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Consider Socialism: A Message to Conservatives

Often times, conservatives pass judgment on leftist ideas without fully analyzing them to their fullest extent.

By Nicholas Just, February 12, 2021

As someone on the left, I sometimes find that conservatives misunderstand our beliefs. If you are a conservative, I hope that I'll at least have informed you on the truth about our side of political thought.

Open Mindedness 

If you are a conservative, you probably spend a lot of time speaking of socialism with many misconceptions and negative stigmas. For example, when you think of a socialist or leftist system, you might picture bread lines, censorship, tyranny or a host of many other things. While this is due in no small part to our rightist education system, it is also greatly influenced by rhetoricians such as Ben Shapiro.

Their main objective is often not to seek the truth, it is to win the argument. This is why you see many of them on school campuses, where it is easier for them to win arguments against students mostly unfamiliar with the intricacies of politics. Although there are rhetoricians like this on the left, It is not as popular to be a leftist that is only concerned with using talking points for debate with your opposition.

That's not to say that arguments happen less; the socialist scene has always been a very complex and varied web of ideas. Infighting on the left is almost as popular as fighting those who believe in capitalism. Those conservatives who are tired of consuming and spewing rhetoric, conservatives that would rather do their own free and critical thinking, I beg you to stop reading this and truly entertain some socialist ideas.

Christian Values 

  Jesus Christ’s core teachings may align more with socialism then they do with conservatism, especially now. Conservatives are very religious, and “Christian values” are at the core of many Republican campaigns. Many Christians know that republicans have adopted these “Christian values” only to appeal to the Christian voter block. One could also argue that it is wrong for a country that is mostly agnostic to have those “Christian values” forced onto them. 

Many of Jesus’s teachings have been twisted by Republicans, with their rhetoric going directly against His word. They use the Bible when it is convenient to vaguely justify some restrictive legislation. It is important to remember, however, that  at the core of Jesus's teachings is love. Because all people are created equal in the image of God, we must be inclined as disciples of Jesus to selflessly and unconditionally provide care for our neighbor with the same love that we have for God.

Therefore, because it has been only socialism that advocates for the direct communal care of all, many of the false critiques leveled at socialism are wholly contradictory to Christian teachings.

While it is wonderful to practice these ideas on a personal level within your own circles, it was the case that Jesus was interested in molding society through his teachings to the best of his ability. While Jesus was not privileged to live in a representative democracy, in stories such as his confronting of the tax collector, He makes it clear that he believes the state should also hold his values.

This does not fit with a political party that wants to conform with the status quo, many of the current systems are based around exploitation of the helpless. Jesus would likely not be an advocate of capitalism, colonialism or the current American criminal justice system as they are unforgiving in nature. This is especially true for the poor, whose right to a dignifying living Jesus was an advocate for. In contrast, neo-conservitive and neo-liberal politicians are proponents of all of these concepts. 

Being a Christian myself, it is even easier to make these relations because I build my life around the Gospel, and I know that my ideology coincides with my faith. As I devote time to learning more about leftist ideology, , geopolitics, and history, I can make connections with various prophets throughout the Bible. For example, one might relate the story Moses in Eygpt to the many attempts by those on the left around the world attempting to free their people from the chains of colonialism or slavery, despite being vastly outgunned by their imperialist oppressor. 

Bigotry

Leftists and Liberals alike often call conservatives bigoted, and you yourself might have even received these emotionally charged remarks regarding yourself or a political candidate you are in support of. You don't consider yourself racist and you have likely made some effort to not be bigoted.

That itself is very commendable, and it’s more than many people are doing. It is crucial to realize, however, that many are currently being pushed down by the established order, mostly through long standing economic inequalities, colonialism, and many other remnants of racial discrimination. Therefore,  if you're serious about being accepting of others, you should consider further critiquing the structures that uphold these discriminatory systems, such as the established government and, in many cases, the justice system. 

    There is no space for discrimination the left, and our retrospective community is great at identifying it and calling it out for what it is. Sure, it can be said that some on the left fit the “liberal leftist snowflake” stereotype, but most of us are not overly sensitive. We stand in contrast to small pockets of the conservative community, where alt-right groups and opinions such as  Neo-Nazis and Proud Boys roam without critique.  Just as we recognize the black sheep in our community, it is your duty to recognize these black sheep in yours, and ensure that none are being unjustly treated.

Drugs

Socialism offers an unconventional and viable solution to the opioid epidemic, which has ruined many lives. Conservatives take a more hard line stance on drugs compared to liberals and libertarians, with many advocating for the criminalization and penalization of drug use. On either side of the isle, established politicians don't offer concrete solutions.

It is seemingly impossible to control the spread of harmful narcotics, even when our country spends billions of taxpayer dollars on the conviction of people attempting to distribute them. In attempting to curb this epidemic, we have engaged in the “War on Drugs”; As time has passed, however, it has been made obvious that the war on drugs is really a war against a concept society must cope with, one way or another. Legalizing all drugs, however, sounds like chaos, with cartels running rampant and addiction abound.

Instead of prosecuting drug users, or completely allowing drug use, we should disincentivize the distributors and pushers of the narcotics. Like any other business, cartels are driven by the profit motive. Many times, the laborers of these dangerous cartels often have no other choice but to work for them, as they would face starvation otherwise. By eliminating the fear of being without food or a home along with eliminating the profit motive, we can cripple cartels and stop the flow of drugs into our communities.

I assume the majority of conservatives reading this are very critical of this article. However, I encourage you to have an open mind, and to take responsibility over your own mind. If you wish to learn more about our beliefs, you can check out one of the many leftist content creators on the internet.

On every platform of the internet, there are leftist creators showing their vision of a better world and clarifying beliefs held on socialism; their content is easy to follow and they highlight certain events and ideas that you have been purposely hidden from. You owe it to yourself and to your country to be well informed, not just on your own beliefs but on those of others.

Don’t take the word of those on TV or any other out of touch pundits for what others believe; if you set out to find the truth on your own, you will find it. And when you do, we will be here to accept you.

Nicholas Just is an author of and co-founder of Young Patriots Magazine.