Puffs

Alexei Navalny.

Oswaldo Paya.

Two names that many of us sheltered here in southcentral Nebraska may have never heard of, or just briefly on a national news broadcast.

Maybe that’s not all bad, but it does limit our understanding of a conflict between Socialism (Communism) and Capitalism (the free world). Most of us are too involved in our day-to-day lives of church, working, and family that much of what happens in the world does not involve us.

Now retired, I’ve had more time to read and I just finished two books that give vivid description of what life is like under Communism rule.

I bring this up because it seems that many of the younger generation on the east and west coasts of America seem more and more interested in a Socialism culture. They seem to think the problems we have with Capitalism dictate a need to move to a Socialism culture.

I hope they take time to learn something about the two men whose names started this week essay. Those two men had lived and died because of the Socialism culture they lived in.

The first was just killed the other day in Russia, the second killed a few years back in Cuba.

The culture and living conditions in both countries were vividly described and included examples of government power to force people to live as those in power wanted to live. In Cuba, for example, over the years the people lived with dictators that abused the people and Fidel Castro came to power with promises of freedom of all kinds. However, he quickly changed his mind when he realized he would not be able to control “everything.”

Cuba became a Socialistic society and to insure the government could do what it wanted, Castro started a “state security” force that not only ‘spied” on certain people, but also started a system of encouraging people to report on other people (fellow workers or organization members) that may have talked against the ideas of the government.

Russia had been a socialistic society since Lenin began his control of Russia in the early 1900s. The USSR continued the system until its breakup in the early 2000s.

However, Russia is now trying to rebuild its former power it had in the USSR with Putin’s war with Ukraine.

Opposition to Putin in Russia is severely opposed by the government. Mr. Navalny was one of the most out-spoken opponents to Putin and he was just put in their jail system and quickly ended up dead.

For those not realizing it, a change to Socialism eventually ends up with some kind of Communism where the government has to control “everything” in order for the system to work. That involved many problems that need to be solved and it always seems to be solved by force against individuals, and or organizations.

Changes occur daily in any society. Capitalism has problems to be solved and most (but not all) of the time they are solved peacefully, or at least over time, solved in a way comfortable for all.

With Socialism, the system eventually become a Communism government and the system is kept in place only by force, against people just like you and me.

The two books I’ve just read I’d encourage everyone to read. It opens up a whole new world for many of us sheltered here in rural Nebraska, not exposed too much of what happens in other part of America and the world.

The books are: “Give Me Liberty” by David Hoffman; and “The Universe Behind Barbed Wire” by Myroslav Marynovych.

They are probably not for everyone, but they were not too big and were educational and enjoyable to read.

A O

The geese and ducks are flying; the cranes are back to the Platte River and the early Spring flowers can be found in the garden . . . yup, I have hope warm weather will soon stay around.

A O