A Conservative Parable About Socialism

A Conservative Parable About Socialism

ijreview.com

This short story is a parable, which, according to Merriam Webster, is a “usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude.” So before you opponents take your discontent straight to the comment section below, keep in mind this is simply a “fictitious story” that is meant as nothing more than a thought provoking example that begs the question: does a more socialist way of thinking really have the potential to improve our country?
The United States will always have programs that borrow from socialist principles, but for the most part, our capitalistic philosophy puts an emphasis on individual profit that relies on competition and self-determination for success.
If you agree with the following parable, SHARE this story by clicking on the social-networking buttons below, and please COMMENT below to discuss whether this example is a reasonable parable, or if it does not encompass the true meaning of socialism.
An economics professor said he had never failed a single student, but had once failed an entire class.
The class (students) insisted that socialism worked since no one would be poor and no one would be rich, a great equalizer. The professor then said, “OK, we will have an experiment in this class on socialism.”
“All grades will be averaged and everyone will receive the same grade so no one will fail and no one will receive an A,” said the professor.
After the first test the grades were averaged and everyone got a B. The students who had studied hard were upset while the students who had studied very little were happy.
But, as the second test rolled around, the students who had studied little studied even less and the ones who had studied hard decided that since they couldn’t make an A, they also studied less. The second Test average was a D.
No one was happy. When the 3rd test rolled around the average grade was an F.
The scores never increased as bickering, blame, name calling, all resulted in hard feelings and no one would study for anyone else.
To their great surprise they all failed.
The professor told them that socialism, too, would ultimately fail because of the same basic human principles of incentive.
The harder people try to succeed the greater their reward (capitalism), but when a government takes all the reward away (socialism) no one will try or succeed.