Voluntary Collectivism vs State Socialism

When living in Nebraska, I worked on a farm whose owner belongs to a coop. Several farmers in the area got together and formed a coop to benefit from large purchasing discounts and mass distribution of their products, milk, eggs, wheat, alfalfa, etc. This is voluntary collectivism, only the members benefited.

These coops worked very well. Insurance of any kind and mutual fund savings are based on the same principal. Members benefit from lower cost and payouts, if needed, are way above what any individual member could afford. The costs on both ends are regulated by the market, supply and demand. Under these conditions the collectives work well and all benefit.

All collectives depend on a stable economy, voluntary membership, and denial of benefits to non-members. Once the government ordains that non-members are guaranteed the same benefits as the voluntary members, membership is mandatory, or regulates costs of membership and payments to providers (as in health care) then we go beyond voluntary collectivism and enter the way of government forced socialism. Forced government socialism and the threats that come with it, is a form of terror.

Setting arbitrary costs and payments undermines the foundation of collectivism. Forced participation is also counterproductive to the concept of voluntary collectivism. This is true whether presented by the left or the right.

If people build shelters when it is not raining later they have protection from the elements. Those that do not take the time and effort to build shelters will get wet and cold. This situation presents a problem, do we allow the ones that did not prepare, to suffer or do we share our shelters with them? Government mandates are not the solution. They only create bigger problems. Education is the only answer. If people are thought that earning a living includes preparing for the future and not only how much immediate gratification one can achieve, there will not be the need for forced distribution of wealth. Any scheme for national prosperity must make education its foundation and ensure a growing economy to keep up with population growth.