Sir Winston Churchill once said that socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.
Now, years later, some are saying that this is true of capitalism rather than socialism because a free market is built upon greed and avarice. We will demonstrate how this attempted butchery of Churchill's sentiment is a work of fiction.
First of all, the individual drive to succeed is an integral mechanism of our survival instincts. Adam Smith, in reference to the institution of slavery, acknowledged that labor under such strict and abhorrent conditions produced worse results than laborers who toiled for their own benefit.
The freedom to make a better life for yourself is the antithesis of living and working under restrictive conditions like slavery. If you hate your job, there are salient options you can consider. If you dislike working as a slave or under an oppressive regime, there's little recourse to take advantage of.
Now let's explore the implications a little deeper.
Wanting More Is Not Envy
Socialists are quick to point out that those who prefer a free market system have a tendency to want more than they need for basal survival.
To them, living a life steeped in luxury is immoral. The thrill of the hunt to acquire more and better possessions and amenities well beyond what one needs to live, in their worldview, is a reprehensible act of heresy.
While their estimations are purely subjective, it is important to point out that the desire for more is not itself envy.
Somebody who wants a bigger house, a better neighborhood, more efficient power tools, a better kitchen, higher quality food, and more comfortable and stylish clothes is not exercising an envious tendency.
Keeping up with the Joneses may be ripe for cultural parody in cinema, but in reality, wanting more and better things in your life is a normal, healthy endeavor.
The individual should want to evolve. They should not want to start at a minimum-wage job and spend their entire lives there. The first crappy rental they got with their buddies in their early 20s shouldn't be where they see themselves retiring.
The joy of life is to experience new things that scale in value. Looking back to humble beginnings is not the same if you haven't budged from that spot.
Change and improvement in one's life are critical parts of ikigai, the search for purpose and meaning in life where we consistently unravel more talents and beauty about ourselves. Individuals can do as they please, but constantly learning and evolving should at least not be considered a character flaw.
Gaur Gopal Das, a world-renowned Buddhist monk, instructs in his teachings that there is nothing wrong with the pursuit of gaining more personal wealth and luxuries as long as you are living your life ethically. Principled Libertarians do not have to worry about that aspect, so go ahead and make your millions!
What is Envy?
Sir Winston Churchill was absolutely right. Socialists, not Capitalists, indeed spread the gospel of envy. Envy is defined as a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else's possessions, qualities, or good fortune.
Socialists are full of rage and hatred over the luxuries of the wealthy. They do not look upon successful individuals with admiration and respect, but rather a deeply spiteful resentment and antagonism.
Skulking around imbued in a perpetual wasteland of negativity about the "beautiful people" is quite different than noticing that somebody has a nice yacht, tipping your hat to that person for their success, then nodding to yourself saying "I'm going to do better in life and get one of those for me".
Exceptionally different attitudes.
The very notion of free markets, voluntarily and freely competing with one another to get the best results, to them is paramount to living in a nightmarish hellscape. They need to live "communally" where individual ambition is crushed and the spirit of self-improvement is sacrificed for the supposed greater good.
Without the scourge of the wealthy, Socialists imagine that life would be free of squalor but also free of mundane menial labor tasks.
Without the rich man, all reality would become a cartoonish paradise where everyone has mansions, nobody works, and the animals all wake them up playing Morning Mood on their flutes while the birds help them put on their slippers and robes as the scent of warm croissants and coffee gently caress their senses.
You know, like the Big Rock Candy Mountain, but for real... that's how life would be if it wasn't for those greedy, mole-faced, suit 'n tie fat cat sons of bitches.
Unfortunately, most socialists will never try to utilize voluntary and mutually beneficial mechanisms of free market capitalism to achieve making The Big Rock Candy Mountain a reality.
They'll continue to self-righteously despise those of worth and success while feeling validated by their bitter indignation. Spreading a contagion of trickle-up poverty, misery, and hate.
If you want a better life without the violence and cynicism of government, check out What Does It Take To Be A Successful Entrepreneur?
