Socialism vs Capitalism

I spent my childhood during the period of socialism, so I can compare socialism with capitalism based on my experience.

Kindergarten:
During the socialist era, in our country almost all children had to go to kindergarten (some children aged between 5 months to 3 year old even went to nursery homes) almost for free of charge in cities and towns because all our parents were employed and it was the proper place for children to learn various skills such as drawing, singing, dancing, counting, playing musical instruments and etc. Moreover, children used to be served with very nutritious and healthy meals at their kindergartens, because by that time there were food factories that produce food (including dairy products) only for children.

Since the 1990s, when Mongolia began to transit from Socialism to Capitalism, the Government stopped providing funds to organizations for children and all nursery homes, children's food factories and many kindergartens closed their doors. Moreover, all of the children's libraries, children's cinemas, bookstores, sport clubs and circles for children were closed due to the lack of funding and their buildings and facilities were taken over by banks (including IMF Office in Mongolia), stock exchange, night clubs, bars, shops and etc. So, the first lesson we learnt from capitalism was that capitalism does not care about children and it aims at making profit.

School
During the period of socialism, all 8 year olds had to enroll in primary schools. Universal secondary education was free and compulsory for all. Thanks to it, literacy rate reached 100%. Moreover, all graduates from secondary and high schools had to enroll in vocational schools, colleges, institutes and universites to gain skills necessary for employment and all kinds of tertiary education were provided to Mongolians for free of charge not only in Mongolia also in other post communist countries such as the Soviet Union (every year 15000-20000 Mongolians studied at tertiary education institutes and special schools such as ballet schools and conservatoriums in the Soviet Union only), East Germany, Hungary, Bulgaria, Cuba, Czeck Republic and etc. All students in tertiary education institutes received stipend on a monthly basis. The problem in education was the curriculum heavily loaded with marxist leninist idiology. (instead of marxism leninism here I posted a video about the Socialist Revolution held in Russia in 1917 because I could not find an appropriate video about marxism leninism)



However, compared to the present curricula, the former ones were much better structured and included more subjects including math, physics, chemistry, algebra and geometry in more comprehesive ways. Nowadays, the curricula do not include physics and chemistry and it leads to limited opportunity for students to be majored in medical schience, engineering and natural sciences that are basis for innovation and production.

In addition to teaching various subjects, schools of all levels (primary to tertiary) paid greater attention to disciplining their students through youth organizations. For example, all primary school students were members of the organization for youngsters of valour (baatarchuud), all secondary school students joined the organization of pioneers (which was established in 1925) then all high school, college and university students were members of the Mongolian Revolutionary Youth Union.

But in capitalism, parents have to discipline and teach all kinds of life skills to their children. But, in deed parents are very busy with earning for their lives and do not have ebough time to be with their children. So, children are usually ignorant.

Spirit Banner called "Suld" in Mongolian

In Mongolia warrior-herders used to carry a Spirit Banner (see posted photo of white banners), called SULD in Mongolian. Suld is constructed by tying strands of hair from best stallions to the shaft of a spear, just below its blade. There are two different Spirit Banners, one is white (used during the peaceful period of time) and the other is black (used during the wars). The word "Suld" has several meanings such as soul, spirit, anthem (suld duulal), symbol (suld temdeg) and good luck or fate (suld khiimori).

American scholar Jack Weatherford said in his book titled "Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World" that "Whenever Genghis Khan erected his camp, the warrior planted the Spirit Banner outside the entrance to proclaim his identity and to stand as his perpetual guardian...As the strands of hair blew and tossed in the nearly constant breeze of the steppe, they captured the power of the wind, the sky, and the sun, and the banner channeled this power from nature to the warrior. The wind in the horsehair inspired the warrior’s dreams and encouraged him to pursue his own destiny." So the Spirit Banner was used by Mongolians as an instrument to absorb the nature's power into themselves to create their own fate.

Moreover, Jack Weatherford said, when Genghis Khaan died, his spirit was said to reside forever in those tufts of horsehair. While the warrior lived, the horsehair banner carried his destiny; in death, it became his soul. The physical body was quickly abandoned to nature, but the soul lived on forever in those tufts of horsehair to inspire future generations. This is the main reason why Mongolians worship in the Spirit Banners, place them in the Government House and consider them more precious than any golden statue of Buddha or any other religious icons.
When ancient Mongolians faced troubles they used to say "Turiin mini SULD urshuu" which means "Please bless me my State Spirit Banner". It proves that ancient Mongolians used to worship in the souls of our ancestors and believed more in their own State (or Government) rather than God.