The freebies that will be bestowed upon us are perhaps the most popular selling points of socialism. Uncle Bernie shall redistribute the wealth away from the rich so that the little people who are the victims of society can also get ahead.

Life will be so much better under socialism, they say. You’d have no student loan debt, healthcare would be paid for, and employers will pay you a working wage. Perhaps with everything in life taken care of, you can now finally be happy because you won’t be broke and anxious all the time, struggling to make a living under the “injustice of capitalism”.

Sounds great! Sign me up!

But wait, if you look closely, there is a problem with that sales pitch. You’ll realize how this is a sales pitch, one that preys on people who are bad at making good choices in life. Socialism is sold by convincing the people who’ve been making bad decisions in their lives that their hardship is due to external factors. “It’s not your fault and you just can’t help it – it’s the capitalist system that’s keeping you down!”.

It’s not your fault and you just can’t help it – it’s the capitalist system that’s keeping you down!

Bad Decisions Are the Reason Why Your Life Sucks

Have you ever heard a slacker who is addicted to vices (like alcohol and toxic relationships) say, “I can’t make rent again, so now I have nowhere to live. Can you loan me some money? I promise I’ll turn my life around and pay it back this time” and you believed that they will follow up on this promise?

No. Of course not.

I can assure you that the same person who makes bad decisions under a capitalist system will still make the same bad decisions under a socialist system. If they can’t solve their own problems under a capitalist system, they will do no better at solving them under a socialist one.

A person who makes bad decisions under a capitalist system will still make the same bad decisions under a socialist system.

Socialism Is Not a Saving Grace

Let’s imagine you’ve just won the lottery. You’re feeling generous and therefore want to show goodwill to your slacker friend who can’t seem to catch a break, so you take them under your wing and care for them.

You house them, feed them, pay for their doctor’s visits, and offer to pay for classes at a community college so they can get an education. Basically, you’re providing for them all of the same state-run benefits which the socialists claim the government will provide under socialism.

Realistically, what do you think will happen? Will this slacker friend of yours change their behavior and turn over a new leaf? Or will they keep making the same bad life decisions over and over again? The truth is, the problems in their life come from their own lack of personal responsibility and bad choices, not capitalism.

The truth is, the problems in their life come from their own lack of personal responsibility and bad choices.

The same person who is attracted to deadbeat jerks who would ruin their life under a capitalist system will still be attracted to deadbeat jerks who will ruin their life under socialism. Their problems within themselves are deeply fundamental. It requires them to be honest about who they are inside and to do some introspection on why they are engaging in their self-destructive behaviors.

Conclusion

If a person wants to be happy, it’s a choice they will have to make for themselves. For example, they can follow the three simple rules known as the "success sequence," which keeps people out of poverty. First, graduate from high school. Second, wait to get married until after 21 and do not have children until after marriage. And third, hold a full-time job. Statistically, someone who follows this "success sequence" will have only a 2 percent chance of being in poverty. What they should not do is blame capitalism or other people for “keeping them down”.