Does One Size Fit All?

"The whole gospel of Karl Marx can be summed up in a single sentence:  Hate the man who is better off than you are.  Never under any circumstances admit that his success may be due to his own efforts, to the productive contribution he has made to the whole community.  Always attribute his success to the exploitation, and cheating, the more or less open robbery of others.  Never under any circumstances admit that your own failure may be owing to your own weakness, or that the failure of anyone else may be due to his own defects - his laziness, incompetence, improvidence, or stupidity."

Henry Hazlitt (1894-1993)

The word "gospel" means "good news!"

When has the word Marxism conveyed good news?  Good feelings?  Good thoughts?  Good economic growth and the betterment of the societies who had it shoved down their throats?

You can always tell a Marxist - they are all consumed with class!  And they want class envy!

They desperately want class envy, for without such they (the Marxists) have no box to stand on to deliver their spiels.  One must be turned against another, for without such strife they (the Marxists) have no following.

And how can one get turned against another?  By pointing out how much better off one is as compared to another!  Never mind how the one was bettered - studying in school, focusing on a career path, employing personal motivation and desire, striving, working, or whatever!

The Marxists want us to think that the one was bettered by stomping on and taking from another!  By exploiting another's circumstance and cheating him out of his opportunity!  By robbery!  All this is suggested by Dr. Hazlitt, and we hear it all around us.

The modern Marxist wants us to think that the reason any productivity has happened whatever is because of the wondrous efforts of those in the controlling ruling authority - whatever that is!  The national gubment.  The state gubment.  The local gubment.  The gubment agency that "made it happen!"

We hear it all around us with code words - infrastructure, education, job creation, housing, equal opportunity, "green" whatever, debt relief, etc.  The most infamous line of recent times is - "you didn't build that!"  All of that is made to look different than it is.  All of that is made to look more important than it is.  All of that is made to seem like it cannot happen because of hard-working people, but because of forward gubment thinking.  And the politics of the moment rulz!  Things can change on a dime! 

Notice the lack of individual effort, personal development and leadership, competent accomplishment, common sense thinking, and the like in any of those "forward-thinking concepts!"

Every industry, every field, every job, every effort has its stand outs.  There are always those who lead the field.  There are those who, for whatever positive reasons, get ahead because of effort, work, personal application and productivity.  People don't get ahead because they "fit into the mold," "blend well with the group," "don't make waves," or add your own favorite cliche.

Leaders in their fields happen because, almost always because, they made things happen for themselves.  We are not paid well in life because of how we fit in with the other kids.

THOSE WHO ARE PAID WELL IN LIFE, THOSE WHO RECEIVE THE REAL REWARDS IN LIFE, WHETHER FINANCIAL OR PSYCHIC, ARE SO PAID BECAUSE OF HOW HARD IT IS FOR THEM TO BE REPLACED.

Let me say that again:  THE HIGHEST PAID IN ANY ENDEAVOR ARE THOSE WHO ARE THE HARDEST TO BE REPLACED.

Think about it.  Why is the guy in the park picking up trash with a long stick with a nail on the end not paid as much as a brain surgeon?  Literally because the trash picker-upper can be replaced by a fourth grader!  Brain surgery requires decades of personal effort.  Few have such personal ability or are willing to put in such effort, and as such, brain surgeons are very hard to be replaced.

Which athlete on any team is the highest paid?
Which executive in any corporation the highest paid?
Which leader in any field is the highest paid?

One of my friends growing up lived in a big house and we all knew he was "rich."  When I found out his father was a plumber I asked my mother how in the world a plumber got to be so rich.  She said, and I will never forget this, "Plumbers can be rich."

That's a pretty simple answer.  And, when thought about, pretty true!  This "plumber" had the largest plumbing supply house in town, trained his own employees, had the most trucks in town, had garnered the best reputation in town (through no small effort), and was the go-to guy if you had a plumbing problem!  Hence he was rich!

Mr. Lincoln had it right when he said that you cannot build up one person by giving him the property of another.  Tearing down doesn't build up.  And the one who can build himself up often lifts others!

FREE ENTERPRISE AFFORDS ALL THE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD THEMSELVES UP BECAUSE OF ALL THE REASONS DR. HAZLITT SAID - ONE'S OWN EFFORTS AND PRODUCTIVE CONTRIBUTION.  FREE ENTERPRISE NEVER FOISTS A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL PROGRAM ONTO EVERYONE, BECAUSE THAT NEVER WORKS. 

WE THE PEOPLE ARE NOT ONE SIZE FITS ALL.