My long time joke is:
Q: What’s the difference between Socialism and Communism?
A: About five years.
Because as the entirety of the 20th Century – and forever thereafter – has shown those of us actually paying attention?
Socialism is awful. Which, most unfortunately, most people don’t seem to realize – until after it is imposed upon them.
At which point they get a little antsy.
To squelch the peoples’ inevitable, ever-increasing distaste for Socialism? Those imposing it – quickly convert it to Communism.
Communism being Socialism – plus a boot stamping on every human’s face. Forever.
Sound familiar? If you’re going to borrow – borrow from the greats. The above is paraphrasing the eminently great George Orwell – and his “1984”:
“‘(A)lways there will be the intoxication of power, constantly increasing and constantly growing subtler.
“‘Always, at every moment, there will be the thrill of victory, the sensation of trampling on an enemy who is helpless.
“‘If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.’”
We engaged in this brief Socialism-Communism thought exercise – to properly contextualize what follows.
Behold the Canada-based, globally directed publication “The Bullet.” A project of The Socialist Project (SP):
“The SP is a Toronto-based organization that supports the rebuilding of the socialist Left in Canada and around the world….
“(T)he SP opposes capitalism out of necessity….”
The SP and its “Bullet” recently delivered this….
Is Intellectual Property Turning into a Knowledge Monopoly?
Which extruder Prabir Purkayastha concludes thusly:
“Never before has society had the ability it does today to bring together different communities and resources in order to produce new knowledge.
“It is social, universal labor, and its private appropriation as intellectual property under capitalism stands in the way of liberating the enormous power of the collective to generate new knowledge and benefit people.”
As is nigh always the case – Socialists-Communists are the exact opposite of correct.
Let us begin with the un-self-aware, accidentally hilarious.
Socialists-Communists want the government – and ONLY the government – to own and operate EVERYTHING. How very monopoly of them.
To have Socialists-Communists then complain about anyone else having a monopoly – is an all-time-high level of farce.
“How dare your fake monopoly interfere with our actual monopoly?”
And to pretend Intellectual Property (IP) has been antithetical to human advancement? Is to ignore even more human history – than you have to ignore to still believe in Socialism-Communism.
What did former US president – and inventor – Abraham Lincoln think?:
“Lincoln called the introduction of patent laws one of the three most important developments ‘in the world’s history,’ along with the discovery of America and the perfection of printing.”
Why?:
“The discovery of America was important – but only because of what she became. She became what she is in large part because of the indemnity of patents and all other forms of intellectual property. America is an idea – built upon many, many other ideas.
“Lincoln knew these ideas must be protected. Because the inventors need the protection – and, as (George) Washington noted, investors need to know their investments in inventors are protected.”
The US became the greatest country in human history – with the highest standard of living for humans in human history?
Precisely because it protected the most important thing humans create: Their ideas.
IP isn’t an impediment to human advancement.
IP is the ONLY way to human advancement.
The Socialists-Communists are yet again the exact opposite of correct.
A question that remains outstanding?
Why do so many people who claim to be Conservatives and/or Libertarians – agree on IP with Socialists-Communists?