The Kulak Effect

In Soviet Russia, a particular kind of person became Public Enemy #1 not because they were corrupt or cruel, but because they were successful. Their crime? They resisted Stalin's collectivist utopia.

The Kulaks were essentially peasants who became wealthy by selling grain, foodstuffs, and other products on their farms. They were rich enough to hire laborers, lend money to other farmers, and were leaders in their communities.

They also resisted the collectivist farming utopia that Stalin envisioned for the Russian people. Naturally, Stalin didn't like that.

The Kulaks were entrepreneurial, and there was no room for that in Socialism or Communism.

First came regulations, then the outright seizure of land and property, followed by imprisonment in gulags.

I watched an interview with Isaac Simpson on Blaze Media. He argued that we're seeing an Americanized version of the Kulak dynamic, one pushed by certain leftist "woke" organizations during Biden's presidency.

And honestly? He's not wrong.

Cancel Culture, DEI, and ESG policies. Are these pathways to justice or just ways to punish dissent?

Let's set politics aside for a moment and consider this. What are we doing to our communities, the economy, and the nation as a whole with these policies, mindsets, and culture?

To me, it feels like one layer of red tape on top of another. We already have the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which outlaws public discrimination just about anywhere, especially in the workplace, by age, sex, race, religion, etc. Additionally, environmental regulations were in place before ESG scores were implemented.

Notice that DEI and ESG scores are not just forms of extra justice. They establish quotas on businesses, which are additional requirements that must be met.

According to the left, if you're in the middle or upper classes, white, Christian, Conservative, etc., you're in the privileged class and you need to be shut down for the greater good.

Instead of proletariat vs. bourgeoisie, it's the oppressed vs. "privileged." And measures that promote equity, not equality, are the pathways to justice.

Stalin accused the Kulaks of engaging in predatory lending and other unethical practices. Some of them may have, and that's the darker side of Capitalism. But that's not the point here.

This is a classic example of textbook socialism and communism.

The American Dream is harder to achieve these days, but it's not dead. People still flock to this nation from around the world in search of opportunity.

It doesn't help matters to put up more red tape.

We can resist not just by telling the truth but by building something that is uniquely ours, not shaped by a political or social narrative. Create art, build businesses, start organizations because you want to and because you can.

Here's a link to the Isaac Simpson interview if you're interested. And check out Isaac Simpson on Substack!

Live free. Think boldly. Build anyway.