There has been a lot of talk in recent times about how great socialism is and how evil capitalism is. In spite of the fact that at least hundred million people have died under socialist regimes trying to make this impossible economic model work, its proponents claim that it has never been tried and that it will work if done correctly. Capitalism, on the other hand, is viewed by many as a tool of exploitation following Marx's model of the oppressor and oppressed. In this worldview the oppressors are the bourgeoisie, the middle class that owns property, while the oppressed are the landless working class.
Marx actually had the concept partially right, but his solution was backwards. The goal for cultural and economic improvement among any class should not be to overthrow the property owners and construct a society without private property. Instead, the goal should be to make everyone an owner of private property. Here's how that works.
In the bad old days, when the years had only three digits instead of four, real estate property as well as wealth property (money and portable wealth) was in the hands of very few people. Everybody else worked the land as farmers or plowmen, or perhaps blacksmiths or servants to the rich, who were the owners of everything. The serfs, servants, tenants, and other workers had no power and no possessions.
Gradually, however, the tenants began to acquire property. Even a small amount of land allowed these former day laborers a place to put down roots, both literally and figuratively. Stability offered by land ownership allowed for the development of trade, economic systems, saving money, cultural development, banking (and therefore the ability to borrow money), and competition. Instead of the year after year cycle of growth of wheat harvest, wheat, and give it to the master, price and quality competition permitted improvements in various arenas. As trade developed, cultural advance resulted from the incorporation of better solutions to the problems of living. (For example, when Arabic numerals came into Europe, Roman numerals were shoved out the door and relegated to copyright notices on movies.)
In situations where government grew to be too big and too greedy these advances slowed, were limited, or were put out of existence.
The conclusion is that the quality and progress of a culture are determined by the ability of governments to guarantee the stability and continuity of private property rights. Societies are healthier when government encourages earning and saving money. The government which can secure people in their ownership and possession, a government which can encourage savings, wise investment, careful spending, and efficient competition, while protecting its citizens from crime, invaders, and other destabilizing factors is the government that will be the best for all people.
