I have puzzled over Jim McCauley’s April 17 letter to the editor for some time. He says his “intention is to raise awareness of the dangers of a failed economic system being laid out as something it is not.” And the failure he refers to is socialism such as that found in Venezuela.
So, what does he mean?
I previously suggested the word “socialism” can be defined in various ways: the dictionary definition of “A theory or system of social organization which advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production, capital, land, etc. in the community as a whole”; “community members (rich and poor) working together for the benefit of all”; when “churches, charities and non-profit organizations voluntarily give of their time and money to aid those in need”; when “Hutterites, who live communally… succeed economically in part because they own things in common and share the fruits of labor”; when early Christians “held all things in common” and “sold all their possessions and property and distributed all the proceeds, as anyone had a need (Acts 2:44,45) Rich and poor joined together voluntarily for the benefit of all”; when “…American community members work together for the benefit of all, paying taxes so all of us, rich and poor, can have clean water, efficient sewer systems, safe roads, affordable health care, quality schools, a clean and accessible environment, healthy food, warm homes and social security.”
