Socialists like Slavery. They likely don't realize it, but that is what they advocate for.

It always starts out with such simple things. We see some people struggling and we think "That shouldn't be happening we should do something about that."

Now one path we could take is just to take matters into our own hands and try to help the people we see struggling and see if we can get others to volunteer. That takes effort, and we have in the back of our mind that if we do this then there will be many other people like those struggling people in the future, and people we can't help.

So how do we help all future cases like this? See our thoughts truly are based upon trying to find solutions to end these struggles.

Life is a struggle. We are seeking to shape life such that many struggles no longer exist.

Often our answer is to empower the government to do something about it. Rather than you going around and gathering the resources necessary wouldn't it be much better if there was something that had that as its job. Something that was always doing it and going out of its way to help people?

So the government does that. They create a new entity. They create some new foundations. They hire more people to do this. They create people to review paperwork to make certain there is a process for getting this help. They then make positions to oversee the entire operation to insure there is no abuse (this step may come later after there is abuse).

All of these new things require funding. Sure you no longer have to put forth the effort yourself, but someone still needs to do the work. So all of this bureaucracy and overhead requires payment.

The government doesn't have a product it can sell for profit. Funds for government activities come in two formats. They come as either new taxes (money taken from you whether you want it taken or not) or in the form of debt. The debt is essentially the government taking out credit cards in YOUR name but you yourself don't get to use that credit card. The government does that. When they reach the debt ceiling (aka max out the credit cards) they make a big show about the problems and then eventually they raise the debt ceiling (take out some more credit cards in your name).

Taxes increased means businesses increase prices to offset losses due to increased expenses. This increases what is known as inflation.

Eventually there are new groups of people struggling that were not struggling before, because inflation and changes have made what they could get by on before no longer sufficient for survival.

They may become a recipient of one of these programs that were needed. Or perhaps they'll create a new program such as forcing mandatory minimum wage. All businesses must pay X.

The moving target of minimum wages have shown they erode the underside of the middle class. I contend in the long run they create MORE people of the type that were struggling and we keep doing the same short term FIX to give us momentary relief at the cost of more people in the future needing that relief.

Then people are ill and struggling. Before they could negotiate and perhaps find a compassionate medical person to help them. Laws are passed to force people to deal with a system and making deals with medical professions is no longer allowed. All in the name of "free" or "affordable" health care provided by an entity that can't give anything for free or affordable. They can only increase the cost to you, or the debt to you.

Good intentions and reacting to "feel good" moments makes us grab onto what seems like a "simple" solution rather than thinking it through long term. It turns out these "simple" and "feel good" programs which tend to be known as aspects of socialism don't work. They make things worse.

In history, some nations have tried to embrace socialism outright. If they have resources and a nice wealth that has accumulated before that then for awhile they can seem great. "See socialism works!" "See how great it is?!?" while all of these "free" programs are running on the money and resources that accumulated before this. The problem is these programs consume such resources and funds far faster than they can be replenished. So for a bit it looks great because it is robbing any savings from the past. Once those funds, resources, and savings are gone things get bad.

Things collapse. Hyperinflation kicks in. Many people die. Violence and madness occur.

"That isn't true socialism" is the chant you'll hear from people still pushing for socialism. Yet, before the funds were drained and while things still looked nice they'd hold it up as the poster child of "see it works!".

It doesn't work. It's been done many times. It should also be noted that Socialism and Communism are not that far from each other. There are differences, but they don't seem to last.

One technique used to convince people is to use the same attacks, erasing of history so people don't know their past and thus they fall for the same arguments as those that tried these things in the past.

They may even convince people they are fighting against fascists when the fascists of history always embraced socialism.

The government cannot give anything for "free" or "affordable". They do not produce anything to pay for it. They can only steal from you, or put you further in debt. While you get excited about "Free" you are paying for things that you many not even need.

It's for the greater good though right?!? I'll tell you the "greater good" is often used to justify some truly evil acts.

Now to get to the reason I wrote the title the way I did.

I can be compassionate and of my own free will (aka choice, aka voluntary) choose to help people and put forth my own effort and funds, rather than empowering the government to steal in my name.

Or I can empower the government. Empowering the government is socialism.

It is not voluntary. There is another name for involuntary. That is slavery.

So while you are rushing to help people and trying to make sure you can help everyone you are empowering slavery. If you are anti-slavery, believe in freedom, but still like to be compassionate and help people then you should help the people that you personally can, and encourage others to do the same. You and others working together will do a far better and far less wasteful than the government.

The technology is even available now to extend your power and reach without requiring the government to do it. It is called crowdsourcing.

Don't be so quick to empower the government.

How often have you seen a government be willing to relinquish any power it is granted?

EDIT: I am uncertain why that steemimg starting image is broken. It was there and visible a better part of the day. It is the only post I've ever done using the built in image hosting that was there and then is suddenly gone.

I didn't save a copy of it anywhere else, just designed it, copied it into steemit, and once I verified it was there and the post was live I cleared my work.