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Communism doesnt heal all suffering, but only the suffering caused by capitalism. Bini Adamczak, Communism for Kids (MIT Press, 2017)

I am in Seoul, South Korea, to give a lecture on gross output (GO) at the Mont Pelerin Society meetings. As part of our conference, we visit the de-militarized zone (DMZ) to see the face of tyranny firsthand.

Communism and its ideological father, Karl Marx, is a topic Ive studied most of my life. My father, Leroy Skousen, was an FBI agent who was part of the anti-communist movement, along with my uncle Cleon Skousen, author of The Naked Communist.

There was a time when Communism was a major threat to our way of life, when over two-thirds of the worlds surface was controlled by Marxist governments. During this time, mainstream economists, relying on faulty CIA data, were convinced that the Soviet economy grew faster than the free countries of the West. As late as 1989, in their bestselling textbook, Paul Samuelson and William Nordhaus wrote, contrary to what many skeptics had earlier believed the Soviet economy is proof that a socialist command economy can function and even thrive.

They were proven wrong when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989 and the Soviet central-planning model was discredited with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Socialist author Robert Heilbroner wrote a famous article in the New Yorker concluding, The battle between capitalism and socialism is over. Socialism is a failure. Capitalism has won! It was the end of history, as Francis Fukuyama wrote. The future belonged to capitalism. Socialist countries began to open their borders to foreign investment, cut taxes and reduce regulations.

Yet the lure of the romantic revolutionaries continues. Students wear Che Guevara t-shirts and professors teach Marxism in many university departments. I once presented an 1883 silver dollar to a Marxist professor at Rollins College in Florida. I told him, Ill give you this silver dollar if you can name the economist who died in the year this coin was minted.

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Oh, thats easy, he said, Karl Marx.

Correct, I said. Dont ever forget it. Hes dead!

But he responded quickly, Yes, thats right. But Im alive and teaching your students the virtues of Marxism!

I see that MIT Press has just published a small book, Communism for Kids. Its written by a German communist who sees only the evils of capitalism, and says nothing about the evils of communism, which was responsible for 100 million deaths in the 20th century, and even today denies life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness for millions in Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea.

Today, students and many citizens are attracted to the benefits of a communist/socialist philosophy, especially the idea that education, medicine, and other basic needs should be provided free of charge by the government.

Every year, I ask my students at Chapman University if they agree with this statement:

From each according to their ability, to each according to their needs.

At first glance, many students find the statement attractive.

Then I talk about incentives. How many of you would be willing to continue working for income beyond your needs?

Once students realize that this statement made originally by Karl Marx constitutes 100% marginal taxes, most reject the statement.

Sadly, Communism continues to be practiced in some areas of the world, including Cuba, Venezuela and North Korea, all mired in poverty and even starvation for the general public. Look at the stark contrast between North and South Korea (see photo below). When will they ever learn?

Capitalism vs Communism: Whos Winning the War of Ideas?

Roughly 100 years ago, B. C. Forbes started his magazine in defense of capitalism when the world stood at a similar crossroad of ideas. No sooner had he published his first edition than Communism raised its hammer and sickle. The Bolshevik Revolution in October 1917 brought Marxism-Leninism front and center to the world.

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The war of ideas between these two gigantic forces of good and evil has continued for 100 years, asarecent cover story of Economist magazine indicates.

FreedomFest is planning a major panel on Capitalism vs Communism: Whos Winning the 100 Year War of Ideas? This important session will be led by Lee Edwards of the Heritage foundation and founder of the Victims of Communism Memorial. Panelists include Steve Forbes and others.

Im also doing a special session on What Every Student and Citizen Should Know about Marxism-Leninism.

We are also showing several short films on the victims of communism at our Anthem film festival.

FreedomFest is only two months away. Now is the time to sign up, and take advantage of our $100 discount. Use code FS2017, and sign up at http://www.freedomfest.com, or call toll-free 1-855-850-3733, ext 202. Dont miss the excitement of our 10th anniversary including keynote speaker William Shatner and celebrating Steve Forbes 70th birthday party.

In case you missed it, I encourage you to read my e-letter from last week about how investing in gold can cost you in the long run.

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Charlie Munger Endorses Single-Payer Medical System

Having a basic level of care for everybody with no insurance aspect as a right I think is a good idea. Charlie Munger

Charlie Munger, Warren Buffetts long-term partner in Berkshire-Hathaway Inc. (NYSE: BRK.B), usually offers a counter to Buffetts social democrat policy recommendations, such as higher progressive taxes.

But Munger, who says he is not a normal Republican, shocked people by endorsing a single-payer medical system similar to what operates in all of Europe and Canada.

A single-payer system sounds appealing citizens get free medical services, including expensive surgery, which is then paid for by the government. In other words, the taxpayers cover the expense.

As appealing as free medical care may sound, it is a clear violation of the A&W principle. A stands for accountability, which would have the user pay. W stands for the welfare principle, to aid those who need help, but not assist those who dont need help. Should we subsidize and pay for the medical bills of Charlie Munger and other wealthy people? I dont think so.

Once a policy violates the A&W principles, the market stops working efficiently. Doctors have poor incentives. You end up with waste, fraud and excessively higher costs and you overuse the medical system when you offer valuable services like medical services, technology and equipment for free, you are asking for trouble long lines, shortages, poor services and a slowdown in advancing medical technology. This is what has happened in Canada and Europe. If you want a system that works, see Singagores Medisave program, which Bloomberg calls the worlds most efficient medical system. Read about it.

Read more here:
Why Communism Doesn't Work, But Still Has Romantic Appeal - Stock Investor

Who is to blame for the failures of the current regime? A new play, Elites, presented at the Slovak National Theatre by the Czech director Ji Havelka, offers the same answer we have heard for almost twenty-eight years. Instead of the notion of the flawed character which is connected to real socialism, this new adaptation, however, focuses specifically on the current economic elite, which is firmly rooted in the Communist regime.

Elites is split into two parts. I will focus primarily on the ideological framework of the production in this review, rather than the theatrical technicalities of the adaptation itself. The first part of the play reveals the ways in which the StB (the communist secret police) recruited new agents and collaborators. Despite a one-sided image of the regime, one has to appreciate the multi-faceted characters: a wide range of motivations behind the collaboration of Czech citizens with the secret service is presented.

The second part features Ta Pauhofov as a journalist interviewing unnamed members of the current elite most likely Babi, irok or Lorenc. The moral authority of the play is the chairman of the Institute for National Memory, an institute dedicated to unveiling and publicizing the actions of repressive structures between 1939 and 1989. This part raises the central anti-communist message which aims to ideologically purge the capitalist system by laying the blame for current problems on the shoulders of an amoral elite whose power springs from their shady dealings pre-1989.

Holding up mirrors

Elites becomes a mirror for the creators of the play, and the anti-communist ideology they personify.

The play opens and closes with a mirror, in an original, although maybe rather unsubtle way, allowing the audience to see their own reflection. The somewhat clichd metaphor of holding up a mirror immortalized for (and ridiculed by) generations of Czechs and Slovaks by socialist-era news and movies gains new meaning in this context. Elites becomes a mirror for the creators of the play, and the anti-communist ideology they personify.

This mirror reveals that the victors of the 1989 revolution will maintain the story of how evil communism has spawned the amoral elite of today at any cost. One of the characters states declares that the worst thing about communism the way in which it erases the difference between good and evil. Communism is to blame for our amorality and the amorality of elites that rule us. That is why democracy (supposedly) does not work and why people have become so disillusioned maybe we are the last generation that can still enjoy it for this reason.

The play follows a basic narrative; the transformation from communism to democracy is unfinished or incomplete. According to this narrative, only a generation which has not been compromised by the corruption of communism in any way can make a success of democracy in a post-communist country. The problem is that we have already met this generation and societys flaws have not been resolved. Luckily, another guilty party is readily available, the StB-raised, Moscow-educated elite that rules us.

Anti-communism as a clich

This reference to disillusionment in democracy is where the play simply begs critics to tear it to pieces. If communism is really the root of all our problems, what explanation would the author provide for the presence of similar issues in old democracies?

The problem of the play is that it does not add anything new to the dominant anti-communist discourse.

One character mentions Germany, a country which has dealt with the legacy of Nazism and supposedly strictly enforces the rule of law but then, where does the corruption evident in the behavior of Siemens or the fraud committed by a Volkswagen executive spring from? Were these corporations infiltrated by former agents of the Stasi? When communism does not offer a convenient explanation, where can you find the roots of rising support for the extreme Right while traditional liberal-democratic parties lose ground all over Western Europe?

The corruption of capitalism of Slovakia definitely springs, in part, from the actions of an economic elite formed by the amoral environs of the secret services. But Slovakia shares such questions of inequality and poverty, the rise in psychological disorders and the devastation of the environment with countries not just to the east, but also the south and the west of its borders.

The problem of the play is that it does not add anything new to the dominant anti-communist discourse. Unlike Das Kapital, in the Arena theatre, or the National Theatres Carpathian Thriller, Elites remains a prisoner of the ideology of the transformative process that took place in the nineties. Where Gindl poked fun at the theory of lesser evil and Lomnick quoted Marx, even with its imaginative form and the amazing performances by the actors, Havelka offers only a well-worn clich.

We are engaged in an endless search for the roots of the issues plaguing society today everywhere but within this system itself.

A need to confirm ones own idea of truth is felt most by those who feel threatened. The anti-communist elite has been under threat since the economic crisis in 2008 which exposed the real impact of capitalism for all to see. While the crisis did give rise to a degree of self-reflection, the need to prove that democracy is a pillar of capitalism that succeeds where communism has failed, is still felt. The result is complete ignorance of the true foundations of the system. Instead we are engaged in an endless search for the roots of the issues plaguing society today everywhere but within this system itself.

Elites only reinforces this idea. This ideology replaces a thorough analysis of the systems current state by perpetuating the illusion that the past still determines the present.

Translation by Michal Chmela

Read the original:
Holding Up a Mirror to Anti-Communism - PoliticalCritique.org

May Day celebrations were held all across the fruited plain, with leftist radicals and unionists worshipping the ideals of communism.

Communism is an ideology calling for government control over our lives. It was created by Karl Marx, who along with his collaborator, Friedrich Engels wrote a pamphlet called Manifesto of the Communist Party.

In 1867, Marx wrote the first volume of Das Kapital. The second and third volumes were published posthumously, edited by Engels. Few people who call themselves Marxists have ever even bothered to read Das Kapital. If one did read it, he would see that people who call themselves Marxists have little in common with Marx.

For those who see Marx as their hero, there are a few historical tidbits they might find interesting.

Nathaniel Weyl, himself a former communist, dug them up for his 1979 book, Karl Marx: Racist.

For example, Marx didnt think much of Mexicans. When the United States annexed California after the Mexican War, Marx sarcastically asked, Is it a misfortune that magnificent California was seized from the lazy Mexicans who did not know what to do with it?

Engels shared Marxs contempt for Mexicans, explaining: In America we have witnessed the conquest of Mexico and have rejoiced at it. It is to the interest of its own development that Mexico will be placed under the tutelage of the United States.

Marx had a racial vision that might be interesting to his modern-day black supporters. In a letter to Engels, in reference to his socialist political competitor Ferdinand Lassalle, Marx wrote: It is now completely clear to me that he, as is proved by his cranial formation and his hair, descends from the Negroes who had joined Moses exodus from Egypt, assuming that his mother or grandmother on the paternal side had not interbred with a (n-word). Now this union of Judaism and Germanism with a basic Negro substance must produce a peculiar product. The obtrusiveness of the fellow is also (n-word)-like.

Engels shared Marxs racial philosophy. In 1887, Paul Lafargue, who was Marxs son-in-law, was a candidate for a council seat in a Paris district that contained a zoo. Engels claimed that Lafargue had one-eighth or one-twelfth (n-word) blood. In a letter to Lafargues wife, Engels wrote, Being in his quality as a (n-word), a degree nearer to the rest of the animal kingdom than the rest of us, he is undoubtedly the most appropriate representative of that district.

Marx was also an anti-Semite, as seen in his essay titled On the Jewish Question, which was published in 1844. Marx asked: What is the worldly religion of the Jew? Huckstering. What is his worldly God? Money. Money is the jealous god of Israel, in face of which no other god may exist. Money degrades all the gods of man and turns them into commodities. The bill of exchange is the real god of the Jew. His god is only an illusory bill of exchange. The chimerical nationality of the Jew is the nationality of the merchant, of the man of money in general.

Despite the fact that in the 20th century alone communism was responsible for more than 100 million murders, much of the support for communism and socialism is among intellectuals. The reason they do not condemn the barbarism of communism is understandable.

Dr. Richard Pipes explains: Intellectuals, by the very nature of their professions, grant enormous attention to words and ideas. And they are attracted by socialist ideas. They find that the ideas of communism are praiseworthy and attractive; that, to them, is more important than the practice of communism. Now, Nazi ideals, on the other hand, were pure barbarism; nothing could be said in favor of them.

That means leftists around the world will continue to celebrate the ideas of communism.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University.

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Williams: Leftists just think they like communism | amarillo.com - Amarillo.com

A bill in California that would remove a ban on members of the Communist Party working in state government was sponsored by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, seen here in 2016. Rich Pedroncelli/AP hide caption

A bill in California that would remove a ban on members of the Communist Party working in state government was sponsored by Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, seen here in 2016.

California may end a decades-old ban on members of the Communist Party working in its government, after the state Assembly approved a bill that would delete references to the party from its employment requirements.

The bill's sponsor, Assemblyman Rob Bonta, D-Oakland, said that California's laws should focus on individuals' actions and evidence rather than political affiliations and what he termed "empty labels."

Speaking on the floor of the Assembly, Bonta called the legislation a "cleanup bill that removes archaic and outdated references to the Communist Party in our state laws, specifically those stating that a public employee may be dismissed from employment if he or she advocates or is knowingly a member of the Communist Party."

The bill passed in a 41-30 vote, after a debate that touched on the Cold War, the U.S. history of fighting communism and the potential for future conflicts.

While Bonta called the measure "an appropriate step forward" for the state, three of his Republican colleagues in the California Assembly rose to speak against the bill, AB 22.

"This bill is blatantly offensive to all Californians," said Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach, who said his constituents include people who fled Vietnam's Communist regime. "Communism stands for everything that the United States stands against."

Allen concluded, "To allow subversives and avowed Communists to now work for the state of California is a direct insult to the people of California who pay for that government."

Assemblyman Randy Voepel, R-Santee, also opposed the bill, noting America's history of going to war to combat communism.

"There are 1.9 million veterans in California," Voepel said. "Many of us fought the communists. They are still a threat. We have North Korea, that wants to do us in. We have China, who is a great, great threat to the United States."

After those objections were raised, Bonta told his colleagues that the legislation includes a provision that allows the dismissal of any state employee "if that public employee advocates or is knowingly a member" of an organization that works toward "the overthrow of the government of the United States or any state by force or violence."

The Northern California chairman for the Communist Party USA, Juan Lopez, has pushed to roll back similar bans in recent years including one that forbids teachers from being in his party.

The Communist Party isn't a registered political party in California, Lopez told the Daily Bulletin back in 2013.

See more here:
California's Assembly Votes To Allow Communists To Hold State Jobs - NPR

I dont know what weapons would be used to fight World War III, but IV would be settled with sticks and stones.

Albert Einstein

USA Today ran this front-page headline recently: World War III: Americans are Thinking About the Unthinkable (May 3, 2017). Data from Google searches show incredible spikes for you guessed it World War III. And the Doomsday clock is now as close as its ever been to midnight.

Not long ago there was a similar situation, but it was providentially avoided because of the friendship of two outstanding leaders. Can you guess who they were?

This is the absolutely amazing account of two of historys greatest leaders and their bond of friendship that changed the world and averted a nuclear nightmare. Both are gone, but their story is worthy of reflection in these tense times.

Ronald Reagan was one of Americas greatest presidents, and his stature is sorely missed. Think for a moment on his victory margin in the 1984 election of 525 to 13 electoral votes as he won 49 of 50 states!

His opponent, Walter Mondale, only won his home state of Minnesota and that by 3,761 votes! The Gippers electoral votes remain the highest total ever received by a presidential candidate. Dont forget he was 73 the oldest president in Americas history.

Hes my hero, and I treasure the autographed picture of him in my study. Millions draw inspiration from his life and legacy.

Since we are known by our friends, it behooves us to discover who was Reagans closest friend. It may surprise you.

Its been said there are four types of friends:

President Reagan had a God-given gift in a person with whom he changed the course of history. And it wasnt his beloved wife, Nancy, to whom he was married for 52 years. Actor Charlton Heston called this unique relationship, The greatest love affair in the history of the American presidency.

My father came from Poland as an immigrant. My mother was Polish as were almost all of our relatives.

We were dyed-in-the-wool Catholics. I had 12 years of parochial school. My autobiography, Clap Your Hands, helped reach a quarter million predominately Catholics, and both my father and I had the privilege of ministering the gospel in Poland.

Whether youre Catholic or not, youre most likely familiar with the first Polish pope in history who also gained sainthood in the Catholic Parthenon of saints.

This towering figure connected with President Reagan, and today they are recognized together as the principal players in collapsing Communism and averting a nuclear war.

Pope John Paul II was born Karol Jozef Wojtyla in 1920 and was athletic, manly and an outspoken advocate for human rights. When Nazis occupied Poland during World War II, he studied in a secret seminary in Krakw, became pope in 1978 and traveled to over 129 countries sharing the message of Jesus Christ.

He stood up to Communism, using his influence and moral authority so effectively that he is credited with its fall in Poland and throughout Europe. Lech Walesa, founder of the Solidarity movement and the first post-Communist president of Poland, repeatedly honored John Paul for giving Poles the courage to effect change peacefully, altering the politics of the land.

Even Soviet leader Mikael Gorbachev once said, The collapse of the Iron Curtain would have been impossible without John Paul II. [CBS News Online: Pope Stared Down Communism in His Homeland and Won! (June 30, 2008)].

For years prior to his death, this icon was a prophetic symbol of perseverance under pressure and pain as he never stopped his missionary work while trembling severely with Parkinsons.

A Pope and a President

Paul Kengor, political science professor and author, has just released his amazing book reviewing this little known relationship. Its title is, A Pope and a President: John Paul II, Ronald Reagan, and the Extraordinary Untold Story of the 20th Century.

In a compelling way, Kengor documents the spiritual connection between the Catholic pope and the Protestant president that strengthened each other in confronting the paramount evil of the 20th century: Soviet Communism.

We learn the following:

Former President George W. Bush once labeled North Korea and Iran as two players in the axis of evil. When Mitt Romney ran for president he said Russia was the No. 1 geopolitical foe of America. The threat of all three nations to world peace is an alarming reality today.

People are understandably on edge. Add to the mix the ever-present terrorist activity in our nation and abroad, and we do have a recipe for potential disaster overnight.

Its important to remember the strong prayer emphasis prevalent during the Reagan era as we study the providential hand of God in the friendship of Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II. It should motivate us afresh to pray first of all for all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. (1 Timothy 2:1-2).

Inspired by the supernatural intervention of God both during the Reagan years and in this recent election, may we all rededicate ourselves to praying for our elected officials, our nation and another spiritual awakening during these turbulent times.

Read more from the original source:
THE COLD WAR - WND.com