An essay by Isabelle Sorrells
“All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others” (Orwell 133).
When George Orwell wrote Animal Farm, it served as a satire for communism, but he still demonstrated its basic principles. Capitalism, in stark contrast to communism in the 21st century, is a favorable economy designed for the people. Capitalism provides the opportunities and freedom that communism does not. A communist government doesn’t benefit the people, it is designed only to benefit its politicians.
The opposing side believes that capitalism is broken. When looking at their solutions, communistic ideas and class grievances are common themes. One solution being, “a worker tax credit is the most direct way to send a signal to lower-paid workers that their contributions are valued and respected” (Shierholz). Isabel Sawhill believes that these workers are owed better, and in the process of giving them what they deserve, everyone else has to pay the price. Nell Abernathy, Darrick Hamilton, and Julie Margetta are inebriated of the belief that, “Our economy rewards those with power. Unchecked power does what it does best: replicates and concentrates” (Shierholz). However, Capitalism allows anyone to achieve power, if they were just willing to put in the effort, and those who rise to power with selfish goals never last very long.
Capitalism gives liberty and fortuity to the people like none other. In communistic countries there isn’t a middle class, one is either part of the bourgeoisie, the government, or the proletariat, the people, and the people are poor. The communist party seeks control over their people, deciding on what businesses get to stay or go. But what happens when the chosen one fails? “The particular advantage of capitalism is that failed businesses don’t necessarily equal a failed economy; they make way for successful businesses” (Forbes). Under this system, people have the right to fail and try again. Through competition, businesses are forced to keep the people (consumers) in mind, as well as what their competitors create, thus preventing them from surviving as a self-serving company. Nothing better than some healthy competition, in fact, it fuels the creative mind, encouraging people to come up with the next best thing. Creativity equals power. But what is one thing a communist government rejects? Creativity. Since its birth, America has drawn the world’s most brilliant minds to its shores. Einstein, Tesla, Elon Musk, the co-founders of Google, the list goes on and on. You don’t see these ingenious people going to China or Venezuela.
Capitalism is a system that relies on and is made for the people. In communism, the party decides what is made, often times not taking into account, or just not caring, if it is needed. But in capitalism, “The market is people… We decided what to and what not to do, where to shop and where not to shop, what to buy and what not to buy” (Forbes). Capitalism runs on supply and demand, so that people get what they want, and resources aren’t used up to make things no one needs. Communism is what you would call a top-down system. One that is under complete control by the government and stunts creativity. Basic communist principles stress that humans are imperfect and incapable of making their own decisions, thus the party makes their decisions for them. But are the members of the party not human too? A communist believes, “There are two levels, that of the advanced party and that of the ordinary masses… a man under communist rule enjoys not the hope of personal development to the fullness of his own nature, but has before him… forward and upward movement only in the direction of a human type suited to the rulers’ culture and the rulers’ needs” (Niemeyer). Who gets to determine what is the perfect human? Certainly not another human. Yet, communists set these standards without religion, so it is a human deciding what type of human everyone else should be.
When asked, which is the better form of government, between capitalism or communism, capitalism would be the obvious choice. In communism, there are no rights, there is no opportunity for an individual to get ahead. You’re stuck. The communist party dehumanizes its subjects, seeing only the masses and not the individual. What the communist party will never understand, but America’s founding fathers knew, is that there is no government without the people.
Words Worth While 