The Revolutionary Socialist Network, Workers
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- Capitalism is empirically superior and more effective than socialism.
2AC -- AT: SocialismSocialism doesn’t give any freedom – Cuba and Venezuela proveLee Edwards 22 [Lee Edwards, 1-13-2022, "Dismantling the Myths of the Socialist Paradise," Heritage Foundation, https://www.heritage.org/progressivism/commentary/dismantling-the-myths-the-socialist-paradise, smarx, HHW] Radical progressives are trying to convince Americans, especially young Americans, that socialism is the solution to America’s socio-economic problems. They are banking on millennial ignorance of the repeated failures of socialism and the proven ability of free enterprise to produce opportunity and prosperity for the greatest number. To camouflage their intent, progressives speak of "democratic" socialism. They promise a tranquil land of collective ownership and equal distribution. But in every case, for more than a century, the socialist "paradise" has turned out to be a centralized state administered by political elites. For a realistic understanding of socialism, educators must first dismantle the most egregious myths about this pernicious system. Myth #1: Karl Marx, the founder of socialism, was one of the great thinkers of the 19th century. In truth, Marx was wrong about nearly everything. Nearly 200 years after "The Communist Manifesto" was published, the nation state has not withered away and capitalism rules most of the global economy. Workers have preferred to turn into entrepreneurs rather than revolutionaries, to their great benefit. Private property is a cornerstone of every prosperous country (including the Nordic countries). As the respected economist Paul Samuelson has written: Marx’s "scientific socialism" is "colossally useless." Myth #2: Socialism places power in the hands of the people. In truth, socialism cedes power to the government and the political elites who run it. After more than 60 years, the Cuban people are still waiting for the free and open elections that Fidel Castro promised. According to a leading Latino economist, Venezuela’s economic catastrophe—brought on by its experiment in socialism--"dwarfs" any in U.S., European or Latin American history. Socialism has so devastated this once prosperous country that, today, 90% of Venezuelans live in poverty. Capitalism is empirically superior and more effective than socialism.Download 2.09 Mb. Share with your friends:
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