When Socialism is stupid
The problems of capitalism are excess
of human vices
The
problems of socialism are shortage of human virtues
Communism
Communism in theory is a system of social organisation in which
all property is held in common by the people "to each according to
his needs, from each according to his abilities". The problems of
establishing and maintaining Communism are shown in Orwell's 'Animal
Farm'. In practice most 20th century communist states have organized
all economic activity by a totalitarian government dominated by a
single self-perpetuating political party. Violence and blood have
established communist states, crushing opposition. Corruption and
despotism has set in. In the collapse of Soviet Russia, the corrupted
authorities became even more corrupt with the advent of the freedom
of laissez faire capitalism. Castro's Cuba may claim with some
justice that the embargoes and hostile practices of the United States
gave it no fair chance to flourish, and forced political despotism
where it would otherwise have not been needed.
Socialism
Socialism is not so all-or-nothing, and can be implemented by
democratic processes. Socialism tries to vest the ownership and
control of the means of production, capital and the land in the whole
community. Usually ownership and control extend no more than the
infrastructure, utilities, forests, and an amount of public land,
plus government regulation of the economy. Socialism has the ideals
of the 'welfare State' with government responsible for welfare of the
people in social security, health, education, housing and working
conditions.
What can be stupid with socialism
'Publicly-owned property ' can too easily be
assumed to be 'my property' by those who steal or pillage or let it
run down to rack and ruin. Honesty is the essential virtue
Laziness with insufficient incentives and motivation for
dedication and energy.
What is done can be undone - swings-and-roundabouts as
private industries are nationalised when they are not profitable, and
then re-privatised again when they are profitable, plus guarantees by
the government to subsidise and maintain as necessary.
The bureaucratic temper, bumbledom and Parkinson's Law of
5% per annum bureaucratic expansion regardless of the work to be
done. 'Yes Minister' has been influential. Public enterprises can
stifle initiative and new ideas, without good managers - as with
private enterprise. The 'establishment' can resist change but can be
suckers for grand and costly schemes like peanut farms or sweeping
education changes, without small pilot tests
Injelititis - how organisations become fatally moribund
(Northcote Parkinson), and the Peter Principle that people tend to rise just
above their level of competence, with dismal results. This also
happens in private industry - 99% of small businesses fail, and large
ones hide inefficiencies behind large profits - but State affairs are
more serious for the public and their government, and without
innovatory measures, no failure stops it, as in the private sector.
Ways are needed and possible to prevent the
stupidities
of a socialist government and promote its advantages
To keep public services up to the mark, as if they
had public shareholders demanding annually they give account
of themselves (which they have, the public, if we enforced this.)
To stop imperialistic growth, pettifogging bureaucracies
over-regulating, red-taping and playing the boss within public
services, removing inefficient management and staff and enlivening
lazy and selfish unions.
To prevent employees feeling that since their organisation is
publicly owned and jobs ar e relatively safe, they can steal and
skive and feather-bed. Rather, a public-service spirit.
To ensure Public Enterprise has the advantages of both
public service and private enterprise, without the disadvantages of
both as at present.
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