The current Coronavirus crisis has many progressives decrying capitalism as having failed the masses in their time of need. The lack of readily available toilet paper rolls and empty shelves of chicken is all the proof they need to claim that capitalism is indeed over, and now it’s time to try socialism. These people are wrong. There is no shortage of toilet paper or food in the country right now, it’s just that people panic in a crisis and buy up whatever they can, no matter how futile 5 packages of toilet paper will be in a more serious crisis.

One Missouri citizen points out the fatal flaw of the “tear down capitalism” argument during this crisis in a letter to the editor in the News Tribune:

Dear Editor:

The title of one letter to the editor was “Looks like we need socialism after all.” One line in the letter was “time for the dreamers to wake up,” so let’s wake up and look at the new socialist reality. No toilet paper in stores, no going out to restaurants, and no movie theaters. Being afraid of your friends and neighbors. People constantly angry with the government but too afraid of what the government might do to them. Businesses closing, people out of work. Martial Law-like tactics being implemented. In some states people no longer allowed to buy guns or ammo. Restrictive regulations on what you can do, where you can go, who you can be around, and how close you can be too them. While those with higher paying jobs get the advantages of working from home, others with lower-paying jobs are told they have to be at work cause their jobs can’t be done at home. People being forced to depend on the government for everything. Government waiting a week to alert people that there was a positive case of the deadly virus in their buildings. Medical staff having to self-quarantine from their own families. Panic, fear, paranoia all the great and glorious wonders of socialism. You’re right, we have been awakened and enlightened to the ugly truth of socialism and as the T-shirt says, “Socialism sucks.”

That’s right, the current crisis we are experiencing is most like socialism. If those progressives have a problem with it, they may want to reevaluate their beliefs.