I've been complaining about the new health care law recently. And I've encountered a few people who still seem to think it's a great idea. That's really what inspired this post. I hope to explain my opinion more fully and show that, while it feels great to vote for liberals who promise to take care of the less fortunate and even the playing field for the disadvantaged, their plan to raise taxes to fund entitlement programs is incredibly damaging to society and to individuals.
For the past few years in this country, there has been a disturbing rallying cry. It's led and promoted by the President himself, as well as the majority of Congress. Fairness. Equality. Those who have should give to those who have not. He'd like us to give it a shot. He doesn't understand why anyone would oppose it. We should provide for the needy. For the sake of fairness. For the sake of eliminating poverty.
For hope and change.
Is there anything nobler? What wins hearts and votes better than the warm, fuzzy desire to provide for the less fortunate?
But there's something missing from his narrative.
It's been tried before, on a much larger scale.
Much of what I saw in Russia can be quantified and affirmed by research or polls or data charts, but really it's the evidence of my experience, which, for me, is irrefutable.
In case you haven't brushed up on your Russian history lately, allow me to give you a brief refresher.
October 1917. After centuries of Tsarist rule, there was a Socialist revolution in Russia. The USSR was formed. Events played out that ultimately put complete power in the hands of Joseph Stalin, who took over the economy, industry, agriculture, and killed or imprisoned millions who disagreed with him.
Family and religion took a back seat to comrades and country.
Free choice was sacrificed for the good of the state. The one was required to contribute for the good of all. From each, according to his ability. To each, according to his needs.
Eventually Stalin died, and another dictator took over. And another, and another.
In the USSR, especially during Stalin's era, you either went along with what was happening, or you were annihilated. The state ran the media (and still does in Russia). You were told what to believe and you had no choice but to believe it.
Once I had the opportunity to hear a Russian woman relate her life experiences growing up in the USSR. She grew up in Communism. She told us of horrors and of happiness. At that time, her job and income were provided by the state, and thereby her food and clothing. When she needed an apartment she applied to a waiting list and after a time, an apartment was provided for her.
Then came the end of the Soviet Union, and she said this: We were proud to be Russians. We thought we were part of the greatest, the best, the happiest and most prosperous country on earth. When Communism fell and everything was opened up, and we saw how people really lived elsewhere, we were shocked. We couldn't believe it.
During my time in Russia, I lived at the school where I taught.
Google Earth view of my Moscow school. I was told it was once a government building. In this photo you can see the frame for a dictator's portrait on the side of the building (around the black sign).
In this school, I became friends with our guards. There was a rotation of several guards who took turns at the school in 48-hour shifts. My favorite was named Sergei. He was in his mid-40's and had a daughter who was my age. He lived in a small house in the country with relatives (it's common for Russians to live with their parents and grandparents) and commuted to Moscow for work. His dream was to quit his job in Moscow and live full time in the country. He tried (and failed) to teach me to play ping-pong and shared photos of his family with me. He didn't know a lot of English, and my Russian wasn't much better, but between us we were able to communicate.
One weekend evening in spring, when my time in Russia was coming to an end, the guards took me and a couple of the other teachers up on the roof of the building. The view was great (the trees weren't as tall then) and we could see the sunset over the city. We sat on the roof, chatting and enjoying the view, while our guards smoked cigarettes and had a beer. I stood at the edge and looked out at the seemingly endless expanse of trees, ramshackle Soviet-era buildings, and church domes, soaking in the green and the fresh spring air. A janitor's radio strained Russian songs somewhere below us, a fitting soundtrack for the beautiful evening.
As long as I live, I will never forget what happened next. It will always be a vivid memory for me. Sergei put out his cigarette and joined me. He must have been in a contemplative mood that evening, because he stood silent for a while, then, with eyes devoid of hope, said in Russian, "American life is better than here, yes?" I didn't want to patronize. I agreed.
Sergei motioned to the city, sighed, and then said, "This is not life."
Firsthand, I was observing a prime example of the "greatest" society that ever was. What was the result of this society for Sergei and other men like him? Alcohol abuse. Abandoned children. Low life expectancy. Poverty. Illness. Homelessness. Death.
No opportunity. No choices. No chances. No hope for a better life.
All in the name of fairness.
The ugly truth is, prosperity does not happen when you take from the rich and give to the poor in the name of equality. Charity must come from the heart. It can't be forced by government. There is a loss of freedom, a loss of opportunity, a loss of a person's potential, drive, and ambition as they drift through life, always waiting for someone else to take care of them, never reaching or striving for anything greater... because they know there is nothing greater (see this talk about welfare by Ezra Taft Benson).
Simply put, forced equality -- or in liberal terms, fairness, takes away opportunity and removes a man's desire to lift himself up.
So you'll forgive me for disliking Obamacare.
You'll understand if I don't agree with every liberal in this country who says that the rich need to pay their fair share.
You'll know why I am repulsed by this popular modern message, so willing to throw away freedom for security, that sounds a lot like a similar, chilling message that echoes from experiments of the past:
From each, according to his ability. To each, according to his needs!
-Carl Marx
