For some light dinner conversion last night, we had a discussion with our kids - primarily our 10 year old daughter - about Communism. Well...it didn't really start about Communism. It started out like this:
I had just finished a book called "Conquistadora" by Esmerelda Santiago. It is about a woman taking the lead in securing and running a sugar plantation in Puerto Rico in the 1840s. Anywho...I mentioned that Puerto Rico would be a great place to visit, since it's very historic and it's an American Territory. Then Bart and I were trying to figure out WHY it's an American Territory. It's most likely not economically profitable. What benefit do we get from it?
I think that we'd do a lot better if we ("we" meaning the United States) had Cuba instead. I pointed out all the tens of thousands of people in South Florida alone that would help out with THAT effort. When Bart pointed out "having Cuba" wouldn't be so easy, Karlin wanted to know why. Hence the discussion about Communism. Communism that led to us telling her that in China you are limited in the number of children you can have, and can be imprisoned for even carrying a picture of a specific religious leader in your wallet.
In all fairness to Communism, we did point out that lots of countries that are no longer Communist WISH they still were. Communism guaranteed them a job, food, electricity, etc. most of the time, where free enterprise doesn't.
Then we talked about some European countries that pay a super high tax rate, but have Socialized medicine and health care, education paid for through college, etc. We compared that to Communism, and then talked about the taxes we pay here in the States and what they provide for us. (We left out the scathing commentary of corrupt politicians and fat-cat government spending run amok.) We talked about our right to free speech, and our right to protest, and our right to "Arm Bears" (Bart's contribution, not mine. You see what I live with day in and day out...)
Then we told Karlin how very fortunate she was to be a female born in America. We told her about how - in many, many countries around the world - girls don't go to school. In some places, girls CAN'T go to school. In some places, girls are NOT ALLOWED to go to school.
We talked about how in some countries, arranged marriage is still in practice. (She was appalled about that one.) Then I brought up the Caste system, and how in some countries people are born at a particular level and they can never, ever change that.
We pointed out that America isn't perfect, but that it's a place where - if you work hard - you can get an education and the opportunity to change your lot in life.
I told both kids that I can say out loud that I don't like President Obama, and I don't think he's doing a good job, and that's NOT illegal. (In some countries you could be executed for that.) I told them that I can get a bunch of my friends together and stand on a street corner holding up signs that say we don't like President Obama and we don't think he's doing a good job, and that's OK too. We can write articles and blogs and make Facebook posts about our political/religious/social views, and that's OK. Our children - boys and girls - are guaranteed an opportunity to get an education, even if we have no money at all.
All of this was eye-opening to two little American kids who live a comfortable lifestyle.
It's good to go over this with them, though, especially since we have a trip to DC next month. You really tend to look at government differently when you read National Geographic articles about how children - particularly girls - are treated in many places around the world. It's good to remind ourselves too, especially in light of all the negativity of our Government lately, that we still have it pretty good here in the old US of A.
