TheTMI Files. Communism For Children.
Uh oh.Me: No, I'm not going to bed yet. I just want to email some stuff to MP, and then I'm going.
Magilla: What sort of stuff?
Me: Never mind, it's stuff we were talking about tonight.
Magilla: But what?
Me: Oh alright. I'm sending her some stuff about communism.
Magilla: What's communism?
Me: It's a bit hard to explain, and you're a bit young.
Magilla: Tell me, please.
Me: (after much wracking of my brains) Well, communism is where the government thinks that everyone should have the same things, and will take some of your stuff away and give it to someone else.
It's where nobody is supposed to be better than anybody else, and everyone is supposed to be treated the same.
Magilla: That's dumb.
Me: Why do you say that?
Magilla: It just is. How can everybody be the same? We're all different.
Me: Yes, but there are people out there who don't care about that. They think that we should all be the same and treated the same anyway.
Magilla: But that's not right.
Me: Maybe not, but the people who like communism don't care about that. They think everyone should also be told how to think and what to say. If you run faster than everyone else, for example, then you are not supposed to be proud of that, because that might upset someone who isn't as fast, and that's not allowed. Everyone is supposed to be treated and seen the same way, you see.
There did follow a little bit more of the same - me trying to simplify my understanding of communism/socialism for the 7yo, but I was impressed with her initial reaction: That's dumb.
I don't know why some people treat children like fools and idiots at times. They are not stupid, they just don't have the tools to process information like we do.
Hence why we have to educate them rather than allow others to indoctrinate.
I'm going to introduce Magilla to the wonderful world of Australian poetry in short order, because she can tell me about japanese culture, and about how it's good to be skinny, but she doesn't know of Mulga Bill's Bicycle or The Drover's Wife.
I won't worry about Steele Rudd just yet.
posted by Nilk @ 10:29 PM
7 Comments:
Was it Keith Richards ,(The Rolling Stones) who said "Communism doesnt work because people like to own stuff"?
I have no idea, Anon, but it's true.
People are also competitive and generally like to work towards something. My girl is intensely competitive, myself, not so much.
It's still nice to strive, though.
Hopefully she'll have an opportunity to learn about political concepts from other people as well. I'm not sure that your summary of "communism" is an entirely fair one - as you'd expect, since it's completely opposite your philosophy.
Just out of interest, when you explain capitalism to her, do you describe the drawbacks as well?
I haven't had to explain capitalism to her yet, Jeremy, although she's already saving up pocketmoney to buy a computer.
She understands that things have to be paid for.
Incidentally, what do you think of communism? Looking at the USSR, North Korea, China and all the other places that have attempted it, I honestly can't say I find it appealing at all.
"Socialism only works until you run out of other peoples money"
Margarat Thatcher
China isn't communist. It has a capitalist economy. China isn't communist BECAUSE it has a capitalist economy. Just clarifying :)
Anon, I'd have thought that the amount of control the Chinese government exercises over its population is more communist than capitalist.
I don't see it as capitalist when there is no true free market. (And yes, I know that we don't have a truly free market here, but it's still a whole lot better than over there. Google and censorship, anyone?)
Unfortunately, I've come to study politics late in life, so still have a fair bit to learn.
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