Capitalism is the best system known to mankind because it is the only social and economic system that aligns itself with the combined human spirits of achievement, ambition, self-improvement, individualism, self-esteem, and initiative.  Socialism brings out the opposite qualities. 

Capitalism equals economic freedom.  Under true, free market capitalism, the consumer is king.  They vote with their wallets for the businesses that provide the best products and services at the best prices, rewarding those businesses with their hard-earned, limited dollars.  Businesses that fail to make customers king, fail to innovate, and fail to be efficient are eventually voted out of business, punishing the business and giving them the opportunity to learn from their mistakes (unless the government bails them out, rewarding them for their poor decision-making). 

It is out of “profits” (now considered an evil, dirty word synonymous with greed and selfishness) that additional investments can be justified in research and development, designing new and better products and services that the consumer will "vote" for.  It is only out of these "evil" profits that additional hiring can be made.  Now, however, we do not have anywhere close to a capitalistic system based on free markets and voluntary exchange.  It fact, government has forced upon us an upside-down, perverse incentive system that punishes success (as profits are an indication of) with progressively higher taxes (to quote my father-in-law, "The more you make, the more they take"), excessive regulation, and public vilification, while rewarding poor decision-making and failure with bailouts, special tax incentives, and subsidies.

When I say "capitalism," I mean pure, unadulterated, unfiltered, laissez-faire capitalism with a total separation of the government from the economic system where the only real function of government is one of protecting individual rights (instead of studying tree frog mating habits or hog stench, etc.) and protecting him or her from physical force.  This type of system would be impossible, you say?  For the first approximately 125 years of our country, we basically had full separation of economics and state.  It was because of this economic freedom and lack of government intervention that our young nation became the most prosperous country on earth.  Not in a million years could the Framers have envisioned the level of government intrusion into virtually every area of our lives.  The recently passed ObamaCare and financial "reform" further this usurpation and encroachment of our economic prosperity and personal liberty. 

On the other hand, socialism is contrary to human nature, common sense, and basic economics.  When a government bureaucracy is operating inefficiently (government efficiency may be the most perfect example of an oxymoron.), they are rewarded with more funding.  The government WILL NEVER admit mistakes or failures.  If at the end of the year, the bureaucracy does operate efficiently (impossible) and spends less than they take in, their budget is cut.  Has there ever been a government department head who asked for less money in their next year's budget?  Maybe, but it would be an extremely rare exception, and the person would probably face demotion.  For no extra charge, I'll throw in that I'm amused by well-meaning candidates for public office who want to make government run like a business.  Without the profit and loss motive, this is impossible.  Under socialism, success is punished and failure is rewarded. 

In a capitalist society, all transactions are voluntary. For example, banks would not be coerced to make loans to people that wouldn't be able to repay them for the "betterment" of society (the root cause of the current economic mess).  There would be no Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or most other bloated, unconstitutional, ineffective government bureaucracies.  Try to think of one area of our lives that is free from federal government intrusion.  I'm nauseated by free markets and capitalism being blamed for problems, when we have neither free markets nor capitalism.                                                              

The dirty little hidden secret behind ill-conceived, taxpayer-funded entitlements is that the government doesn't care about you.  Most politicians and bureaucrats don't care about you.  Socialists are greedy and don't care about you or "helping the poor".  Their self-interests are to gain and maintain power and to grow the size and control of their bureaucracies.  The Founding Fathers didn't make "charity" a constitutionally legitimate function of government.  They knew that "government charity", (perhaps the second most perfect example of an oxymoron), which can almost always be sold to a caring public (see:  $13 trillion national debt), would be used to get people hooked on government, securing the recipient's votes for eternity. 

Ignoring the axioms “there is no such thing as a free lunch” and, “money doesn’t grow on trees”, the deceitful allure of socialism is that government services offered to citizens are “free”.  Government has no money, and it has always been that way.  All money doled out to one citizen must first be extracted by force from another (or by inflating the currency, a hidden, punishing tax on everyone, but I digress).  Margaret Thatcher had it right when she said, “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money.” I've highlighted the word, "eventually", for a reason.  Many of our entitlements, started out with good intentions, however, they’re now technically bankrupt, making Lady Thatcher's quote prophetically accurate.  It is impossible to be charitable with other people’s money. "Social justice", "fairness", and "equality", can never be obtained by forcibly taking money from the person who earned it and giving it to someone who didn't.  This is the fundamental lie of socialism.  

If we as a nation do not vigilantly fight to destroy this creeping, deceitful disease, whether it’s called socialism, big government, or another more palatable sounding term like “progressivism”, we become easy targets for eventual tyranny. Study history. It’s happened again and again.  We are not immune to this evil social condition. Of all tyrannies, the most oppressive is that one that is requested at the voting booth by its ultimate victims “for the good of the people.” If we exchange our liberty and freedom for the perceived security of letting the federal government run our lives, funding it with our own money, borrowed money, and printed money, then we will lose both our liberty and our prosperity.  

There is another place that offers security.  It’s called prison. This is the direction our country is headed.