Letter: Socialist policies lead to joblessness and lower standard of living
Socialist policies lead to joblessness and lower standard of living
About 15 years ago, my wife and I attended a wedding in Spain. I asked our hosts how the government afforded so many social services. The hosts seemed not pleased with the question.
About 10 years later, the economy in Spain collapsed and many, including our hosts, became unemployed. Both have advanced degrees and found employment was simply not an option in Spain. Eventually they moved to Dubai. Today they blame the socialistic government for the downfall.
The reason for writing is that nations that have adopted socialist policies either have collapsed or are well on their way to doing so. Most recently, the jobless rates in socialist-led countries such as France, Brazil, Venezuela and Argentina are extremely high.
Yet a self-proclaimed socialist, Bernie Sanders, is popular among millennials and young Americans. I ask myself, do they not understand the consequences of socialism? Perhaps they should visit Cuba and see how “free services,” including education, result in a very low standard of living.
Quoting Bruce McQuain possibly, “the left will never face the reality of their utopian central control’s failure everywhere and in whatever flavor it is tried.”
Donald Havre, Richland
This story was originally published May 22, 2016 at 1:40 AM with the headline "Letter: Socialist policies lead to joblessness and lower standard of living."