A Powerful Story About the Immense Beauty of Capitalism

Andy Snyder|September 10, 2020

Oh no… we’re doing it again.

Andy’s stirring up another controversy.

But this one’s worth the stress. It’s worth the teeth-gritting. We promise.

You see, we were invited to a marvelous place over the holiday weekend. It’s a farm whose rolling hills gently run right into a small college town. Tucked down a winding driveway that’s chased by a small freestone creek lies what the owners call a village of barns.

These barns don’t belong on a farm.

They’re immaculate 19th-century masterpieces, with brick floors, tongue-and-groove beams and ornate metalwork pounded out by the hands of a blacksmith who is clearly the master of masters.

Across from the main barn and its three lighted cupolas was a small carriage house, a restored pig barn and a chicken coop with such fine detail it was worthy of hosting dinners.

In fact… that’s what it did.

The whole place is a sprawling event venue… created by a local mega-millionaire looking to make a buck or two.

He bought the buildings, tore them down, moved them from one farm to another and restored them to royal quality.

And that’s where the controversy starts.

Business Sense

You see, the old man behind the place is, like most mega-millionaires, a devout capitalist. He knows if he incorporates an idea and attaches a P&L to it… it will have a lot better chance of success.

That’s certainly the case with his old barns.

A decade ago, they were ready to be torched. The original owners couldn’t maintain such living works of art. A nonprofit was formed to maintain and showcase them. It failed.

Then the government tried to help out. It failed.

Another nonprofit stepped in. It failed.

Finally… along came the mega-millionaire. He’s certainly not failing.

He’s restored the iconic barns and created dozens of jobs and offers a service so many brides-to-be are begging for.

This is where we now dig in our heels and sprint toward more controversy…

Us vs. Them

If nonprofits and handouts can’t save a barn… and tax subsidies and grant after grant can’t stir the gumption to keep barn beams out of the burn pile… why would anybody think they would work for a complicated species like humans?

We don’t know why… but we do know the numbers.

They aren’t good.

A full 52% of kids under the age of 18 today reside in homes where at least one person receives some sort of assistance from a means-tested government program.

Isn’t that scary? Line 10 kids against a barn wall and five of them will come from a home where somebody gets a check from Uncle Sam.

The list of programs Americans can tap into is long.

There’s SSI… WIC… and SNAP. There are opportunities from the USDA, the FDA and probably even the DEA.

Then there’s public housing… Medicaid… and the National School Lunch Program.

If you need money, don’t worry about grabbing overtime hours this week. The government’s here to help.

With that much money floating around, we’d expect nobody in America to be broke… no business to be failing… and no shingles atop an old barn flapping in the breeze.

But alas, things don’t work that way.

Clearly not.

But just like those old barns that sat in disrepair while a generation worked to find the right government program to fix them up, more and more Americans dismiss the notion of a healthy profit motivation and replace it with a has-never-worked idea of playing with other people’s money.

Bad Math

As you’ve surely noticed, without the aid of anything scientific, recent polls confirm the fluffy notion of socialism is quickly gaining popularity throughout all aspects of American culture.

Here are the facts…

The survey takers at Gallup recently asked Democrats and Republicans their views on socialism and capitalism.

For the first time in the poll’s history, Democrats had a more positive image of socialism (57%) than capitalism (47%). And what’s crazy is that 16% of Republicans claim to hold a positive view of socialism.

Talk about an identity crisis.

But what about young voters… the folks clawing out of more and more homes that depend on checks from the government?

The numbers, while staggering, aren’t surprising. Folks between the ages of 18 and 29 are turning away from capitalism at a stunning pace.

In 2010, for example, 68% of folks in this age group had a positive view of capitalism.

Today… it’s just 45% – nearly equal to the number of kids relying on an increasingly socialist system.

It makes sense. When folks grow up in a household that depends on a government safety net… they’re more than comfortable when they hold their noses and jump right back into it.

We’d like to take them for a tour of those barns though.

It will change their minds.

The “before” picture shows the debilitating effects of government handouts and feel-good economics. The “after” picture shows the immense beauty of capitalism.

Fixing It

Here’s where our mission of teaching folks the value of capitalism and financial self-reliance is so important. If we don’t convince our youngest generations that socialism is little more than an alluring trap that has killed every economy that has dared to step into it… we’ll lose countless old barns… and, of course, a whole lot more.

That fact is clear.

The notion of capitalism and democracy is being pushed out of our schools. It’s being replaced with a doctrine that may feel good today but has time and time again led to tyranny, oppression and poverty.

It’s as if, all at once, we can hear the American mindset saying, “Mediocrity is good enough.” After all, that’s what socialism all but guarantees. The folks in power get rich, the hardworking don’t get what they deserve, and the lazy and the criminal among us get far more than they should.

Look around. Look at the folks in charge – from any side of the aisle.

Do you want them raising your kids? Do you want them managing your finances?

The thought of it makes us gag.

We’re witnessing the death of capitalism in America.

The solution, we’re convinced, starts at home. It starts with us spreading the truth about the humble notion of capitalism. It starts with us showing its virtues. And it starts with a broad understanding of the opportunities with and alternatives to capitalism.

Capitalism mustn’t die. For if it goes… we all go.

If more folks could see the beauty in those old barns and hear the stories of hard work and determination that were hewn into their beams, we’re convinced capitalism would live on forever.

What signs do you see of capitalism’s demise? Let us know your thoughts at mailbag@manwardpress.com.

Editor’s Note: This has been one of the most chaotic years on record… and it shows no sign of stopping. That’s why a group of renowned investment experts – Andy included – is coming together to share their thoughts on what’s left for 2020… and how you can still come out on top. The best part? You can get access to this exclusive event from the comfort of your own home. Get all the details here.