200+ years of gains and benefits; autonomous lifestyles and the freedoms and liberties that allow you to decide everything that matters to you and your life.
You won't like having the government dictate what, when, where and how you work, live and play; and what you are allowed to think, do, see or say; even, what you can eat and how much of it you can buy or have, and what clothes you can wear, what colors, and when.
Who you are seen with, where you can go and be; and what you can discuss; what you can buy, what you can own or use, and how long you can use it after you pay the special use taxes.
Voting rights are taken for granted by most of the modern world and held sacred. One person, one vote that counts for the candidate or issue you choose. In Democracies and many representative republics your choices are secret and fairly certain to be counted accurately. There are usually many candidates from various parties and philosophies and initiatives of many conflicting views.
In most Socialist countries, if you are fortunate enough to be among those allowed to vote, alternatives to the party in power and ideas different than the ruling party dogma are very infrequent. Often, the only possible vote is for or against the leader in power. Few voters survive long after voting No. Rarely is there a viable alternative candidate to vote for, and influential supporters of them often don't make it to a ballot box, or their ballot is disqualified because they are found mentally incompetent, or charged and convicted of serious crimes making them ineligible to vote from the asylum or prison.
In most Socialist countries, you can buy a TV, but you can't watch it without an annual permit. Then you can only watch government authorized programs.
In some countries you can buy music and a player, but you can't play it at a gathering of your friends in public or privately, without an entertainment permit and annual fee. You can't play or listen to restricted or censored music or performers.
In some Socialist and Communist countries you can get on the waiting list for a tightly controlled and monitored government cell phone, or a restricted and monitored computer or tablet with limited Internet access. If your not an active ruling party member, your wait might be painfully long, like decades.
In some socialist countries you can't buy or have anything not on the authorized list. And if you can get it, it's usually only available in the socialist party colors, often black and some unnameable color.
If you save up something useful, and the government stores run out, you can't sell yours to those that can't get any. If the government finds out you horded it, they will confiscate it for distribution to loyal party dignitaries, not your ailing parents or sick friends.
Get used to shortages, outages and ancient versions of consumer products and medications.
Ownership rights to anything you create, perpetual rights to anything you buy, ownership of any resources you discover are non-existent. If you concealed that you have them, they will be taken and you will be punished as a threat to your comrade's and the socialist party, and possibly mentally ill, or needing another indoctrination session or two.
Those who have gained special rights because of historical mistreatment, or deserving addition help overcoming defects and deficiencies; you will lose them. If you work tirelessly for the party in power you may get a few back. If you gained privileges because you are different, forget them.
Everything belongs to the party in charge, or will; if they discover you have it, it will be seized.
Think long and hard before trading freedom and opportunity for free stuff you could buy if you had your own stuff or your own money back.
You won't like having the government dictate what, when, where and how you work, live and play; and what you are allowed to think, do, see or say; even, what you can eat and how much of it you can buy or have, and what clothes you can wear, what colors, and when.
Who you are seen with, where you can go and be; and what you can discuss; what you can buy, what you can own or use, and how long you can use it after you pay the special use taxes.
Voting rights are taken for granted by most of the modern world and held sacred. One person, one vote that counts for the candidate or issue you choose. In Democracies and many representative republics your choices are secret and fairly certain to be counted accurately. There are usually many candidates from various parties and philosophies and initiatives of many conflicting views.
In most Socialist countries, if you are fortunate enough to be among those allowed to vote, alternatives to the party in power and ideas different than the ruling party dogma are very infrequent. Often, the only possible vote is for or against the leader in power. Few voters survive long after voting No. Rarely is there a viable alternative candidate to vote for, and influential supporters of them often don't make it to a ballot box, or their ballot is disqualified because they are found mentally incompetent, or charged and convicted of serious crimes making them ineligible to vote from the asylum or prison.
In most Socialist countries, you can buy a TV, but you can't watch it without an annual permit. Then you can only watch government authorized programs.
In some countries you can buy music and a player, but you can't play it at a gathering of your friends in public or privately, without an entertainment permit and annual fee. You can't play or listen to restricted or censored music or performers.
In some Socialist and Communist countries you can get on the waiting list for a tightly controlled and monitored government cell phone, or a restricted and monitored computer or tablet with limited Internet access. If your not an active ruling party member, your wait might be painfully long, like decades.
In some socialist countries you can't buy or have anything not on the authorized list. And if you can get it, it's usually only available in the socialist party colors, often black and some unnameable color.
If you save up something useful, and the government stores run out, you can't sell yours to those that can't get any. If the government finds out you horded it, they will confiscate it for distribution to loyal party dignitaries, not your ailing parents or sick friends.
Get used to shortages, outages and ancient versions of consumer products and medications.
Ownership rights to anything you create, perpetual rights to anything you buy, ownership of any resources you discover are non-existent. If you concealed that you have them, they will be taken and you will be punished as a threat to your comrade's and the socialist party, and possibly mentally ill, or needing another indoctrination session or two.
Those who have gained special rights because of historical mistreatment, or deserving addition help overcoming defects and deficiencies; you will lose them. If you work tirelessly for the party in power you may get a few back. If you gained privileges because you are different, forget them.
Everything belongs to the party in charge, or will; if they discover you have it, it will be seized.
Think long and hard before trading freedom and opportunity for free stuff you could buy if you had your own stuff or your own money back.
