Venezuela, Cuba, China, and North Korea are the only real “communist” places around.

The first two are, according to the leftist media, worker’s paradises, whose only troubles stem from attempts by the United States to overthrow their governments.

China is portrayed as the perfect mix of authoritarian control over freedom to do what you want, excepting of course things like religious freedom and ability to criticize the government, which many young Americans don’t think are important anyway (see Democratic party platform and efforts by Congress (D party) to modify the 1st Amendment.

North Korea? Well, does anyone really care? Unless PDT has forced them to escalate their rhetoric and threaten to go to war with us? But that’s PDT’s fault, and those who voted for him. Who really shouldn’t have been allowed to vote if this were a reasonably sane country.

So where are they going to get this understanding of the evils and dangers of socialism/communism? School? University? Hollywood? Media? Hah!

I have two Little Old Ladies I wish the defenders of socialism could spend some time with.

I was an Army medic, stationed in the Stuttgart area in West Germany during the Cold War. While there, I attended the 1975 annual convention of the Association of the U S Army, held in West Berlin, and took the opportunity to go through Checkpoint Charlie into East Berlin.

I don’t think the visitation agreement had been in place very long at the time; this was in the summer of 1975. As long as I was in uniform, I didn’t have to go through any entry procedures, and I wasn’t checked by any guards. I just strolled through. My Then-Wife had to empty her bag of everything linking her to the US military and her camera, and go through the guardpost hut. No biggie; her military ID went into my pocket, and the Instamatic went up my sleeve, where I could easily drop it out for covert pictures, because I was 22 years old and all about being a Secret Squirrel.

The big reveal came when we stopped off at the cemetery. I had enough German to carry on a minor conversation with the two Little Old Ladies sitting on a bench. At that time, pensioners were permitted to travel, even emigrate, to the West. They would, of course, forfeit their pension.

I asked them if they had considered moving out of East Berlin.
“Where would I go? My man lies right there (gestured to a grave) and I have no one else.”
But what about freedom to worship God, I asked. (I had been in contact with some Bible smugglers, which was a real and pretty big thing at the time.)
Both of the Little Old Ladies jumped a bit, and looked around to see if we were being observed.
“We must not talk about that!” one muttered.
We chatted a bit longer, but we had made the gnadige Frauen uncomfortable.

So my Then-Wife and I took our leave and walked around seeing the sights. I took an out-of-the-sleeve Instamatic picture of “The Pope’s Revenge,” the big golden ball on the TV tower, which reflected the sunlight back in the shape of a cross.
Also took some shots of some un-restored WWII damage. But really, there wasn’t that much for us to see in East Berlin, at least not that we knew about.

And my memory of the place is that everything was gray, and gritty, and cold.

Then, crossing back into West Berlin, and it was just such a freaken relief. The leaves on the trees were green! There were sidewalk Gasthauses! I had a red beer and a green beer, Berliner specialties.
No rubble.
No grayness.
No frightened eyes of Little Old Ladies.

Not real socialism, my hind end.

Something like “socialism” works in a family, where everything IS “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” The difference is that the intent is to get the adorable babies to grow up, leave the nest, and get productive on their own, NOT to remain dependent for their entire lives.

Any attempt to make economic sharing work apart from the family unit is going to require a massive commitment to something BEYOND the concept of socialism itself. I guess monasteries work. I don’t know if they are self-supporting in THIS century, though. Some 40 years ago, when I was free of the Then-Wife and looking for alternatives, I discovered that there is a religious community called Bruderhof that uses this sharing-economic model, but it is order to accomplish a particular spiritual goal.

Involuntary socialism is the brand espoused by the quacking ducks these days, though. “I’ve got $100,000 in student loans and a degree that is of no economic benefit. PLEASE, Big Brother, rescue me from the consequences of my choices!” Well, if there are well-to-do folk who wish to align with that movement, it is my humble opinion it’s because they see themselves as the leaders. They aren’t going to be providing any child- or elder-care.

Not real socialism, my hind end.