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Submitted by jrb3 on
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Tangent time.  Getting it off my mind, since I've let it take too much of my attention today.

“From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs” -- a common expression of the socialism (and communism) approach to distribution.

Is it just me, or is some relevant context missing when translated into English?

"From each according to his abilities [as determined only by others and without regard to his interest], to each according to his needs [as determined only by others and without regard to his desired future]"

Very glad to live/move/be in a non-socialist society, where I contribute according to my abilities *as I choose among opportunities and duties I see*, and I can fulfill my needs *as I experience them and to grow my chosen abilities* -- and friends and colleagues support and advise me as I make those choices, not having others make them for me.

End tangent. :-)