By David R. Young, author of The Political Spectrum: Freedom vs. Enslavement

“The distinctions separating the social classes are false; in the (final) analysis they rest upon force” Albert Einstein

The elimination of social classes seems to be the most appealing and acceptable goal of communism. However, communism goes to the extreme of forcing an unnatural form of equality upon its members.

Communist philosophy is based on materialism, which denies the existence of God and anything spiritual. It espouses that all life derived from Matter. It follows that this philosophy would place the greatest importance on material things and thus we find communism attempting to bring about equality by controlling the material possessions of each person.  Ownership (private property) is forbidden and such necessities as housing and clothing are provided by government and are uniform from one person to the next, which obviously symbolizes and enforces this odd concept of “equality”.

The economic system used to enforce this equality is Socialism. It is an exchange system from the individual to government and from government back to the individual. Direct exchange between citizens (the Free Market) is illegal and becomes the Black Market.

The end result of communism is an extreme “classless” society, again brought about by force.

Besides being highly impractical, communism’s sparse “classlessness” is abundantly boring. It’s like watching football games where no team is permitted to score more points than another and the games predictably end in a tie. Boring. 

How did social classes develop?

Some people are undeniably far more able than others. Such people greatly influence their environment, the people around them and the general survival for all. Examples of such people are Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and any one of the U.S. Founding Fathers.

People naturally attain material wealth on par with who they are and what they do, but more importantly, very able people reach a high level of influence over others which is known as power. Such people are rare and valuable to a society.

The legacy of great men is left to their society and perhaps to mankind. When their wealth and power is handed down the genetic line, it has proven to eventually fall into the hands of men who are not so able, not so noble and perhaps not so sane. These less able off-spring are unable to maintain the same level of influence and in a final effort use what’s left of their power to create laws to protect their wealth and status. When such “noble” people create social classes with impassable barriers, it speeds the decay of the society. Discontent and revolt eventually follow.

How many books and movies have you read or watched which illustrates this? Force is used on both sides of the extremes of oppressive social classes, and in the case of communism, to force equality on everyone.

How is this issue of social classes resolved without force?

The founding documents of the United States formed the foundation of the first truly “classless” society. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness applies to all individuals, not just a select few.

The phrase; “All men are Equal under the Law” is the practical application of these principles. In other words, we all have the same opportunity to rise to the level of which we are capable, and are protected by law from undue oppression by others in our quest.

America’s founding documents have established a higher level of “classlessness” than communism has ever propagandized. With “Freedom of Choice”, a person may choose to be a beach bum, a president or both.

Because of these American principles, slavery was eventually eradicated, race relations have continually improved and social class has meant relatively little to a person’s success.

America’s history is filled with the success stories of orphans, immigrants and people raised in lowly conditions, overcoming these barriers to reach for their goals and achieve happiness. And it is rarely a selfish success story, for when a person rises to his capabilities he necessarily touches many lives along the way.

The only CLASS which should be addressed in these United States, on a political level, is that of “an American”. Being in the class of “an American” simply means, a free person, who has the opportunity for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, whose ONLY restriction is not to violate another person’s opportunity for the same.

No one has ever said maintaining the American Dream would be easy. But if the basic principles are kept in sight, we will continue moving toward its goals, individually and together as Americans. (A class I don’t mind being a part of.)