Not long ago, my high school student and I were having a discussion about socialist principles. He is taking government in school and we were discussing the difference between socialism and communism, and how it differs from capitalism. The name of one particular presidential candidate did come up, and his concept of "spreading the wealth" was discussed. After getting into a complicated discussion of tax brackets and welfare programs, my high school student was having a bit of hard time completely understanding this from the perspective of wealth, since he has none. So I gave it to him from a position I knew he would understand. Maybe your high school or college student would benefit from this analogy:
Me: You have a GPA around a 3.5 don't you?
Him: Yes
Me: And you work hard to keep your GPA up don't you -- doing your homework every night, giving up games and time on the computer, and not watching TV, don't you?
Him: Yes
Me: And you have a lot of few friends who also work hard to stay on the Honor Roll and Merit Roll, don't you?
Him: Yes
Me: None of you just get that GPA for nothing do you?
Him: Huh, no.
Me: And you also have classmates who goof off and don't do their homework, and blow off studying for tests, and have a failing GPA don't you?
Him: Yes
Me: Well, if we wanted everyone to be the same, using socialist principles, we would just take 1.0 from your GPA and the GPA of your friends, and give it to the guys with a 1.5 GPA and then you'd all be even -- you would all have a 2.5 and then, you'd be the same. What would you say if I told you that's what your principal was going to do?
Him: Well, that's not fair. I work hard to get good grades and some guys don't do anything. Why should they get away with doing nothing and I do all the work?
BINGO
Me: And what if you had a classmate who was really sick all quarter, maybe he was going through chemotherapy, and he worked really hard but hadn't been able to turn in enough homework to get really good grades. What if your principal said you could donate part of your GPA to help him, would that be different?
Him: Well, yeah. It would be different because it would be my choice to help him out. And I would.
And that's the way it should be.
.
precisely. Well done. If we spread the wealth, people won't do as well - no goals.
ReplyDeleteAmen. The guys in the army are able to do something similar. If a soldier has an emergency of some sort and doesn't have enough leave to go deal with it, the others are able to donate some of their leave days for their buddy's benefit. But those days are never TAKEN for the benefit of the other.
ReplyDeleteYou are such a good mom!! Great job on this conversation.
ReplyDeleteI never got back here to let you know I'm praying a rosary and chaplet every day for the election too.
brilliant.
ReplyDeleter
We had the same conversation this morning. DS 11 (who has REALLY gotten into this race and how it works) was asking why ppl didn't like the person's economic plan. I used this:
ReplyDeleteSay you worked hard, really hard, all week long on jobs around the house. They were hot, dirty and tough jobs. And then I paid you. Then, your little brother comes along, who has done absolutely nothing all week but play Legos and watch tv insists that he should get money, too. So, I give him half of your money. How would that make you feel?
Him: "Angry. I would be mad. Why should I work if someone who does nothing gets paid as much as me?"
BINGO
God Bless,
Tracy
Bingo!
ReplyDeleteMy husband was a high school dropout then turned his life around, got a medical degree, joined the military and supports himself and 6 (soon to be 7)others. Why should he give his hard-earned money (not to mention the years of hard work) to someone who wouldn't get off their fat fanny and study enough to graduate from high school?
If there is no incentive ($$) then there will be less achievement. It has happened in every Communist and Socialist country and it would happen here too. Why bother busting your butt just to have it taken away and given to some slacker?