SoylentNews

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Thanksgiving is commonly known as a celebration of a good harvest, but the reason why the harvest was good is seldom remembered. It's an inconvenient fact. Plymouth governor William Bradford's historical accounts provide an explanation [forbes.com].

Plymouth Colony was originally communal. Marx was far from the first to think that "from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" might be a good idea. Such thinking dates back to Plato at least, and in 1620 the colony actually tried it. Nobody wanted to do the work, though everybody had needs. After 2.5 years, with half the colony dead, Plymouth governor William Bradford decided to prioritize survival over the ideals of socialism. The resulting harvest was plentiful, giving reason to celebrate Thanksgiving.

It's a lesson worth sharing every Thanksgiving. With about a quarter of the population in the USA now finding socialism to be desirable, it's clear that we have forgotten the purpose of Thanksgiving. Telling family and friends the story of Thanksgiving is an important part of the holiday.

Original Submission