It is a stark reality that socialist economies, such as those of the former USSR and China, have been notorious for heavy pollution. In these systems, there is little to no economic incentive to clean up the environment. Without the drive of personal gain or property rights, there is a lack of motivation to invest in the health of resources or to reduce waste, leading to significant environmental degradation.

South Africa is facing significant challenges as the parliament recently passed a motion for land expropriation from white farmers without compensation, driven by the radical left party, Economic Freedom Fighters, led by the Marxist Julius Malema. This motion, which passed with a landslide vote of 241 to 83, aligns with the ruling African National Congress government's platform under President Cyril Ramaphosa. Although the country's constitution must be amended to enable this confiscation, the black parties hold the necessary votes to push it forward. Malema, adhering to Marxist principles, proposes that even after confiscation, the land will not be owned by black individuals but by the government, with bureaucrats deciding its allocation. He has declared that the time for reconciliation is over, emphasizing a shift to what he calls justice. This situation mirrors the destructive path taken by Zimbabwe under another Marxist leader, Robert Mugabe, whose fast-track land reform led to catastrophic economic decline. Once the fastest-growing economy in Africa, Zimbabwe became the fastest-shrinking, transforming from a breadbasket to a basket case. Mugabe's policies resulted in the displacement of over a million farm workers and a drastic drop in agricultural production, with maize, wheat, and tobacco yields plummeting. The beneficiaries of land seizures were primarily ruling-party officials and cronies, lacking the skills or desire to manage the farms. Consequently, Zimbabwe's GDP halved, inflation soared to 7600%, unemployment reached 80%, and life expectancy dropped dramatically. Similar patterns are emerging in South Africa, where the groundwork for such policies is being laid. The potential for economic and social devastation akin to Zimbabwe's experience looms large as South Africa moves toward implementing these Communist-inspired land reforms.

Private property rights in the U.S. are slowly being abridged and are creeping toward obsolescence. As socialism expands in American government and culture, property rights have been increasingly eroded. Socialism, to some, appears as the outwardly beautiful, natural child of communism, emphasizing the larger group, in this case, the state, at the expense of the individual. It engulfs a person under wave after wave of restrictive laws and social programs that make him both increasingly subject to and dependent on the state, since his wages are confiscated through heavy taxation and government services are proffered in return. As the socialist state approaches outright communism, it further curbs private ownership and simultaneously nationalizes both land and critical business sectors such as utilities, communications, and transportation. Though the U.S. has not reached this point, and the American psyche remains highly sensitive to restrictions on private ownership, the process is underway, as growing federal holdings, extensive environmental building restrictions, and numerous centrally planned growth schemes indicate.

As the United States continues to reject its biblical moorings and founder in its character, a growing number of citizens have begun to favor socialism, in whole or in part. Many believe the government should do more to regulate increasing areas of life, hoping that further human oversight will produce a better society without addressing its spiritual decline. In socialism and communism, the authorities force a redistribution of resources, which is not described in the events following Pentecost. The early believers pooled their resources and met the needs of everyone voluntarily, not by coercion or compulsion, let alone by the state. The critical point is that the people made this calculation with God's inspiration. They were not forced, as a collectivist system would do. They had the desire and the freedom to help others, and they had more money available to help others because no entrenched and powerful bureaucracy sat between the two parties, enriching itself.

Communism, like all forms of socialism, encourages the laboring class to support a suppressive government for the benefit of an elite few. This system, rooted in the same Babylonian style of rule established by Nimrod, reflects the exploitation, power, aggression, and deception that characterize human government. Despite variations in administration, communism remains part of the world order built on strife and competition, producing confusion throughout society. This system stands in opposition to God's divine governance, which will ultimately replace all earthly forms of rule with the Kingdom headed by His Son, Jesus Christ.

Richard Ritenbaugh acknowledges that young people display a proclivity to accept socialism, oblivious to the horrendous damage socialist experiments have brought to the world. Politicians of the ilk of Bernie Sanders have fomented hatred toward capitalism by comparing it to an imaginary utopia. Economist Walter Williams insists that the free market, with all its warts, is far superior to collectivism at protecting people from poverty. Poverty is not usually an economic issue but stems from ethical and moral deficits. Socialism simply transfers wealth to the leaders of a government, leaving most of the citizenry in greater poverty. Williams, in his article, "Do These Four Things to Avoid Poverty," suggests that a young person, to keep his nose above poverty or failure, needs to (1.) complete high school, (2.) get a job, (3.) get married before having children, and (4.) be a law-abiding citizen. Poverty is self-caused—not the result of society, bad laws or systemic bigotry. Young people who drop out of school, take drugs, and fornicate set themselves up for failure. The law is no problem for those who obey it, but it will break those who break it, making it difficult to rebound.