Before
the Soviet Union, Cuba, and Venezuela, socialism was tried right here on
American soil and utterly failed. The Pilgrims, who established the first
permanent English settlement in New England in the fall of 1620, at first
attempted a socialist style of living. They disbanded it, however, when it
became obvious that their community could not survive with such a system.
Socialism Forced on Them
The Pilgrim’s journey
to America was funded by a group of venture capitalists who provided the ship
and supplies for their journey to the New World. In return, the Pilgrims agreed
to live communally with everyone receiving the same recompense for their work,
and with everything above their necessities going into a common fund to be used
to pay their creditors.
In other words, there
was no inequality. Income produced by farming, fishing, and fur trading would
be spread around and evenly divided among members of the community. There would
be only one economic class of people in this system.
William Bradford, who
served as governor of Plymouth for many years, told of the challenges of this
socialist system and how it almost destroyed their community (Hyatt, The Pilgrims, 52).
Four lessons the
Pilgrims would teach modern America about socialism are: (1) Socialism destroys
initiative; (2) Socialism fosters irresponsibility; (3) Socialism extinguishes
hope and generates strife; and (4) Socialism is incompatible with human nature.
Lesson
#1
Socialism
Destroys Initiative
Under this socialist system,
everyone received the same recompense for their work. No matter how hard, or how
little, they worked, all received the same income. With no reward tied to their
labor, initiative was destroyed, and everyone put forth their least effort.
Why work and dream when
you are trapped in a socialist system that mandates equality of outcome for
everyone? This socialist system destroyed initiative and almost destroyed the Pilgrim
community.
Lesson
#2
Socialism
Fosters Irresponsibility
Young men, Bradford said,
resented getting paid the same as older men when they did so much more of the work.
As a result, they tended to slouch and slack since they knew they would receive
the same no matter how hard they worked.
Knowing they would
receive the same no matter how hard or how little they worked, the women often
refused go to the fields to work, complaining of sickness and headaches. To
have compelled them to go, Bradford said, would have been considered tyranny
and oppression.
With no individual
reward tied to their innovation and labor, everyone gave their least effort. Irresponsibility
became obvious throughout the community and many became gripped with a sense of
hopelessness.
Lesson
#3
Socialism
Extinguishes Hope and Generates Strife
This socialist system
led to a widespread sense of hopelessness. With everyone locked into a closed
economic system, there was nothing individuals or families could do to improve
their personal lot. Feeling caught in a trap, bickering and strife began to
emerge.
The older men, Bradford
said, felt they deserved more honor and recompense because of their age and
resented getting paid the same as the youngsters in their midst. The young men,
on the other hand, resented getting paid the same as the older men when they
often did more of the work.
This sense of
hopelessness and the ensuing strife drained energy and discouraged innovative
thinking and led to very serious complications for the community.
Lesson
#4
Socialism
is Incompatible with Human Nature
Bradford believed that
socialism did not work because it runs counter to human nature as created by
God. In Scripture, God rewards individuals for their labor and good works.
Capitalism works because it is compatible with the reality of human nature and the
world in which we live.
I will never forget
visiting eastern Europe shortly after the fall of the Soviet Empire. I was
struck by the grey, drab environment. Even the buildings seemed so plain, flat
and lackluster.
It was obvious that the
Marxist system had robbed the people of life, energy and creativity. I am here
reminded of the words of Winston Churchill, “Those who do not learn from
history, are doomed to repeat it.”
To
Survive, They Had to Change
When it became obvious
that lack and perhaps starvation would be their lot, Bradford and the leaders
of the colony decided to make a change. After much prayer and discussion, they dispensed
with that part of the agreement with their creditors that required them to live
communally until their debt was paid. In its place, they implemented a free
entrepreneurial system that included private ownership of property (Hyatt, The Pilgrims, 52-53).
They Experience the Blessing of Free Enterprise
According to Bradford,
they divided the land around them, allotting to each family a certain portion
that would be theirs to work and use for their own needs. Bradford said there
was an immediate change. The young men began to work much harder because they
now knew they would eat the fruit of their own labors.
There were no more
complaints from the older men for the same reason. And now the women were seen
going into the fields to work, taking the children with them, because they knew
they and their family would personally benefit.
Instead of lacking
food, each family now grew more food than they needed, and they began to trade
with one another for furnishings, clothes and other goods. They also had enough
excess to trade with the Indians for furs and other items. In short, the colony
began to prosper when they got rid of their socialist form of government and
implemented a free, entrepreneurial system.
Of their experience
with socialism, Bradford wrote;
This
community [socialism] was found to breed much confusion and discontent and
retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort . . .
and showed the vanity of that conceit of Plato’s, and applauded by some of
later times, that the taking away of property and bringing in community into a
commonwealth would make them happy and flourishing; as if they were wiser than
God (Hyatt, The Pilgrims, 53-54).
Christianity & Capitalism
As Christians, our
responsibility is to call people to Christ and help them live out their
Christianity in the real world. Living out our Christianity means a life of
responsibility, not looking for government hand-outs but working and prospering
in a way that we can give a hand-up to those in need.
We desire the best for
the greatest number of people which is why we must reject the contemporary
vision of a government-mandated socialist system in America.
This article was derived from Dr. Eddie
Hyatt’s books, 1726: The Year that Defined America and The Pilgrims, both available from Amazon and his website at www.eddiehyatt.com.
Well written article with only one slight omission.
ReplyDelete“perhaps starvation” roughly half of the people did starve to death in the first year which forced them to conclude socialism was a failure.