My all-boys high school in England had a theme song using the title--Absque Labore Nihil. The translation of that Latin title is: Without work nothing. We sang that song on important occasions, such as the final assembly gathering before the summer break. You can imagine how lustily we sang with that future in mind. The song went like this:
Absque labore nihil
In work, in play, in life,
In rivalry of nations,
Or boyhood's friendly strife.
The race goes to the eager,
The laggard falls behind.
And ever to the bravest
Do fortune's smiles prove kind.
Yes, without work there is nothing. Socialists often tout the "free stuff." But as British Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher famously said: "socialism is great until you run out of other peoples' money."
The latest New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani campaigned on the promise of a lot of free stuff, such as free city bus rides. Other people’s money is paying for a lot of his extravagances in the form of higher taxes. His city-owned grocery stores will be selling low priced produce and will put private stores out of business. Here again he will be using taxpayers' subsidies. Another socialist running for national office (El-Sayed) is promoting national free Medicare for all. When asked how much that would cost, he dodged the question, but he was then told that it would run into several trillion dollars.
Another factor to consider is this. If socialism is so great how come so many immigrants have left the countries where it prevails to come to the United States? Boatloads of escapees have been intercepted as they have attempted to cross the 90-mile waters between Cuba and Key West, Florida. There are thousands of Cubans living in Miami and elsewhere in Florida. You never hear of people who have left this country to live in post-Castro Cuba. Ask Texas senator Ted Cruz or Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both of whom have their ancestral roots in Cuba.
The opposite of socialism is capitalism which has been the driving force of America's progress and success for the past 250 years. The striving of Americans over this time has resulted in building railroads clear across the country, farmland being developed, rivers navigated, and many, many other achievements obtained by hard work.
My schoolboy song is right, Absque Labore Nehil (without work nothing) or as the Bible says-- "Faith without works is dead." James 2v26 KJV.
Peter Gilderson, Madison.
