Perfection Theory, and Its Imperfect Critique

True communism is one of many what-I-call "Perfection Theories." They all reason thus:

"Isn't it worth sacrificing everything for a theory that - if everyone went along with it - would make everything perfect?"

They don't usually say "make everything perfect." They couch it in terms like "an end to hunger," or "enough resources for everybody," or "world peace." The claim boils down to: I have an unproven, never-tested theory that says if everybody obeyed me (my theory), then the result would be better than what we now have. And that's worth sacrificing for.

The answer is no, it is not. For at least five reasons, but the main one is that people do not change their lives because somebody has a theory that EVERYBODY has to go along with for it to work. They change their lives when they see a neighbor's spectacular results putting some opt-in theory into practice. If a change is valuable, then it will usually show at least some value for each person who embraces it - it doesn't require massive top-down implementation as a precondition before any good can come of it. Be suspicious of such claims.

Another reason is that the choice involved - sacrificing everything for a proposed good - is not a virtuous choice when made for anyone but one's self. Self-sacrifice is the only virtuous sacrifice. No person can make that choice for another. No person can take that choice away from another, and call it good.

Another reason is that the proposed good is usually not very good at all in most people's eyes.

Another reason is that what every member of society gives up (liberty, mostly) is way more valuable than what any or all members of society stands to gain.

Another reason is that an unproven, possible good is not a compelling reason to chuck all the proven good you already have. You know damn well that even if it is implemented, when it doesn't work, the failure will always be blamed on the people not the system. Well that's because the system is perfect! And being perfect, it is incapable of being put into practice by imperfect beings.

That's the true test of an idealist: an idealist thinks that people being imperfect is a problem.