SIFE Students in Free Enterprise ‘accompanied, Mr. Pritpal Singh Chatha to make presentations of their projects at Hawkins High and Middle School, on March 4, 1986. Miss Cynthis Damiel and Veronica Grant organized and attended the SIFE Booth from 8:00 10:00 am. They distributed literature on “Free Enterprise,” “Introduction to SIFE,” “Halt the Deficit,” and “SIFECAW,” “Citizens Against West.
Mr. Matt Hopkins, Bishop Gidding, Diane Garey, and Mr. Chatha taught the Senior Class and Sixth Grade the System of Free Enterprise (Capitalism) and its cooperative merits against Communism and Socialism. The use of cartoons in explaining six different isms made the presentation very interesting and humorous.
‘After explaining the basics of Free Enterprise, Socialism and Communism, the three representative nations (US.A., UK. and USSR.) were discussed with references to a photogram presentation of their systems by U.S. News world report Studies, the Education Department of National Federation of Independent Business. The studies revealed the United States in nearly one third the size of USSR. According to the 1978 estimates the USA. Had a population of approximately 215 million and the Soviet Union 257 million. The United States had civilian labor force of 83 million or 39% and the Soviet Union 115 million or 49% of its population. The Gross National Product (GNP) per capita was $7,860 for the USA and $3,590 for the USSR. The percentage of world export for the USA was 11.6%and for the USSR was 3.7%, Telephones per 1,000 persons were 695 for the USA and only 66 for the USSR. TV per 1,000 persons were 587 in the USA and 217 in the Soviet Union. The percentage of total public expenditure on education was 189% in the United States and 13,9% for USSR of the GNP. The expenditure on National Defense was 6% for the USA and 11 13% of the Gross National Product for the USSR. The employment on farms was 2,00% in the USA and 13% in the USSR, The United States produced surplus of food grains, while the USSR has shortage of food all the time, One liter of milk costs 7 minutes of work in Washington, D.C. and 18 minutes of work in Moscow. One Kg of sugar costs 5 minutes in wage in Washington, D.C. and 18 minutes of work in Moscow. Color TV costs 86 hours of work in Washington D. C. and 713 work hours in Moscow. Auto mobile ford “Fairlane” and “volga” costs 11.1 months wage in Washington and 35 months in Moscow, USSR.
‘The sixth graders and seniors learned from discussion and observation from handouts that prices in USSR are high. The family budget is much more expensive compared to family budget in the United States. Since the cost of living, relative to wage is much higher, the standard of living is very low. ‘The Soviet Union permits one party (Communist) system, accepts no dissent and emphasizes central planning. There is no place for freedom of choice in the system. It is lowering the quality of life of the Soviet people. Most of the citizens show happiness with the life because they are not given a chance to learn, know and compare with the outside world.
‘At the conclusion of the class, each senior answering questions on preference of the system, preferred capitalism, because of its higher productivity, freedom of choice, freedom to organize and better human relations. Sixth grade children showed their preference for capitalism, especially of the United States because of freedom of choice can do what I want).
Article extracted from this publication >> March 28, 1986
