalism. This year, on the anniversary of communism, we try yet another approach. We present three examples that showcase the failure of socialism better than any academic tome.
The Trabant
The best car ever produced by commies was the Trabant. I saw one once in a museum; it looked more like a lawn mower than a car. It had a two-stroke, two-cylinder engine and went from zero to 60 in the same day. It had 26 horsepower and a top speed of 60 mph. (Note: some riding lawnmowers have 24 horsepower). The gas gauge was a dipstick and oil had to be mixed in with the gas in precisely the correct proportion. Because it had no fuel pump, the gas tank was located atop the engine for gravity flow. Despite all its deficiencies, the waiting time from order to delivery was 12-15 years.
Contrast the East German manufactured Trabant with cars manufactured in West Germany such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW and Volkswagen. All of these cars are available with a stunning array of options and can be delivered in less than one hour from being ordered. Communists promise you a Mercedes but give you a Trabant.
The Sears Catalog
There is an old commie joke wherein the chief soviet economist (oxymoron) bursts into the office of the head commie and says, “We have conquered the entire world except for New Zealand.” The head commie asks why they had not conquered New Zealand; the economist replies, “We must have one place where there are real prices.” This story is funny because it is true. Soviet commies had no way to know what things cost or what prices should be charged. So, instead of looking to New Zealand, they turned to Sears catalogs to set prices for consumer goods – as did the Chicoms.
Computer Technology
The East German communists possessed the most advanced computer technology in the Soviet bloc. Their computer scientists were subject to extreme security measures by the Stasi to safeguard their technology and to keep it from falling into the hands of enemies. They were proud that their technology was so superior. After the Berlin Wall fell, the top commie computer scientist visited West Berlin. He was flabbergasted to find far more advanced (100 times faster and better) computers for sale to ordinary citizens at ridiculously low prices. The strict secrecy was imposed not because commie computer technology was so advanced, but because it was so far behind.
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The enduring legacy of communism, and all collectivist schemes, is that it never can work because it is unalterably opposed to and unreconcilable with human nature. It fails not because it was implemented improperly, but because it was implemented faithfully. Instead of Utopia, the communists wrought gulags, death, destruction and misery on a monumental scale. Understanding the difference between communism and capitalism is as simple as the difference between a Mercedes-Benz and a Trabant.
Answers to Numeration Problems from Last Week
For those of you who missed last week’s posting about numeration, you may wish to visit our website at www.mllg.us to take the quiz before your read the answers.
Problem #1: The correct answer is (f); each answer from (a) to (d) is correct.
(a) The stock decreased by 20% as $10 is 20% of $50
(b) Since the 20% decease happened in 6 months, the annual rate of decrease is 40%
(c) To breakeven, the stock must go from $40 to $50 – an increase of 25%
(d) If you bought another 100 shares at $40, you now own 200 shares that cost $9,000. If the stock went to $45 (a 12.5% increase) the 200 shares would be worth $9,000.
Problem #2: The correct answer is (d). This is all about knowing which denominator is correct. It is helpful (but not necessary) to assume there are 10 slices. You ate 6 slices and your spouse ate 4. You ate 2 more slices than your spouse’s 4 – or 50% more – not 20%, 33% or 40%. Your spouse ate 2 slices less than your 6 slices, or one-third less.
Problem #3: The correct answer is (d). Dividing $90 by (1-.35) is the same as dividing $90 by .65, the result of which is $138.46. You can confirm this is correct by working the problem in reverse. Multiply $138.46 by 35% to get $48.46. Then subtract $48.46 from $138.46 to get $90 – the correct result.
Our next post contrasts the promises versus the results of communism.
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