Keeping an Island of Communism
It used to be joked that when the Soviets finally took over the entire planet, they would have to keep an island of capitalism just so they would know what prices to charge in the state stores.
Castro and Kim Jong Il are going to depart from this world in the next few years. When they do, we face a true moral problem. Should we keep one communist country as a warning and an example? Nobody even remembers today the fact that Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot made Hitler look like an amateur, and in another generation, even Hitler is going to be a long-distant memory. On the other hand, the South Americans are headed for yet another round of populist kill me/kidnap you, so maybe we won't have to keep one around.
However, even if it were necessary, should we force a small portion of humanity to remain in a Communist country just so tomorrow's Deep Thinkers aren't tempted to foist yet another centrally planned fiasco on the rest of us?
Castro and Kim Jong Il are going to depart from this world in the next few years. When they do, we face a true moral problem. Should we keep one communist country as a warning and an example? Nobody even remembers today the fact that Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot made Hitler look like an amateur, and in another generation, even Hitler is going to be a long-distant memory. On the other hand, the South Americans are headed for yet another round of populist kill me/kidnap you, so maybe we won't have to keep one around.
However, even if it were necessary, should we force a small portion of humanity to remain in a Communist country just so tomorrow's Deep Thinkers aren't tempted to foist yet another centrally planned fiasco on the rest of us?
Labels: philosophy
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