I think that your first part while meant to be a joke, did do a fairly good job at giving a somewhat over simplified description of the 3 governmental systems. But after that, I think your argument falls apart at least a little bit in your interpretations of both socialism and capitalism. I do not claim to be an expert on socialism, but I'm not aware that it's underlying principal is that one not be required to work. I believe it is more a matter of everyone being given an equal opportunity from the very beginning. i.e. education, healthcare, employment opportunities, etc. Thus the opportunities are available for all from the very start. As far as capitalism is concerned, I have a little more experience since I live in the United States. I would not necessarily use the expression that it "allows" you to start at the bottom and work your way up. Although many have done just that quite successfully. Many have also started at the top, depending on the families into which they were born. They may or may not have worked a day in their lives. They are wealthy not necessarily from having worked hard all their lives, but rather from being born into the lap of luxury. There are also many, many more who, as you have so rightly stated, have worked very hard their entire lives, and are extremely far from wealthy, but are in fact living just at or in some cases below the poverty level. They did not "make it to the top" no matter how hard they worked or were willing to work. So, as it turns out, Capitalism is not quite as simple as it sounded in your brief description. As far as Communism is concerned, I think someone said it sounds good on paper, but it has never really worked anywhere, and is probably pretty much on its way out. You can see how well communism has worked with how many times it's collapsed. The being required to work thing was something someone else said, I didn't say it and didn't actually agree with it. As far as I can tell with socialism all it does it seems to destroy the class system to give the illusion of equality. I can kind of see where it's coming from, but for the people who've worked hard all their lives, is it fair for them to recieve the same amount as those who may not work as hard? I don't think it is. Capitalism, I understand how others may live, but my point is how people CAN live. I could have more opportunities presented to me in a capitalist society than someone who's richer than me. I think it depends on your education. Success in life depends completely on education, but it depends on what you define as success. Being born into it, that's not success. That's luck. But for those who've gone through their education, done as well as they can and have come out of it well and got a good job they want out of it, I think that's success. I think more happiness can be found in capitalism myself as, I think, it actually presents MORE opportunities to you than the other systems, depending on your attitude to it. I mean you have to look at people like Bill Gates and Alan Sugar who've started off from nothing and have ended up right at the top. That just shows you what CAN happen in a capitalist society.