tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25513375702597054.post8531286997972608597..comments2024-03-03T17:54:27.953-05:00Comments on Tobaccoland.us: 400 years later socialism still doesn't workWilliam Cookehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18297870766492113414noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25513375702597054.post-33162615298113663852011-10-07T22:10:21.913-04:002011-10-07T22:10:21.913-04:00Socialism tends not to work for a number of reason...Socialism tends not to work for a number of reasons, but in the Va. colony the complete lack of like-mindedness was one factor. The colonists were of radically differing social status with their leaders representing the privileged classes and the vast majority of the others drawn from the lower classes. Many of them had not had any schooling, nor were they adept at farming. Smith himself bemoaned the lack of skilled laborers and artisans. Essentially, the rich men who came over paid the passage for anyone who wanted to get out of England because of head-rights, the entitlement of the payer to 50 acres of land for every person he brought over. <br />The Virginia Company had one goal: huge profits. They had no idea what would generate those profits, though I suspect they were thinking that gold was lying around on the ground where it could be picked up and shipped back. Their failure to plan anything caused a great deal more hardship than should have existed, but, then they didn't really care. They sat in England expecting the colonists to ante up and the cost in human life concerned them not at all. <br />These are only a few of the factors that created such a failure in Jamestowne. When you add it all up, it appears to be an almost deliberate attempt to fail. The Virginia experience makes the Massachusetts Company look like the genius organizers of all time...Cate Custisnoreply@blogger.com