Socialism is defined as the first step toward communism. It is designed to produce a transition between capitalism and Communism. Under socialism, you can still own property. However, industrial production, or the main means of generating wealth, is owned in common and managed by a democratically elected government.

This is what started happening in Chile in 1952 with the second presidency of Carlos Ibanez del Campo and the nationalization of copper mines.

As of today (2020) Chile is the world’s largest producer and exporter of copper. Copper mines are located in northern Chile and along the Andes of north-central Chile.

The nationalization continued under President Eduardo Frei in the 60’s and under Allende was “finalized”. The idea was for the government to own the mines, farms and businesses and put them under control of special organizations created by the government.

One of the first measures of Allende’s Socialist government was to raise salaries. He raised minimum wages for blue-collar workers by 37%–41% and 8%–10% for white-collar workers. He established a minimum wage for workers of all ages. However, the wage increases were invalidated by the inflation of Chile’s money since no intrinsic value was added . By the end of Allende’s second year in office, inflation had reached 163%.

The middle-class was, at the beginning, happy with the elimination of taxes on modest incomes and property.

State-sponsored programs distributed free milk for expectant and nursing mothers and for children between the ages of 7 and 14. Also a program of free food to the country’s neediest citizens was implemented.

Community-based distribution centers and shops were developed, which sold directly in working-class neighborhoods. The Allende’s Government felt the need to increase its intervention in marketing activities, and state involvement in grocery distribution reached 33%.

I was living in Antofagasta, in the North of Chile by that time. I was renting a house with three bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in a housing development where many of the professors at the University lived. Only one food and supplies distribution center was established at that community and only people of certain low income could buy food there.

Since buying food, or anything else, at a regular store was almost impossible because of the high prices, I volunteered to go to the fish market two days a week and bring fish for the people, living at the development, who had no means of transportation. Neighbors would give me money and I would start at 5:00 a.m., covering the floor in the back of my car with newspaper. It was a Citroën 2CV Truckette. I would then go to the fresh fish market at the bay, and buy fish for the families. I would bring the fish back in my car and distribute it to the different houses. It was a very time consuming task and many days I was late for work at the University. (Also, my little Citroën smelled like fish the rest of the time I remained in Chile.)

Soon the bureaucracy in all the government agencies worsened and the government increased the import of foreign goods trying to compensate for the inefficiency of the production of farms and industries. In the period between 1970 and 1972 exports fell 24% and imports rose 26%. The import of food rose more than 150%.

Evidently, the people that Allende had to select (because of political pacts) as administrators and organizers were not prepared to manage the mines, farms and businesses. They did not have the training, nor the social background necessary, in a society dominated and manipulated by social prejudices, to perform the demanding and subtle changes required by a transformation from capitalism to socialism.

The new presidents and directors of major economic development government agencies were people coming from the working class. They evidently did not have the required social savoir faire or authority to be obeyed by their subordinates.

That was, and maybe is still is, a major factor in Chile. If you are not born in the “right” social class and your last name is not one of the last names of the aristocratic Chilean families, you have many fewer to no opportunities to advance in prestige and “trust” even as a professional with years and years of education and effort.

The newspapers were used as powerful tools of opposition during Allende’s government. They launched elaborated campaigns criticizing his policies and raising concerns about freedom of the press. El Mercurio, the oldest and the largest anti-government newspaper (I wrote my Thesis about this Newspaper to obtain my Master in Journalism) played the most influential role. El Mercurio owner was Agustín Edwards, from one of the richest dominant families in Chile. (I met two of his sons Cristián and Sebastián.) El Mercurio shaped the Chilean public opinion through its critical coverage. Obviously, but covertly, the newspaper receiving financial support from the United States. The propaganda efforts against Allende, helped to form a tense and fierce relationship between the government and the press. (Fagen 1974)

One of the most apparent changes in Chile after Allende took power was the lack of labor discipline. At the University where I was working, the amount of tardiness increased not only among the maintenance workers but also among the students and professors who had leftist ideology.

I can remember a sad illustration of this behavior. Some of my students at the School of Journalism came to my office to complain. One young professor, recently hired to teach some needed courses, had not returned their corrected papers a month after they had submitted them. I called the young professor and asked what was going on. He explained he had been busy with his political activities and he promised to have papers corrected in the next 2 days.

The next day my secretary came to see me quite agitated. “You have to come see this”, he said. The offices at the University were built with big windows and when we approached the office of the young professor we saw him standing on top of his desk.

I knocked and opened his door. He had drawn a line on the floor, picked up the papers, and he was throwing them one by one across the room. The papers that fell over the line were to be graded with highest marks and the others were going to be graded according to the proximity to the line. I went to see the university vice president, but he was a member of the Socialist Party, and had been recently placed in that position. He said that he would talk to the young professor. But he continued in his position. I had demanded that he should be fired.

Communism is conceptualized as an ideal society where people support each other through production of goods that go directly to the person that needs it without need of money.

Sounds familiar? This elaborate economic theory by Marx and Engels are described very simply in the book of Acts.

Acts 2:44-45 “And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need.”

Communism is based in the principles of Christianism but it has no God. And that is precisely the problem. When sharing is done as an obligation, and worse if it is imposed by the government, Satan gets the perfect opportunity to produce disappointment, deceit, anger, envy, jealousy and hate, but most of all fear.

The book of Acts contiues: Acts 4:32-37: “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all. There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need. For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. He sold a field he owned and brought the money to the apostles.”

Acts 5:1-11 But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest. Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!” As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.” And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.” Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.”

In the case described in Acts, people learned that immediate death can be the consequence of sin. However, in a system not based on a firm belief, only fear will prevail. When not everybody believe in the system and love is not the only motive to share, the system fails.

Socialism-Communism is an ideal that does not work with fallen human nature