A "Revolutionary" Idea

I watched a show about Che Guevara today. If I understood the show correctly, then he was all about everyone sacrificing and working for the common good. To this very day, he is an inspirational symbol for those who want revolution and for socialists and communists alike. I had recorded this show in the first place because I wanted to learn about the man whose face I have seen on all of those T-shirts (worn especially by today's "hot" celebrities).

I have always said that the ideals of socialism and communism sound good. After all, who can argue with the idea that everyone has enough to eat, adequate housing, health care, etc. ? I think that sounds great! However, people are people, and there are some reasons that it just won't work.

One reason I present is based on a phenomenon that I have observed first-hand: Have you ever noticed that when you are at work, night after night you see the same group of people trot out the door at 5:00? Night after night it's the same other group of people who are staying late? If you are behind on a deadline and they need volunteers to work Saturday morning, it's always the same group there on Saturday. Even at the church pot-luck dinner, it's always the same group setting up the tables, etc., while it's the same faces who are always first in line (and it's not the ones who set up the tables). Afterwards, event after event, the same old women are in the kitchen doing the dishes, while others are in the hallways, laughing and talking. Am I to believe that if we became socialist/communist that human nature would suddenly change and we would ALL start working hard? As time goes on, would those who are actually working start resenting those who won't? If I can get just as much by not working, why would I be motivated to bust my tuckus?

When someone says "the government" should pay for things, what they mean is that money should be taken out of my paycheck, regardless of my consent, via taxes. I find it funny that some of those who want money taken out of my check are today's celebrities and politicians who stay in hotels that cost $3,000 a night, sleep on $1,000 sheets, and buy $1,200 baby bassinets. If they truly like Che's thinking, why don't they stay in a $200-a-night hotel room and give the difference to their local food bank? Buy some $50 sheets and donate the difference to a school to buy supplies? Those who often squeak the loudest are the least willing to live up to the ideal.

In talking to people who live together before getting married, I am often asked, "You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it, would you?". So I have a "test driving" proposal for those who advocate Che Guevara's policies. The Mormon church has a very interesting thing that they do the first Sunday of each month. The first Sunday of each month is designated as "fast Sunday". Their members go without food and drink for a 24-hour period (two meals) and donate the money they would have spent on those meals to a special fund that is set aside to help the poor and needy of their congregation. What if all of the "revolutionaries" and "progressive" of this country (and everyone else, for that matter), willingly gave up something and donated the money from that to their favorite charity or cause? Not up to fasting? Well, you could take your lunch to work instead of eating out for a couple of days and donate the money from that. Or skip the Starbucks for a week. Do I really need another soda today? (I can tell you that's a "NO"!) At Christmas one year our office adopted a family and bought gifts for that family as a group. It was amazing how much we were able to do!

Young Hollywood could do all kinds of things (skip the cocaine a time or two) and raise all kinds of money. Think cheap sheets and buying shoes that the rest of America wears.

You don't know where to put all that money? Almost every big city has a local "food bank" that needs help, and your money would help those near you. I love to give to the ASPCA, National Wildlife Federation, "Toys for Tots", my local food bank, and I pay tithing at my church. What is really fun is watching the face of your waitress when she realizes just how big that tip you left really is. Just pick a cause, a person, or a family that you care about.

You're one of the people who needs the help and you don't have money to give? How about your time? Animal shelters need someone to walk the dogs there. Help the kid next door understand those math problems. Watch your friend's kids for free when she has to work on Saturday night. You ARE important and you DO have something to give.

I think that we, as a country, could give Che Guevara's ideals a "test drive", so to speak, and we would learn several things from the experiment. First, I think we would all learn that helping others (without coercion) can bring a great sense of satisfaction and joy. Second, I think that we would learn that individuals and private organizations are much more effective at giving help than "the government" ever can be (think FEMA and Hurricane Katrina). Last, if everyone who could do this would do this, we as a country could accomplish so much that we wouldn't need "the government" to help us take care of each other.

Now, that's a truly revolutionary idea!