Socialism is in the news quite a bit these days. In spite of its 0-for-whatever historical record of success, many folks think that this method of arranging an economic society is somehow more ‘fair’ than Capitalism. I liken the sales techniques of those pushing Socialism to a used car salesman. Let’s dig.
In the early sales phase, car salesmen have to assess the potential buying power of each prospective customer. He doesn’t want to waste time on trying to sell a 2015 Lexus RX-300 if the customer only has the ability to buy a 2001 Honda Civic. Oh, he’ll try to maximize the sale by focusing on the payment amount, rather than the price of the vehicle. And, if he can get the customer to over-commit, that’s fine with the sales dude—more commission. Getting the newly-minted driver, whose parents are footing the bill, to LOVE the more expensive ride is a HUGE plus! Also note that in this sales phase, the salesman will over-promise virtually EVERY attribute of the more expensive car—it has GREAT gas mileage, NO wear and tear, AWESOME cost of ownership, truly a cream-puff of a ride! The puddle of oil under the car is no cause for concern at all. Likewise, the initial sales phase of Socialism is a feeling out process, to see how much the audience will swallow, without checking references (like the aforementioned historical record of Socialism). So, the Socialism hawker will focus on the largest uninformed population possible, hoping they can guilt the real powers that be that the lemon is a true great purchase! In the Socialism sale, college students, especially Liberal Arts majors, who have never actually READ a History or Economics text, are noticeably ripe for this stage of the sales process.
In the next phase of sales, the car is chosen, at the outer edge of true value. The salesman circles like a vulture, dismissing any vehicle flaws, honing in on the monthly payment. At this point, the hook is set for the buying fish. He WANTS the vehicle, and is willing to badger the real buyer (sometimes parents, sometimes not) into completing the sale. From the salesman’s point of view, the vehicle is nearly forgotten—now, it is all about getting someone, anyone, to commit to the purchase and sign the contract. In the Socialism parallel, this is when the promises escalate: student loans will be paid by others, followed by ‘free’ education. Health care (or insurance) is a ‘right’. Minimum wage should support a family of four in a comfortable lifestyle. Everyone will enjoy everything! ANYTHING said at this stage is pure smoke-and-mirrors—just buzzwords and phrases to convince the uninformed that the wonderful utopia is right around the corner, if we ONLY implement Socialism!
The next phase of sales doesn’t always happen. This is where the adults (payers) in the process realize the poor decision path they have taken, and back out of the deal. Overpaying for any vehicle is a bad idea to the real buyers, and over the protests of the ‘driver’, they call it off. In the case of the kid’s car, regardless of the logic, math, reasoning, and historical references brought out by the parents, the ‘driver’ is still supremely pissed. He WANTED that vehicle, costs be damned! This is where we are in the Socialism sales phase in the US. At this point, Capitalism (even though dented by cronyism and Congress-allowed monopolies) is still en vogue. The new car Socialism has not yet been purchased by enough of the powers-that-be to finalize the deal, even with many vocal supporters of the idea.
The final phase of sales is the post-purchase, buyer’s remorse. If the prior phase doesn’t happen, the sale goes through. The snazzy promises made in the first two phases are entirely forgotten, because they were pure fantasy to begin with, and had ZERO chance at materializing. Now, the reality of the true lemon purchased comes to the surface. The engine is worn out, and needs a ring job and new head gasket. The tires are worn, and need to be replaced. The transmission has a quirk between third and fourth gear, and repairs would cost more than the price of the car. The warranty covers nothing of value. The buyer is on the hook for several years of payments, to a vehicle the buyer now hates. In the Socialism model, this phase is called ‘reality’. There is a true reason why productive people have to be FORCED into Socialism—they have to carry the unproductive. Productive people can thrive in any environment that rewards their productivity–but under Socialism, they only receive a small part of the rewards for their efforts compared to Capitalism. Socialism is GREAT for the decision-makers, but that never seems to be anyone actually doing the work. The workers’ lives are ALWAYS worse under Socialism than Capitalism—the decision-makers’ lives are ALWAYS better under Socialism than Capitalism, at the expense of the productive (which is precisely why the decision-makers WANT Socialism in the first place). It is a feature, not a bug. The incentives to improve one’s life and to innovate to create new things (profit, ownership) no longer exist, so the innovations and investments also dry up to nothing. Working hard pays the same as not, so working hard is no longer done. Minimal effort equates to minimal production, which equates to minimal lifestyle. Note that NONE of these inescapable reality points were mentioned in the pre-purchase phases. Reality would prevent ANYONE from buying the steaming failure of Socialism, so mum’s the word. SHHHH!
